SEATTLE, WASH., - Holland
America Line, through its subsidiary Holland America–Princess Alaska, has
reached an agreement in principle to acquire the McKinley Chalets Hotel in
Denali National Park from Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services. Holland
America Line will develop the property further for inclusion on its Land+Sea
Journeys that combine an Alaska cruise with an
overland tour to Denali
National Park .
Details of the McKinley
Chalets Hotel purchase agreement and plans for future enhancements are ongoing,
and once the purchase is completed later this fall, more information will be
made available to the public.
The agreement to purchase
McKinley Chalets Hotel is part of an enhancement program that also will see
modifications to Holland America Line's Alaska
hotels at Fairbanks , Skagway
and Whitehorse .
The renovations, which will take place over the next few years, will include
extensive room updates and upgrades to soft goods and hotel decor.
"Acquiring the
McKinley Chalets Hotel provides Holland America Line with great potential for
growth in Denali and enables us to expand the appeal of our brand as a leader
in Alaska
travel," said Stein Kruse, president and CEO of Holland America Line.
"This purchase will help us deliver the finest destination resort and
experience in Alaska at the highlight on
Land+Sea Journeys - Denali
National Park ."
Spanning more than 42 acres , the McKinley
Chalet Resort features 345 rooms, fine and casual dining, an on-site dinner
theater, on-site raft departures and walking trails on the Nenana River .
Holland America currently owns 26 acres adjacent to the
chalets, including 135 additional guest rooms that have been operated by
Aramark as part of the McKinley Chalets. Total rooms are 480.
Land+Sea Journeys Bring
Fresh Approach to Alaska
Experience
In 2014, Holland America
Line is rebranding its popular Alaska CruiseTour program with the new name
Land+Sea Journeys. Now with more time in the marquee destinations and less
overland travel time, Holland America Line guests will have more opportunities
than ever to explore and personalize their Great Land
vacations.
With 12 options ranging in
length from 10 to 20 days and featuring a three- to seven-day cruise, Land+Sea
Journeys offer the benefit of combining the "must-see" of Denali
National Park with the "seldom seen" wonders of the Yukon. Among the
most significant program enhancements for 2014 is a convenient one-hour flight
that brings Fairbanks, Alaska, and Dawson City, Yukon closer together - replacing
up to two days of motorcoach travel and a hotel overnight.
Other notable elements
include revised departures for the McKinley Explorer dome rail schedule between
Anchorage and Denali
to maximize guest time in both locations. For travel between Denali and Fairbanks , luxury motorcoaches will be introduced to also
increase guest time in both Fairbanks and Denali .