For the second consecutive month, consumers reserved more condos and hotel rooms at Rocky Mountain resorts than they did for the same time last year, according to a new report.

Yet the increase in bookings is coming at a cost to the industry — more discounts and promotions to get visitors in the door.

“Resorts are having to work hard to move the occupancy needle upward, effectively buying their guests with lower rates,” said industry analyst Ralf Garrison.

The average room rate for this season’s bookings at 15 Western resort destinations is $316, down from

last year’s $356, according to Garrison’s monthly Mountain Travel Monitor, released Wednesday. Eleven of the resorts surveyed for the report are in Colorado; others are in California, Oregon, Utah and Nevada.

“A resort vacation has never been more affordable than it is this year,” said Bill Tomcich, president of Stay Aspen Snowmass. “It’s a buyers’ marketplace.”

Visitors are responding to the better rates. The number of Western reservations made in November was up 27.9 percent from a year earlier, following a similar rise in October.

Despite the two monthly gains, reservations made for arrivals in December through May are running 3.5 percent behind last year’s pace. That’s because many visitors last year had booked vacations before the full impact of the recession took hold.

In order to attract guests this year, almost all resorts are running promotions with discounted rooms, free nights with purchase of multi-night packages, and special offers on ski instruction and equipment rentals.

“Consumers are pretty savvy, and they’re looking for the best deals they can,” said Bill Wish owski, vice president of the Breckenridge Resort Chamber.

Although winter bookings are down 5 percent so far this year at Breckenridge, Wishowski said improvements in consumer confidence point to a recovery as the season progresses.

“We see more stability in the economy, and people are more confident in having a job and being able to travel,” he said.

Among the promotions offered by Breckenridge is a 20 percent discount on published room rates for Friday through Jan. 2.

That brings the price for a one-bedroom condo down to $180 to $320, compared with standard rates of $200 to $400.

Vail Resorts said in a recent financial filing that advance bookings are down 13 percent this year, in part due to a trend of consumers waiting until the last minute to make reservations.

Vail Resorts spokeswoman Kelly Ladyga noted that reservations for flights into the Vail-Eagle County airport are up 4 percent through the end of November, and some resort-owned hotels are sold out for the holidays.

Resort bookings and room rates in the Mountain Travel Monitor are based on a survey of 201 lodging properties with 22,000 rooms.

Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com

For the second consecutive month, consumers reserved more condos and hotel rooms at Rocky Mountain resorts than they did for the same time last year, according to a new report.

Yet the increase in bookings is coming at a cost to the industry — more discounts and promotions to get visitors in the door.

“Resorts are having to work hard to move the occupancy needle upward, effectively buying their guests with lower rates,” said industry analyst Ralf Garrison.

The average room rate for this season’s bookings at 15 Western resort destinations is $316, down from

last year’s $356, according to Garrison’s monthly Mountain Travel Monitor, released Wednesday. Eleven of the resorts surveyed for the report are in Colorado; others are in California, Oregon, Utah and Nevada.

“A resort vacation has never been more affordable than it is this year,” said Bill Tomcich, president of Stay Aspen Snowmass. “It’s a buyers’ marketplace.”

Visitors are responding to the better rates. The number of Western reservations made in November was up 27.9 percent from a year earlier, following a similar rise in October.

Despite the two monthly gains, reservations made for arrivals in December through May are running 3.5 percent behind last year’s pace. That’s because many visitors last year had booked vacations before the full impact of the recession took hold.

In order to attract guests this year, almost all resorts are running promotions with discounted rooms, free nights with purchase of multi-night packages, and special offers on ski instruction and equipment rentals.

“Consumers are pretty savvy, and they’re looking for the best deals they can,” said Bill Wish owski, vice president of the Breckenridge Resort Chamber.

Although winter bookings are down 5 percent so far this year at Breckenridge, Wishowski said improvements in consumer confidence point to a recovery as the season progresses.

“We see more stability in the economy, and people are more confident in having a job and being able to travel,” he said.

Among the promotions offered by Breckenridge is a 20 percent discount on published room rates for Friday through Jan. 2.

That brings the price for a one-bedroom condo down to $180 to $320, compared with standard rates of $200 to $400.

Vail Resorts said in a recent financial filing that advance bookings are down 13 percent this year, in part due to a trend of consumers waiting until the last minute to make reservations.

Vail Resorts spokeswoman Kelly Ladyga noted that reservations for flights into the Vail-Eagle County airport are up 4 percent through the end of November, and some resort-owned hotels are sold out for the holidays.

Resort bookings and room rates in the Mountain Travel Monitor are based on a survey of 201 lodging properties with 22,000 rooms.

Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com