GM Updates
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Dear Antlers Homeowners,
I hope my note greets you all well!
If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve probably seen Vail making headlines — from The New York Times to the Vail Daily, The Daily Mail UK, and KDVR. While the spotlight isn’t for the snowy reasons we’d prefer, our unusually mild winter has certainly brought attention to the Western region.
In nearly 20 years of living in the Vail Valley, I’ve never experienced a winter like this one. I was told that as of today, February 9th this is the worst winter season to date – worse than ’76, which will make the worst snow fall Vail has seen in its 63 years of existence. Thanks be to God for snow making technology, the skiing is decent in some parts of the mountain.
It’s always easier to write when business is booming. Seasons like this, with fewer inquiries and more cancellations, are undeniably challenging. Yet moments like these also reveal who we truly are and what we stand for.
I’m proud to share that even in a difficult year, The Antlers continues to stand strong.
But a year like this would be futile if we don’t extract some great lessons from it; We are life-long learners! Our loyal, returning guests have shown up for us regardless of snow conditions, a true testament to the relationships we’ve built over the years. While some properties have reduced services to cut costs, we made the conscious decision to maintain our high standards of hospitality. That commitment to professional, attentive, and unpretentious service has translated into wonderful reviews and meaningful guest experiences. You can read some public reviews.
At the same time, we remain disciplined as stewards of your investment. Our budget serves as a roadmap, guiding thoughtful, responsible financial decisions every day. We are operating carefully, strategically, and confidently to make the very best of this year.
I’ve had the opportunity to catch up with some of you, but for those who are not aware, Dave Collins is now fully retired. After ten years of hard work and dedication, he is now enjoying a well-deserved new-life chapter in his life with his wife Libby. Dave will be missed, and we are forever grateful to him. For now, we are working with several contractors who can offer their services directly to the owners. If you have a remodel/upgrade in mind, please do not hesitate to reach out. We will be happy to provide further information as to how you can move forward.
Additionally, our Assistant Controller, Elena Fundureanu, will be moving on at the end of February to pursue further professional growth. We thank her sincerely for her dedication and wish her continued success.
When I first moved to the Valley, I quickly noticed something special about this community. Those who choose mountain life possess resilience, grit, and quiet determination. Living here requires strength — physically, mentally, and emotionally — and that spirit has always inspired me. It’s what gives me complete confidence that, no matter the season, we will continue to thrive.
This is simply another winter — and like all others, it will pass. Thanks to our people, our standards, and our shared commitment to excellence, The Antlers will continue moving forward, stronger than ever.
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. I truly appreciate each of you.
Fond Regards,
Magda King, Antlers GM
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This past week, Colorado had the rare opportunity to experience the mesmerizing display of the Northern Lights. According to the news, they were visible across much of the U.S., and I hope you were able to enjoy them as well. Watching such a fleeting natural wonder with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop was truly humbling and a reminder of how fortunate we are to live in this part of the country.
We’ve been busy preparing to welcome our 2025–26 winter guests. From fall cleaning your units to getting them ready for LQA inspections, upgrading our booking engine, and revisiting our welcome amenity program, the care and dedication of our staff in preparing for what we anticipate will be our best ski season yet has been outstanding.
As we mentioned during our September Annual HOA Meeting, the Town of Vail proposed a 6% excise tax on short-term rentals only—not hotels—and this was placed on the November 4 ballot as Measure 2A. I’m happy to report that our short-term rental lodging community joined forces and worked tirelessly to oppose the tax, which would have been detrimental to our business. The opposition prevailed by just 32 votes narrow but important victory. While I don’t expect this issue to disappear, we remain committed to working toward viable and equitable solutions. Short-term rental tax defeated by 32 votes in Vail | VailDaily.com
I am incredibly proud of the Antlers staff who took the initiative to write thoughtful letters to the Vail Daily explaining why 2A was not the right path forward. Many people reached out to commend their leadership and their well-reasoned voices. We have a smart and engaged team!
Although defeating 2A is a relief, the outlook for our industry—especially given the current political climate—remains challenging. Our Vail Valley Partnership Chamber President recently shared an update on what we can expect from winter travel this year, and we are preparing accordingly. What to Expect from Travel this Winter | Vail Valley Partnership.
With all that in mind, we are enhancing our customer service to ensure that every guest enjoys a truly exceptional experience at the Antlers. We strive to be a place that welcomes, embraces, nurtures, and celebrates everyone who walks through our doors.
Lastly, a One-Bedroom / One-Bath condominium at the Antlers has recently come on the market. Unit 203, a corner unit facing Gore Creek, is available for $1,725,000. As always, please let me know if you would like additional information—I love when our condominiums stay within the Antlers family.
I hope you are ready to enjoy a wonderful holiday season, and please know how much we look forward to seeing you often throughout the winter.
Warm regards,
Magda King, Antlers GM -
What a magical time of the year! The air is crisp, the golden leaves shine upon us, and a dusting of snow greets us from the mountain peaks, teasing us with a promising powdery winter. Just like an exhale after a great exertion, Vail enjoys a natural pause from visitors to help us prepare for another ski season, our best one yet!
At your home away from home, every department has a different kind of busy. Chris and Elena are in the midst of our annual audit. Gladys and Juanita in the Housekeeping Department have started working on the units’ fall cleaning schedule, while the Maintenance Department is ever so busy working on their Preventive Maintenance plan while scheduling the annual inspections for everything, from boilers to fire alarms to vehicles’ oil changes.
Dave is conducting and supervising a myriad of remodeling projects, while Jane is upgrading furniture, linens, small appliances, blinds, you name it. The Residence Quality department is everywhere.
The Front Desk team is catching up on projects, from clearing out building closets in the garage, to staff trainings for new winter procedures, starting communications with winter guests to ensure they have all their need while their stay.
Our small but mighty sales team is making sure that we convert every single phone call into a booking, while updating our booking engine software. Pushing marketing efforts at different times of the year, Liana keeps busy making sure your units are procuring a steady revenue stream year around.
Jeff, our Assistant GM, has been tasked with several operational projects, that will delight you upon your next arrival.
I am grateful to see our staff’s commitment to running a professional, yet warm and welcoming operation that invites everyone through its doors. In today’s socially challenging times we want to be that beacon of happiness that celebrates our guest with a Platinum building and service in a safe place.
Since the last Annual HOA meeting, I’ve had a recurrent thought of what’s next for the Antlers. What those new heights we want to reach are, and how are we getting there in a systemic, organic, and sustainable way. With several changes on the horizon: from a possible increase of our local sales tax for housing purposes, to the increased price of ski passes, rentals, transportation, etc. to the future West Lionshead redevelopment. We are keeping our eyes open, and our hands in the pulse of time to make sure that Antlers is where it should be.
Rest assured that we are keeping your homes in pristine condition, and working incessantly towards making the Antlers that place that we all dream for it to be. Your home away from home.
Fond Regards, Magda King
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Hello Antlers Homeowners,
I’m always looking for a good excuse to reach out and say hello! With so many exciting activities happening in the Vail Valley—and many of you coming to visit this summer (YAY!)—I wanted to share some updates on both building improvements and all the great things happening in town.
As you may know, we’re proud supporters of some of Vail’s most iconic summer events. One of the perks of our involvement is the opportunity to attend many of these experiences at a significantly reduced cost—or even for free! Whether you’d like to enjoy world-renowned classical musicians at the Bravo! Music Festival, dive into thought-provoking discussions at the Vail Symposium, or experience the joy of dance and live music at the Vail Dance Festival, we’re happy to help you access tickets whenever possible.
You can find event calendars at the links below:
A big congratulations to all the homeowners who achieved Diamond status in the most recent LQA inspection! And kudos as well to those who maintained or improved their ratings. I know how much effort it takes, and your guests surely appreciate all you do to make your home-away-from-home so special.
I’ve also asked our Chief Engineer, Parker Herring, to prepare a report on the many wonderful building upgrades we completed this spring. Last year, we invested significantly in modernizing our phone system. Based on many homeowner suggestions—and for added safety—we’ve now added physical phones inside each condominium. You’ll see them during your next visit.
Ami Hudgins, our Revenue Director, has included a revenue update in this communication. Booking patterns are a bit more last-minute this summer, so we’re staying ready for a full house at any moment!
And don’t forget to mark your calendars:Annual Homeowners Meeting
Saturday, September 6th, 2025 at 4:00 PMThank you all for being such wonderful homeowners. I truly can’t wait to see you soon!
Warmly, Magda King
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Dear Antlers Homeowners,
How is it that May is almost gone? “Time flies when you are having fun” they say. We are having a lot of fun in this beautiful part of the country.
With the 24-25 ski season behind us, we had time to debrief and learn from a good winter season, and evaluate what worked well, and what needed improvement. You may enjoy the summary below.
Our Thursday evening “Wine and Cheese” social gatherings are still our owners’ and guests’ favorite weekly event! Thank you so much to all of you who made it a success and participated in it. Liana Moore, our Marketing Director, brilliantly connected with several of our guests who have stayed with us for 25+ years! Those patrons loved to be interviewed, and we enjoyed learning the reasons why they keep coming back. If you want to read more about them, visit our blog.
We had an increased participation in our complimentary Yoga classes which are offered twice a week during the wintertime.
Our Ski Valet service program ran smoothly. Our guests and owners enjoyed this service; we are very grateful for our partnership with Vail Resorts, which allows us to have this luxurious amenity for our property.
Another alliance that brought us many compliments was the complimentary luxury shuttle vehicle. More than ever, our patrons used the service for grocery runs or for evening town visits.
We saw an up sale in the delicious homemade foods that Chef Barry prepares for our guests. In this area, our guests used the kitchens more often than in previous years.
The Bellman service was much appreciated. We know it is difficult to navigate our building; we were happy to provide a solution (guest commented about it).
As you can see, this year we really focus on increasing the value of the Antlers’ guest stay because we believe that this is what people are looking for in a Vail vacation.
As always, there were opportunities for improvement, mostly scheduling the staff longer hours, but we did have budgetary limitations.
Your guests love your condos! Travelers are paying attention to the small details, and they like how the Antlers condos feel refreshed. The Residence Quality Management team (Jane and Hannah) are doing a fabulous job in this department.
We have just finished our 25-26 Annual Budget and are excited to share the information with our Board of Directors. The meeting is scheduled for this coming June 7th at 1:00 pm (MDT).
Save the Date! Our 2025 Annual Homeowners’ Meeting will take place on Saturday, September 6th at 4:00 pm. We will have festivities throughout the weekend. We so look forward to welcoming each one of you.
Finally, a note of gratitude for all these 18 years working for you, Antlers Homeowners (June 4th is my work anniversary). I don’t know what I did to deserve landing in such wonderful job, but I am thankful to each of you, for accepting me, for working with me, and for caring for the staff and I.
I hope to see you often this summer.
Fond Regards, Magda King, GM
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Kindlness Matters
Yes. We read this headline time and time again. It is printed on shirts, mugs, notebooks, art walls and any last-minute, must-have novelty schwag out there.
But what happens when, even though we know that kindness is one of the main core teachings of every society, we live in a world that -would appear to- celebrate the opposite. Whether that is creating controversy through actions, words, or political strategies, all points out to divide our society paying a very high price for the sake of being right.
Some of you have asked me about the immigration climate in the Vail Valley. It’s not good. When you are bombarded by media that shows kids taken away from families, youth taken all together to be interrogated. The anxiety of knowing we may be next, moves into our hearts. And that is a very difficult tenant to evict. I’m making the point to meet with our Latino Staff daily and analyze what is true and not in the news, and how we don’t have anything to fear in today’s reality (or do we?).
Last Monday (Feb 3), it was “Solidarity Latino Monday”, Latino members of our Vail community were asked to stay home in protest for how poorly we are treated in our society, and how we should “teach a lesson” letting everyone know how important we are. I was deeply grateful that the Antlers Staff didn’t join such harmful behavior and came to work. Someone must stop this nonsense of “us against them”. At the Antlers, we feel welcome, respected, and we know the importance each of our jobs has to our stakeholders. We are proud to serve others! And we are good citizens who are not in trouble with the law outside work. With that, we are confident that there is nothing to fear.
Some of you have also asked me what you can do to support our Latino Staff members. Just practice the basics. Show appreciation by your words (thank you, and please go a long way). Learn something from the staff who serves you (they all have wonderful families and, have accomplished meaningful things). Send them a written note (we have a bulletin board in the housekeeping department, and they hang wonderful appreciation notes in there). Let them know they are not alone and thank them for working for you.
So many of you already do this, thank you! In these vulnerable times, an extra gesture of kindness may go a long way. I leave you with some Local news about immigration so you can learn what is happening in this topic here in the Vail Valley.
Warmest Regards,
Magda King, Antlers, GM
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Dear Antlers Homeowners,
This time of the year, it warms my heart to receive emails from everywhere expressing sentiments of gratitude.
I am not sure if it’s because I have been with the Antlers for 17 years or simply because I am getting older, but as time passes, I’m learning to appreciate things differently. Things that make me ever so grateful.
I’m thankful to share with selfless people who decide to work in an industry in which happiness comes from making other people happy. Isn’t that a miracle in itself? It takes people with a heart full of gratitude to serve in this way. I recognize their care, passion, and charisma. When a staff member happily remembers a guest (or vice versa), I know that communities are being made, and our humanity shines at its noblest peak.
Whether we are making sure that you receive your monthly statements before the 5th, or we are making sure your room is decorated nicely and in great shape. Ensuring that your homes are filled with bookings, and showcasing the property through marketing efforts, our daily tasks at the Antlers give us meaning and purpose, and we’re most proud of that.
It puts a smile on my face when, from my office window, I see families taking a picture in front of our “Elk Battle” statue in the courtyard to remember their happy time in Vail. Or when a bride walks out from our courtyard to be married. Children throwing snowballs among themselves or cannonballing at the pool. These memories make us all so thankful to be here.
We are grateful for you, our dear Antlers Owners! We long for your visits (or your children’s) and we are proud to serve you. Please know that when you come to Vail, you always have a family waiting to welcome, embrace, and celebrate you in a sincere and meaningful way. I guess that is what sets us apart from any other lodges in the world.
On a personal note, I want to take a minute to publicly thank my dad, Carlos, who is slowly losing his battle to cancer back home in Ecuador. Thank you, Dad! For so much, but especially for believing in me, and loving me unconditionally. Always. No questions asked.
I hope that all of you have a very blessed Thanksgiving celebration and that you come visit us often this Ski Season which promises to be an Epic One!
With gratitude,
Magda King,
Antlers GM
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Dear Antlers Homeowners,
Happy Tuesday! I trust you are enjoying a wonderful Autumn Fall Season.
Last week, we’ve had several owners asked us about the Ever Vail/West Lionshead Project, which was publicly announced on the Vail Daily on October 2nd. Vail Daily
Some background information.
In 2007, the Town of Vail received the very first request for approval for “Ever Vail”, a Vail Resort project which was to be developed west of the Antlers (you can find the original Ever Vail project in this link). This project included a new gondola with its own ski base, plus new shops, more lodging, 400+ parking spaces, and employee housing. Due to a myriad of reasons, the project was delayed until it died (mostly due to funding). However, it never left the mind of some Vail developers.
The new partnership between Vail Resorts, the Town of Vail, and East West Partners announced on October 1st by Vail Resorts New Base Village in Vail, is very similar to the Ever Vail project, and the town authorities are waiting to receive a new master plan for the now called “West Lionshead” project. Back in 2007-2010 the Ever Vail project presented four revised master plans, none were approved. I believe that this new very strong partnership will make things happen.
Impact.
When this development happens, Vail will be impacted in many ways. From more lodging options to more traffic on the roads, less “small town feeling”, more fraction of an already small town, more skiers, etc. But on the bright side, kudos to Vail Resorts and our local government for working together and understanding that investing in infrastructure and modernizing our town helps us all in the long run. We will gain more access to the mountain, the marketing dollars will continue to flow to our destination, and we will continue living by our tag line “Vail, Like Nothing on Earth”. Small business like ours will benefit from all this publicity because more people will visit our destination.
Every year, the lodging competition seems to be more aggressive. Last year, Marriott Corporation built three new hotels in the area. The Residence Inn opened its 146 suites in the North Frontage Road (in Vail). This is a pet friendly property which includes complimentary breakfast on its rate. They offer (limited and paid) onsite parking. In Avon (10 minutes west from Vail), two other hotels were built, Towneplace Suites (150 rooms) and Springhill Suites (150 rooms), They all have small kitchenettes and a modern conference center, also includes breakfast.
The “West Lionshead Project” will bring its own challenges and opportunities. We must continue doing business strategically leveraging our superb location and services. We need to keep up with technology, continue our impeccable customer service, and nurture our local strategic alliances which provide us with access to some advantages that otherwise we couldn’t afford.
I’m always delighted to jump in a call one-on-one with you if you have any questions or wish more information about this topic. Thank you for taking great interest in your “Home-Away-From-Home” and our local news. We are a very strong HOA due to the support and commitment from the board, management, and our ownership to make our HOA what it is. Let’s keep collaborating to remain that way.
Warm Regards,
Magda-
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What a wonderful Annual Homeowners Meeting we had this year. With about 65% ownership participation, we felt your care, support, and interest in the Antlers endeavors and projects.
I want to thank those of you who were able to attend the meeting in-person or via Zoom. My thanks also to those who couldn’t make it but sent us your proxies. Your calls or emails with questions, suggestions, or recommendations are always welcomed and well-received.
I do apologize to the owners who joined the meeting via Zoom. I know the video was not properly focused/working as it should have been. We learned a valuable lesson this year as to how to run a live Zoom Meeting, which is not as simple as it sounds. We hope to present better next year.
In the following link, you will be able to access the DRAFT Annual Homeowners’ Meeting minutes. If you have any questions or corrections, please let me know. I’m happy to work on this as the notes are fresh in your mind.
To recap, we presented you a fiscal budget based on a gross rental income of $8.3M (36/64 rental split). This is the driving force behind our operation budget. We also presented an increase our General Assessment to reflect accurately our association expenditure. Salaries, utilities and insurance were some of the driving factors for this increase.
A part of our meeting was used to discuss further our Capital Reserve Funding Strategy and future capital projects.In the following link, you will find the presented slides which recap our strategy and last year’s expenditure. We included a comparison chart as to what we showed you last year, and what we ended up spending (and its variance). You can also see the updated Capital Reserve Fund Summary here.
In the Antlers history we’ve had very few Special Assessments, and all of them were to fund capital projects for the building. We envision that for the next fiscal year we will have a $1M Special Assessment to proactively address some equipment that is nearing its life-end. Boilers aren’t one of those things that you “see” but we all suffer if we don’t have them working properly. During this year, we will be sharing valuable information regarding our Capital Reserve Strategy and accomplishments plus a more formal plan about this special assessment.
As always, any questions,comments, suggestions, recommendations are welcome! Please do not hesitate to contact Chris Manning and Elena or I to share your thoughts.
I find myself often reading about strong organizations and are they made of. I repeatedly discover that a good place to work is one that values and supports its employees, and where employees feel valued and respected with a shared commitment. I know our staff is invested, and motivated to work at the Antlers because they feel your respect, they share the responsibility of having a wonderful building and guest’s satisfaction, and they enjoy working for you. Your appreciation does not go unnoticed.
I feel I have the best job in the world, and for that I am most grateful. Thank you for making me feel this way.
Warmest Regards, Magda
