DALLAS—During the winter months, many U.S. travelers look to make the most of the snow and cooler temps by skiing and snowboarding in cities and towns across the country, often taking a weekend getaway to experience someplace new. Trips to the slopes can be costly, which is why Motel 6 teamed up with Share Winter Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives, health, and fitness of children through winter sports by making skiing and snowboarding more accessible.
Through this partnership, Motel 6 is funding transportation to and from two mountain resorts for 150 children from five organizations across the state of California, including Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside, Ketchum Downtown YMCA, Brotherhood Crusade, the Boys and Girls Club of San Gorgonio Pass, and Big Pine Schools.
“With Motel 6 as our very first lodging partner, we are teaming up to prove that affordable skiing and snowboarding opportunities exist,” said Constance Beverley, CEO of Share Winter Foundation. “Thanks to the support of Motel 6, we have the opportunity to provide transportation for the children to and from the mountain, which is typically one of the greatest roadblocks to youth snow sports participation.”
Motel 6 has also teamed up with Joe Miron, a longtime ski enthusiast with 50 years of experience road-tripping to ski resorts across the United States and Canada, to further its commitment to providing affordable ski trips. Miron has spent several decades planning cost-effective ski voyages and shared a few tips to make traveling to the slopes budget-friendly:
- Select affordable and accommodating lodging: Identifying lodging that accommodates guests’ needs is vital for planning an affordable ski trip. Miron chooses Motel 6, an economy lodging brand with more than 280 locations near ski resorts. Motel 6 is known to be clean, comfortable, affordable, and offers a pet-friendly environment, where up to two dogs or cats can stay for free.
- Seek early bird specials: Purchase passes in advance rather than at the ticket window. Many resorts and ski passes will begin offering discounted prices in early spring. Miron opts for the Indy Pass, a multi-resort season pass offering access to 80 independently owned and operated ski areas across North America. For a limited time, My6 Members can receive 10 percent off adult and kids passes.
- Consider weekend and holiday crowds: For large winter sports resorts, consider the crowds on holidays and weekends in January and February and visit on the off days. Weekdays are typically less crowded. Miron prefers visiting large mountains between Tuesday through Thursday to avoid the high ski traffic.
- Road tripping with pets: Pets are great travel companions, especially for ski trips. When deciding to bring pets along for the adventure, make sure there is a pet-friendly lodging option like Motel 6 and bring a dog jacket and heavy blanket to keep them warm. Miron, who travels with his dog Kilo throughout the winter months, even attaches a Tractive GPS device to his dog collar.
- Seek smaller locations: Seek out smaller ski areas because there may be some hidden deals and gems to help keep a trip within budget. Miron loves to visit smaller resorts alongside the mountains, specifically New Mexico, Idaho, and Montana ski areas.
“Joe Miron represents many of our guests and how they travel—those looking for a comfortable and affordable place to stay while pursuing the things they love,” said Adam Cannon, chief brand officer of Motel 6. “We were inspired by Joe’s passion for skiing and want to do our part in making those winter memories possible, so we’re paying it forward by partnering with the Share Winter Foundation to make winter sports more accessible.”
