Canadian company set to close deal Friday on purchase of Girdwood’s Alyeska Resort

A Canadian hospitality company is expected to officially purchase Girdwood’s Alyeska Resort this week.

The sale to Alberta-based Pomeroy Lodging is set to close Friday, said CEO Ryan Pomeroy. The deal includes the Hotel Alyeska and the ski property, about 40 miles southeast of the Anchorage Bowl.

The resort’s current owner, John Byrne III, will continue operating the resort through this winter in a lease agreement that ends April 30.

“That gives us a great opportunity to learn a lot about the resort through the winter, how the mountain operates and works, some time to get familiar with the community, just the intricacies of the resort,” Pomeroy said.

Byrne has owned Alyeska for more than 12 years.

[Girdwood’s Alyeska Resort is being sold to a Canadian hospitality company]

Pomeroy said both parties have agreed not to disclose the sale price. The resort and related property were appraised at $45.8 million in 2018 for tax purposes, according to the Municipality of Anchorage Property Appraisal Division. Most of that value is in land, buildings and structures, at $34.1 million. The rest is counted as personal property, in things like equipment and other assets of the business.

Asked about any changes planned for the resort, Pomeroy said: "We have lots of ideas but I don’t think anything concrete to share right now.”

The resort is Pomeroy Lodging’s first property outside Canada. The company owns and operates 19 hotels in Western Canada.

Alyeska will open to the general public for skiing and snowboarding Saturday, with advanced and expert terrain only. The resort will open to season pass-holders a day earlier, on Friday.