Ski resort No. 11 in reader survey

A combination of affordable pricing and superior customer service has Whitefish Mountain Resort ranked No. 11 overall in Ski magazine’s annual resort guide for 2016-17.

The resort ranks in the top-10 of seven categories including No. 3 in service and No. 5 in value. The magazine uses a reader survey to calculate the results.

“You could do worse than judge a community by how it treats its elders,” the magazine writes of Whitefish. “After you hit 70, you ski free at Whitefish, a respectful perk that most glamor resorts have revoked. And it says all you need to know about Whitefish and the small-town vibe that permeates everyone and everything.”

Last year the magazine ranked Whitefish No. 9 — the first time the resort had cracked the top 10.

Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO Dan Graves said the ranking in service this year reflects the dedication of resort employees.

“We are fortunate to have a talented and knowledgeable staff and we thank our employees, and the community members of Whitefish and its surrounding communities, for their role in making our visitors feel welcome,” Graves said in a press statement. “We would not have attained these scores without them.”

The resort notes its high rate of return with winter staff. Seventy-two percent of the resort’s employees have worked at least one year, and nearly half of returning staff have been employed for five or more years.

In addition to service and value, Whitefish Mountain Resort ranked in the top-10 in five other categories including No. 8 for grooming and No 10. for character, kid friendliness, lodging and overall satisfaction — the most top 10s ever for the resort.

The remainder of the resort’s rankings were: No. 12 off-hill activities, No. 13 on-mountain food, No. 15 après and dining. No. 18 terrain variety and scenery, No. 19 terrain parks, No. 21 access, No. 23 snow, No. 24 lifts, No. 26 terrain challenge.

Whitefish Mountain Resort is scheduled to open for the 2016-17 season on Dec. 7.