PARK CITY FOR A WINTERTIME WIN
When you are looking for an easy trip AND fabulous snow, the mountains near Salt Lake City need to be on your radar. The cold, dry climate produces snow that is squeaky and light, a wonderful ingredient for winter fun and an important consideration for anyone hoping for gladed skiing. But ease of access to/from Salt Lake City is what sets this area apart from other fabulous snow destinations. The new airport is huge and shiny with all the bells and whistles to efficiently welcome visitors from around the globe. There are many renowned ski areas nearby - Snowbird, Alta, Snowbasin, Sundance, Solitude, Brighton - but this winter I was laser-focused on Park City and Deer Valley. The destination delivered!
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
Pendry Park City is the new hotel kid at the Canyons area of Park City Ski Resort. The property is fresh, swanky, and ski in/out! Pendry hotels were born of Montage with a boutique feel and focus on contemporary luxury, art, food, and local buzz. Pendry Park City offers 153 studios and multi-bedroom residences with full kitchens and large living areas. There is a fitness center, spa, rooftop pool/hot tub, plus several bars and restaurants from the family-friendly Disco Pizza to a Japanese steakhouse and Moet Champagne bar. The design elements are simultaneously elegant and hip. The Canyons area is growing so get in now!
Apres at the St. Regis Fire Garden
St. Regis Deer Valley sits regally on top of a cliff overlooking the Snow Park base at Deer Valley. This luxury ski in/out property offers stunning views of the mountains and Park City and was fully renovated during the pandemic. There are 181 rooms, 66 suites with balconies and fireplaces, and 8 residences with full kitchens. St. Regis has a beautiful spa, two Top Golf Swing Suites, and a buzzy apres scene. Our chef’s dinner with wine pairings at the fine dining Rime knocked it out of the park! If you have learners in your group, there is no more convenient lodging to the ski school and it is fun to come and go by funicular. Deer Valley is a skier-only mountain but snowboarders have easy shuttle access to Park City Mountain Resort next door.
Stein Eriksen Residences
Stein Eriksen Lodge is a Deer Valley original, named for the Norwegian Olympic Gold Medalist who was instrumental in the development of the ski area. It has a wonderful history with a European alpine vibe and wood-burning fireplaces scattered throughout. There is a main lodge with rooms/suites surrounded by building clusters with different room/suite options. There are restaurants, a huge game room, ski shop, ticket office, ski valet, and on-demand shuttles to town (7min). Ski in/out access from this Silver Lake area lodge couldn’t be easier.
The Residences, located a few minutes away, opened in 2016 and are modern, swanky, and ski in/out. There are four buildings with 2-5 bedroom suites, a fabulous indoor/outdoor infinity pool overlooking the valley, fitness club, ski shop, and an excellent restaurant. With twice-daily housekeeping and a grocery concierge, you can have your fun on the slopes and not sweat the details. The accommodations are perfectly appointed and very expansive (2000-5000sf) providing opportunities for both togetherness and personal space. The perfect family vacation!
Goldener Hirsch, the modern addition
Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Collection is the tale of two hotels. One part longstanding architectural gem inspired by the ski chalets of Bavaria with an extensive collection of authentic art and antiques AND another part modern build with 1-3 bedroom residences that include full kitchens and fabulous design-forward art, furnishings, and finishes. Goldener Hirsch has been family-owned for over 40 years and just recently joined the Auberge Collection. There are 49 rooms/residences, a rooftop pool/hot tub, and an acclaimed restaurant serving authentic alpine cuisine including fondue, wienerschnitzel, and spaetzle. The ski locker space is the most fabulous I have ever seen with art and pops of color that make you feel you are one of the cool cats. Just steps from the slopes but leave it to the ski butler to collect, store, and distribute your gear. Service is impeccable!
Montage Deer Valley is the luxury property holding court at Empire Basin, the highest base at Deer Valley. There are 220 hotel rooms and 81 residences with ski in/out access for skiers of all abilities. The hotel has an upscale ski lodge vibe, a HUGE spa with 29 treatment rooms, a fun pub with bowling lanes and other games, and the Vista lounge for daily entertainment, fondue, full bar, apres ski, and live music. The hotel includes more than one million square feet of space, with the top 4 floors reserved for residences offering full kitchens and washers/dryers. The hotel will be closed for a full renovation April - July 2023.
The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Collection, is a show stopper! Built on an expansive privately-owned ranch 20 miles from Park City, this 46-room property is a winter retreat rather than a ski resort. But it caters to skiers too with complimentary roundtrip shuttles to a private day lodge at Park City Mountain Resort where snacks, drinks, parking, ski service, and special lift access is included for Lodge guests.
The Lodge at Blue Sky is an especially good option for non-skiers and guests who really want to get away from it all in a modern, eco-friendly property. Sustainability is an important ethos here: gray water is recycled on property, rooms and roofs are green, single use plastics are almost non-existent, and the ranch is surrounded by a nature preserve. The owners of Blue Sky Ranch started a horse rescue program and have top notch facilities dedicated to the care of rescued horses. Lodge guests have a wide array of activities including wellness programming, a spa and fitness facility, a spectacular outdoor infinity pool and hot tub, snowshoeing, hiking, clay shooting, and an equine program to name a few. There is also a whiskey distillery on ranch property that offers tastings and tours.
The Lodge restaurant pairs locally-sourced food with great service. The bar is cozy and offers a nice selection of craft cocktails and light bites plus the full restaurant menu. During our 4 night stay, we enjoyed several meals in the restaurant and bar. Two evenings we stayed in town after skiing to explore the shops, watch the World Cup mogul competition, and try a few restaurants. Once you return to The Lodge at Blue Sky at the end of the day, you simply won’t want to leave!