Industry News
The ski industry is a very competitive business, and resorts around the world are doing their best to attract and retain skiers. Resorts have been upgrading and improving their lift capabilities, improving snow-making, building new infrastructure, and expanding terrain. These improvements cost resorts a lot of money that can easily reach hundreds of millions of dollars. The Deer Valley expansion project Expanded Excellence is a multi-faceted, multi-year project that will include the development of two new base areas and more than double the amount of terrain available to skiers. That project has progressed faster than planned, and guests will be able to enjoy new improvements and better terrain at Deer Valley this season.
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Deer Valley Resort, located in Park City, Utah, revolutionized the ski industry by providing first-class service that one would receive at a five-star hotel. The ski-only resort currently offers 24 chairlifts, 122 ski runs, seven bowls, 300 annual inches of powder, 2,342 acres of alpine skiing, limited lift ticket sales, numerous restaurants, three elegant day lodges, hundreds of luxury accommodations and a renowned ski school and children’s center.
In August 2023, Deer Valley announced Expanded Excellence, a significant resort transformation that will extend the skiable area to 5,726 acres, add a new resort gateway and village, reimagine the Snow Park Base Area, and revitalize existing mountain facilities. Deer Valley is honored to have been ranked the United States’ Best Ski Resort by the World Ski Awards for 11 consecutive years.
Deer Valley is excited to offer a sneak peek into its expanded terrain for the 2024-25 ski season as part of the Expanded Excellence initiative. Skiers will now have access to three new chairlifts, over 300 new skiable acres, several new ski runs, and 500 additional skier parking spots originating from the Deer Valley East Village, currently under development. This new resort gateway will offer skiers an alternative arrival option to Deer Valley via U.S. Route 40, helping to reduce traffic throughout Park City. The terrain will seamlessly integrate into the existing Deer Valley terrain, with direct access to Sultan Express.
“In just a couple of months, we are looking forward to welcoming our guests to experience the beginning of Deer Valley’s Expanded Excellence vision,” Todd Bennett, President & COO of Deer Valley Resort, said in a press briefing.
Keetley Express is expected to open in December 2024, conditions permitting. It will be Deer Valley’s first 6-person chairlift with a bubble, connecting Deer Valley East Village to the existing Deer Valley footprint and dropping skiers off near the bottom terminal of the Sultan Express chairlift on Bald Mountain. The additional two chairlifts, Hoodoo Express and Aurora, will service new beginner-level ski trails and provide return access to the new Deer Valley East Village. Deer Valley East Village is currently under development, and construction will continue into the coming seasons.
For the 2024-25 season, Deer Valley East Village will offer limited skier amenities, including a rental shop, complimentary ski storage, and ticketing. A complimentary skier shuttle will transport guests directly from the new 500 skier parking spaces to the amenities and new lifts.
When the project is completed, Deer Valley will consist of:
- 5,726 acres of skiable terrain accessed through an efficient network of 37 chairlifts and 238 ski runs across 10 mountain peaks
- 2,900 vertical feet from the highest point of 9,350 feet
- One of the longest ski runs in the country, measuring just short of 5 miles
- Phased opening in 25/26 with 2,900 acres serviced by 9 chairlifts and 110 ski runs
- The largest increase in skiable terrain in resort history
- 16 new chairlifts, including a gondola, and 135 ski runs that will offer skiing for all abilities
- Ski access across four new mountain peaks
- Terrain will feature numerous bowls and gladed areas
When all phases of expansion are complete, Deer Valley will add 3,700 acres of skiable terrain, more than doubling the resort’s size and making it one of the largest ski resorts in North America. This project represents Deer Valley’s first terrain expansion since 2008 and is one of the most significant expansions in the ski industry over the past four decades. In addition to Deer Valley East Village and the significant skiable terrain expansion, Deer Valley’s Expanded Excellence initiative includes a reimagined Snow Park with a new base village and revitalization of existing mountain facilities.
For this season, Deer Valley will also introduce a new après yurt, offering a unique ski-in, ski-out daily après experience. Additionally, the resort continues to focus on annual capital maintenance, including upgrades to snowmaking systems, grooming equipment, a new ski rental fleet, enhanced employee housing options, and refreshed staff uniforms.
Guests and community members are encouraged to join Deer Valley at the next community open house. The resort leadership will provide detailed information about the upcoming developments and enhancements planned for the Snow Park Base Village and information on expansion operations for the 24/25 ski season. Attendees can view project plans, ask questions, and provide input on this area’s future. The open house will be on Thursday, September 12, 2024, from 4 to 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Lodge.
Most projects of this magnitude would take years to complete, and some would see timeframes pushed back. However, Deer Valley has managed to complete this operation’s phase faster than anticipated. This should not surprise anyone, though; Deer Valley is continually one of the top-ranked ski resorts in the world, with a commitment to high expectations and standards. It was ranked #1 Best Ski Resort in the World by Travel & Leisure in 2023, the #1 Best U.S. Ski Resort by World Ski Awards for 11 years in a row, the #1 Grooming, Lodging, Dining, Guest Service & Weekend Getaway by SKI Magazine in 2024, and the Best Family Resort by the Wall Street Journal in 2023.
