Holiday Valley, New York, Announces Nearly $5 Million in Improvements

Throughout the summer, New York’s Holiday Valley has had its hands full. Back in May, the resort announced a nearly $5 million investment in capital improvements in an effort to enhance the experience for its guests. With the upgrades being implemented throughout the summer months, Holiday Valley will open for the 2026-27 ski season with some fresh new improvements for its skiers and snowboarders.

“These investments reflect Holiday Valley’s ongoing commitment to improving the guest experience across all four seasons,” President and General Manager Dennis Eshbaugh said. “From snowmaking and mountain operations to lodging, golf, and summer attractions, we are thrilled to continue to reinvest in the resort to ensure Holiday Valley remains one of the premier year-round destinations in the Northeast.”

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The largest portion of Holiday Valley’s investment went into the resort’s snowmaking system. Its goal was to modernize and automate the system, allowing the resort to deliver consistent early-season and peak-condition skiing and snowboarding for its guests. With a modern automatic snowmaking system, snow guns can start and stop automatically while adjusting air-to-water ratios when making snow. This way, Holiday Valley can optimize its snowmaking when temperatures drop, helping the resort to open more terrain earlier while also building a strong base.

“The snowmaking improvements continue an on-going investment strategy aimed at increasing energy efficiency, improving water and air delivery systems, and maximizing snowmaking capabilities during favorable weather windows,” the resort wrote. 

The resort also used funds to install RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) gate technology across the resort, streamlining guest flow and improving operational efficiency. The new system allows guests to reload their lift ticket or season pass online and skip the ticket window completely so they can maximize time on the slopes. Many modern ski resorts use RFID at their lift gates, allowing guests to easily enter while helping resorts fight ticket fraud. It also saves skiers time, as they can simply leave their phones or passes in their pockets as the RFID system scans.

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In addition to ski-related upgrades, Holiday Valley is investing in its summer and base area operations, too. The Sky High Adventure Park is getting rerouted and upgraded courses to introduce new challenges and improved traffic flow within the aerial adventure system. The Holiday Valley Training Center building and the McCarty Café in the Main Lodge are both undergoing renovations, and new turf maintenance equipment is being added to the Double Black Diamond Golf Course.

“These investments help Holiday Valley continue to build the business in a way that is sustainable, which helps to support the staff, community, and the Western New York region while creating a fantastic guest experience,” Holiday Valley wrote. 

Big things are also coming to the resort next season. To go along with celebrating its 70th anniversary, Holiday Valley announced the addition of a new high-speed quad chairlift to replace the current Cindy’s Quad. The new chairlift will significantly increase uphill capacity at the mountain, and the new lift’s location will also open up Cindy’s Run, which had been covered with lift towers. Construction on the lift has already begun, with the resort’s Mountain Crew currently removing trees and preparing the new lift line. The lift is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027.

When Holiday Valley opens for the 2026-27 season, the resort and its skiers will enjoy enhanced snowmaking, upgraded RFID systems, and other improvements across the resort. While skiers will have to wait until next winter for the new high-speed quad, the commitment Holiday Valley has made to improve the resort is obvious. With the 2026-27 season quickly approaching, Holiday Valley is poised to kick off the season strong.