Industry News
SKI Magazine awards Sun Valley with top honor for third year, as the fabled resort invests in a multi-year guest experience and environmental project and announces US Alpine Champs Partnership
Sun Valley Resort, ID, North America’s first destination ski resort, established in 1936, is now able to claim another historic place in award annals, as a three-peat winner of Top Ski Resort in the West from SKI Magazine’s revered Annual Ski Resort Awards in the Resort Guide for the 2022-23 season. The annual Resort Guide is based on the results of the Reader Resort Survey, the most comprehensive and longest-running rankings in the industry.
The year-round destination resort claimed the title for the third consecutive year after clinching top spots in the categories of No. 1 in the West for Overall Satisfaction, Lifts, Dining, and Local Flavor. The Resort also ranked highly in the categories of Grooming, Guest Services, Lodging, Apres, Nightlife, and Family Friendly.
“We’re thrilled to have captured the hearts of so many skiers, riders and visitors to the resort, and to be honored with this incredible award three years running. It’s truly a testament to our team’s dedication to the guest experience, and to our wider community for making Sun Valley a place everyone feels welcome.”
– Pete Sonntag, General Manager and VP of Sun Valley Resort
Sun Valley Company thanks SKI Magazine readers for the honor, and its employees, local community, and guests for their continued support. As a thank you to the community, Sun Valley Resort will be hosting a Pray for Snow Party on November 12th from 4-8 p.m for everyone to come together to celebrate the honor and cheer on the coming of winter.
Additionally, the Resort is embarking on a multi-year improvement plan focused on an enhanced guest experience. The proposed projects in the first phase will benefit the recreational experience on Bald Mountain by improving skier circulation, increasing the accessible skiable terrain, and improving both lift and snow quality. This includes the replacement and realignment of the Challenger Chairlift, the construction of a new chairlift that will replace the Flying Squirrel lift that was destroyed by fire in 2014, and the extension of Flying Squirrel ski trail and snowmaking.
The new Challenger lift will be a Dopplemayr high-speed 6-pack with a mid-station unload and replaces both Challenger and Greyhawk. The second lift out of Warm Springs base will be a Dopplemayr high-speed quad and will link to the top of Upper Picabo Street ski trail. The two new lifts anticipate being open by the winter 2023-24 season, together creating a new skier experience in the Warm Springs area of the mountain. As part of the base area improvement, Sun Valley Resort will also be expanding the patio area of Warm Spring Lodge for efficient guest flow and improved “apres scene” accessibility.
With exemplary guest experience at the heart of the Resort’s multi-faceted development and evolution plan, a partnership with land and environmental agencies, National Forest Foundation, Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service is underway. Designed to improve overall forest health and decrease fire risk on Bald Mountain, the initiative benefits skiers by opening up 79 acres of new gladed terrain this season alone. In its commencement year, the Bald Mountain Stewardship Project is a first of its kind innovation in resort development and environmental protection that is slated to continue for 5-7 years on and around Bald Mountain.
The Warm Springs area of Bald Mountain will also see a lot of action going into the 2023-24 season with U.S. Ski & Snowboard having recently announced a two-year deal with Sun Valley Resort to host the Alpine Skiing National Championships for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. With a proven track record of hosting amazing, complex competitions, Sun Valley will welcome the best in alpine athletes and put their skills to the test on its historic Bald mountain steeps.
Season passes for Sun Valley Resort are on sale now, lift tickets will go on sale mid to late October. The Resort is also a partner of both Ikon Pass and The Mountain Collective. Sun Valley Resort plans to welcome guests for opening day on Thursday, November 24, 2022 for the 2022-23 season, and more information on accommodations, dining, lift tickets, amenities and more can be found at SunValley.com.
Jim, do the Eastern gapers only flock after the 3rd award is given out?
And now queue the teeming hordes of eastern gapers making plans to hit up SV.