After a five-year negotiation with Mayflower Resort, Deer Valley Resort has acquired the adjacent ski area, illuminating a new eastern-facing terrain for Deer Valley skiers.
The project has been taken underway by Extell Development company, which is in the process of incorporating and updating the additional 3,000 acres of terrain to the Deer-Valley status quo, fit with the top-of-the-line amenities skiers at Deer Valley have come to expect.
Deer Valley will now be home to a grand total of 37 lifts and 238 runs. Additionally, it will house the new longest run in Utah, which will stretch 4.7 miles down from the top of the gondola to the base of the mountain.
Raphael Pazzini, the director of operations and residences at Goldener Hirsch hotel, located on the resort, gave an email statement regarding his excitement for the new project.
“We look forward to welcoming locals and visitors alike to one of the very best winter traditions in the world, as the destination continues to expand its offerings, runs, lifts and access,” the Pazzini wrote.
According to a press release by Deer Valley, the expansion is part of a collection of projects the resort is undertaking, entitled Expanding Excellence. The collection will expand and improve upon many aspects of the resort, aside from just the increased size.
In addition to the resort’s supplementary skiable terrain, Deer Valley is planning an expansion of the resort’s widely recognized high-end amenities as well. According to a report from the Salt Lake Tribune, the resort has set into motion the production of a new “six-star” village experience at the base of the expanded area, complete with 6 new hotels and another access point to the resort.
The planned renewal and expansion project coordinated by the popular ski resort promise an improved resort experience for guests and resort members — or at least a larger one, seeing as the resort emphasizes that it will more than double in size by the 2025-26 ski season.
Christine Spinkston, the senior communications manager for Deer Valley, said the resort has formulated the new project to maintain the Deer Valley brand’s pillars of exceptional guest experience, customer service and industry-leading standards for grooming and terrain.
“We have really strong brand recognition; we’re really known for that excellence at every touchpoint,” she said. “We carry your skis, we’ll help you with your boots, we’ll get you to the base of the mountain.”
Spinkston added the resort prides itself on being “romantic about the guest experience” and that the new expansion will further improve the resort’s luxury village experience.
The resort’s expansion, Spinkston said, will help develop a new “portal” to the resort — further improving the avoidance of crowds that the resort prides itself on.
“We are more than doubling our ski terrain, but not necessarily doubling the amount of skiers,” she said. “It’s like you’re getting so much more.”
The resort is still committed to limiting the number of daily skiers allowed on the slopes.
While the resort has not released the name of the new lodge to the public, the resort’s press release noted that the new lodge will include a skier service facility with opportunities to rent gear and learn to ski at the Deer Valley Ski School.
After the project, Deer Valley will still be accessible to those with the full Ikon Pass, allowing the opportunity for those without a dedicated Deer Valley pass to explore the new resort.