Slope setting:
Steamboat Springs, Colo.
In the winter, yelling
“Schuss!” to a meeting attendee doesn’t mean, “Turn off your cell
phone!” It means, “Let’s hit the slopes!” Luckily for groups,
mountain towns around North America have been sprucing up and
adding on, just in time for the first snowfall. The following is a
rundown of what’s new and/or in the pipeline at some of this
continent’s largest ski resorts.
CANADA
Whistler, British
Columbia
The first designated resort
municipality in Canada, Whistler offers a range of accommodations,
including 115 hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and condo properties.
Several of these either have sprung up recently or undergone
significant renovations.
Opened in August 2005, the Pan
Pacific Whistler Village Centre offers 83 guest rooms with
high-speed Internet access, a pool, a spa, fitness and business
centers, and about 900 square feet of meeting space. (604)
966-5500; www.whistlervc.panpacific.com
In September 2005, the Sundial
Hotel introduced a 580-square-foot meeting room. The
49-suite, ski-in/ski-out hotel also offers a rooftop hot tub and
spa. (800) 661-2321; www.sundialhotel.com
The Crystal Lodge
completed a project in October 2005, adding a boardroom that seats
14 and a business center, as well as renovating the fitness room.
Twenty-two new deluxe rooms and suites also were built to better
accommodate group business, giving the hotel a total of 159 rooms.
In addition to the new Crystal Boardroom, the Olympic Room offers
793 square feet of meeting space. (604) 932-2221; www.crystal-lodge.com
The Adara, which
opened in early 2006, is a boutique hotel offering 41 rooms with
“floating” fireplaces that are built into custom-designed cabinets,
flat-screen TVs, patios and walk-in showers. (604) 905-4009; www.adarahotel.com
The 287-room Hilton Whistler
Resort & Spa, formerly the Delta Whistler Resort, has
refurbished the exterior, improved the lobby, redesigned
food-and-beverage outlets, and added a new spa and an outdoor
courtyard with space for events. The Hilton has 10,000 square feet
of meeting space. (604) 932-1982; www.hilton.com
Finally, The Nita Lake
Lodge, a boutique hotel opening in April 2007, will
feature 77 suites, a full-service spa and 4,000 square feet of
meeting space. (604) 333-6030; www.nitalake.com
COLORADO
Aspen
The 98-room Aspen Meadows
Resort & Spa completed a renovation project earlier
this year. Currently under construction is the 22,000-square-foot
Doerr-Hosier Meeting Center, an International Association of
Conference Centers-approved facility that will open in March. (800)
452-4240; aspenmeadowsresort.dolce.com
Beaver Creek
Two resorts in Beaver Creek are
undergoing changes. A $20 million project at the 190-room
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek will double the size of
the Allegria Spa to 30,000 square feet; also being refurbished are
the guest rooms and the lobby bar. Work was to be completed this
month. In all, the property offers more than 20,000 square feet of
meeting space. (970) 949-1234; beavercreek.hyatt.com
The Pines Lodge, a
RockResort, has undergone renovations to the pool and surrounding
areas, added air-conditioning to all 2,600 square feet of meeting
space and now offers access to a new 3,400-square-foot training
center called Dogma Athletica, which opened nearby. (866) 605-7625;
www.rockresorts.com
Breckenridge
The Beaver Run Resort and
Conference Center at Breckenridge Ski Resort is finishing
up a $3.5 million renovation this month. A full-service spa, an
apres-ski bar and a cafeteria have been added. Construction of a
new ballroom and upgrade of the lobby lounge will be finished this
spring, giving the center 41,000 square feet of meeting space.
Beaver Run’s recently remodeled conference center features a
5,400-square-foot ballroom. (970) 453-6000; www.beaverrun.com
Cozy corner:
Snowmass Mountain Chalet
Snowmass
Visitors to this resort town, nine
miles from Aspen, will appreciate newly improved road access as
well as new amenities such as a recreation center with a year-round
fitness facility and four outdoor pools. To be added by 2008: two
tennis courts, a skate park and a new transit depot.
The 92-roomStonebridge
Inn recently added 1,000 square feet of meeting space to
its Artisan restaurant. A deck also was built behind the bar near
the swimming pool. (800) 213-3214; www.stonebridgeinn.com
The Snowmass Mountain
Chalet recently spent $500,000 on renovations to its 64
guest rooms. The hotel has roughly 2,000 square feet of meeting
space. (970) 923-3900; www.mountainchalet.com
Finally, ground was broken on the new
Base Village this past spring; the project
includes 11 new restaurants and bars and two new hotels -- a
229-room Westin and The Little Nell at Snowmass, which will offer
32 luxury suites. On the hill, a new gondola already has opened,
and in the works are new chairlifts along with a children’s center.
(800) 308-6935; www.basevillageatsnowmass.com
Steamboat Springs
The Steamboat ski resort is undergoing
$7 million in improvements for the 2006-07 season. A key focus of
this investment is lift, trail and snowmaking enhancements to the
Sunshine Bowl area. The resort also plans to invest close to $1
million to renovate the food outlets at the mountain’s
Thunderhead and Rendezvous
lodges. The Yampa Valley Regional Airport, minutes away from the
ski resort, will open a new 22,000-square-foot terminal this
month.
Peak view:
The Telluride area
abounds in beauty.
Telluride
This western Colorado town’s grand dame
is scheduled for a makeover in 2007, and two new properties are
under construction.
Improvements at the Peaks
Resort & Golden Door Spa will begin this spring and
include all 174 rooms, the spa and restaurant facilities. The
property has 5,200 square feet of meeting space. (866) 282-4557; www.thepeaksresort.com
A new hotel project that got under way
this summer is Lumiere,a Valencia
Hotel, set to open in December 2007. The boutique
ski-in/ski-out property will feature 27 rooms, 18 residences and a
bar. (877) 728-4224; www.lumieretelluride.com
All of these lodgings are in Mountain
Village, near the Telluride Conference Center,
which provides 10,000 square feet of meeting space. (888) 355-8743;
www.tellurideconference.com
Getting to nearby Montrose
Regional Airport gets easier this month, with Delta Air
Lines beginning new Saturday flights to Atlanta and Salt Lake City,
and United Airlines offering Saturday flights from Los Angeles
through Skywest Airlines. The shuttle from Montrose to town is
about $88 roundtrip.
Vail
Set at 8,000 feet above sea level, this
mountain getaway has seen a flurry of activity over the past two
years.
The major news in town is the 120-room
Four Seasons Residence Club Vail, expected to
debut in fall 2008. The property will feature an apres-ski bar, a
library with a fireplace and a signature restaurant with a private
wine room, along with a heated outdoor dining terrace. Further
amenities will include a full-service spa and approximately 37,000
square feet of meeting space. (800) 741-8218; www.fourseasons.com/ownvail
This fall, the 8,300-square-foot Grand
Ballroom was renovated at the 345-room Vail Marriott
Mountain Resort & Spa. In 2005, three new spa rooms
were added, along with an expanded fitness center and four new
meeting rooms, giving the property 21,000 square feet of meeting
space. This spring, the 4,400-square-foot Colorado Ballroom will be
refurbished. (970) 476-4444; www.marriott.com
The Vail Plaza Hotel &
Club, on the former site of the Vail Village Inn, opens
this spring. The $100 million development includes a new 100-room
luxury hotel, two restaurants, a bar, 7,000 square feet of meeting
space, and a full-service spa and fitness center. (866) 371-2582;
www.vailplazaclub.com
Last year, the Vail Mountain
Lodge & Spa completed a renovation that refurbished
the exterior, the Terra Bistro restaurant, all 20 guest rooms and
the spa. The property has one meeting room that holds 40. (866)
476-0700; www.vailmountainlodge.com
The 62-room Tivoli
Lodge opened last spring, the result of a $30 million
redevelopment. The property, just west of the Golden Peak mountain
access, includes a fitness area and 1,300 square feet of meeting
space. (970) 476-5615; www.tivolilodge.com
The Sonnenalp Resort
completed a renovation this fall that included the reopening of the
Swiss Chalet Restaurant and the addition of new book and clothing
shops. Last year, the resort added 40 rooms for a total of 128.
Sonnenalp offers 4,800 square feet of meeting space. (866)
284-4411; www.sonnenalp.com
A new ski-in/ski-out hotel called
The Arrabelle at Vail Square will open in late
2007 with 36 rooms, 67 condos, a lobby bar, a rooftop pool, a spa
and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. (970) 845-2371; www.thearrabelle.com
MONTANA
Big SkyBig Sky Resort is in the process of
reshaping its core Mountain Village. The $23 million
Village Center One, which will expand Big Sky’s
retail and dining options, is scheduled to open in December 2007.
Coming online are 49 slopeside entertainment suites, each with a
conference/dining table, a fireplace, a work station, high-speed
Internet access, a flat-screen TV, a wall bed and a sleeper sofa.
Big Sky also is adding a new restaurant called Whiskey Jack’s and
approximately 212 acres of ski terrain called the Dakota
Territories. (866) 995-2007; www.bigskyresort.com/restate
Starting next June, the Bozeman
Airport, which provides access to Big Sky, will add daily service
from O’Hare International Airport and twice-weekly jet service to
Atlanta.
UTAH
Park CitySeveral new resorts and hotels are
debuting in and around Park City.
The Zermatt Resort &
Spa in Midway officially opened its doors in June. The
property, which is less than an hour from Salt Lake International
Airport, has more than 28,000 square feet of IACC-approved meeting
space. The Hotel der Baer offers 226 rooms, and the Chateau Hotel
Villas provide 126 suites. The resort also features a three-level,
17,000- square-foot spa, two full-service restaurants, a European
bakery and a gelato shop. (435) 657-0180; zermatt.dolce.com
The Stein Eriksen
Lodge, a 175-room luxury resort in Park City, underwent $7
million in renovations that expanded the dining and lounge
facilities and upgraded the lobby. The lodge now is adding four
junior suites with fireplaces and wet bars, to be available in the
spring. The resort has 20,000 square feet of meeting space. (435)
649-3700; www.steinlodge.com
Ground was broken this summer on the
St. Regis Deer Crest Hotel, which will open in
Deer Valley in 2008. The hotel will consist of 67 condominiums,
many of which will be managed and rented by the hotel, along with
26 residences. The property will offer a 24,000-square-foot spa, a
two-tiered swimming pool, a restaurant and a martini bar. www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/index.html
Also anticipated for Deer Valley is the
new Montage Hotel, which will have 192 rooms plus
30 to 40 condos. Construction will begin in the spring and should
finish for the 2009-10 ski season.
Snowbird
This mountain hideaway in Little
Cottonwood Canyon, which offers almost 900 rooms among four
properties, has renovated all 349 guest rooms in the east wing of
its flagship property, the Cliff Lodge. The $6
million venture, completed this past summer, upgraded the rooms
with new furnishings, flat-screen TVs, bedding, bathroom tile,
fixtures and artwork. The lodge offers three restaurants, two
lounges, two swimming pools, a spa, about 19,000 square feet of
meeting space and ski-in/ski-out accessibility. (801) 933-2222; www.snowbird.com/lodging/clifflodge.html
The Creekside Lodge, a
new day lodge in Gad Valley, opened for business last winter. The
property features a cafe, ski and snowboard rental/repair, a ticket
office and a 3,000-square-foot deck. The two-story lodge is
available for meetings of up to 280 people during the summer
months. New this winter is a 600-foot-long tunnel complete with a
conveyor lift to transport skiers and riders from Peruvian Gulch to
nearby Mineral Basin.
Warm welcome:
Teton Mountain Lodge
in Jackson Hole, Wyo.
WYOMING
Jackson Hole
This ski mecca is easier to access this
winter, thanks to new daily nonstop flights from Dallas on American
Airlines; skiers also can fly in from Boise, Idaho; Chicago;
Denver; Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City. Weekend nonstop service
also is currently available from Cincinnati, while Atlanta has
increased its service to four days a week.
Among new
developments,theTeton Mountain
Lodgeis building a 10-room, 16,000-square-foot spa and
fitness center, set to open this summer. The lodge also is adding
17 guest rooms, taking the room total to 145. The property has
three meeting rooms that can handle up to 120 people. (800)
801-6615; www.tetonlodge.com
On the mountain at the top of the
Bridger Gondola, the new Bridger Restaurantopens
this Christmas with a 100-seat fine-dining restaurant and bar, a
deli and a private dining room. In addition, Teton Village added a
new 72-seat indoor cafe at the base of the gondola last year. The
new East Ridge Chair whisks skiers and snowboarders to the
summit.
Jackson’s Center for the
Arts,in downtown Jackson, also is undergoing an expansion,
with the new Performing Arts Pavilion close to completion. The
addition will include a music center and a 525-seat theater, which
is scheduled to open next month. The completed Performing Arts
Pavilion and the Center’s existing Arts & Education Pavilion
will offer several adaptable meeting and gathering areas, totaling
more than 18,000 square feet of indoor and 5,300 square feet of
outdoor space. (307) 734-8956; www.jhcenterforthearts.org
VERMONT
Killington
Killington Ski Resort, the largest
winter sports resort in the eastern United States, has been making
changes to its 200-room Killington Grand Resort
Hotel. A full-service conference center opened this past
July, and the hotel’s 15,000 square feet of meeting space was
redecorated last year. (877) 458-4637; www.killingtonresortvillage.com/grandhotel.html
Stowe business:
Spruce Peak
Stowe
Stowe Mountain
Resortis undergoing a 10-year, $400 million
revitalization, including mountain improvements and new facilities
and amenities. An alpine neighborhood called Spruce Peak at the
foot of the resort will be a ski-in/ski-out four-season community
with an 18-hole Bob Cupp-designed golf course. At the heart of the
village will be the 132-room Stowe Mountain
Lodge,opening in fall 2007. The property will offer a spa,
a signature restaurant and 10,000 square feet of meeting space,
including the 6,500-square-foot Tamarack Ballroom. (877) 977-7823;
www.sprucepeak.com
An option for larger meetings at Stowe
is the Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, which
now offers 150 guest rooms, 30 townhouses, more than 22,000 square
feet of meeting space, a 35,000-square-foot spa and an 18-hole golf
course. (802) 253-7355; www.stoweflake.com