Travel & Lifestyle

Deer Valley East Village expansion opens with heated ski lifts, new hotel and more

Luxury skiing has reached a new level in Deer Valley, as a new bubble lift with heated seats just opened at this ski-only Utah resort.

While the recent opening of the six-passenger Keetley Express lift and some slopes in the ski area’s new East Village expansion is a huge milestone, it’s all just the beginning of what’s to come, with Deer Valley set to more than double in size and become the largest ski resort in the United States. one of the resorts

Summer Hull/Points Specialist

When the expansion is completed, the skiable area will increase by more than 3,700 acres, bringing the total area of ​​Deer Valley Ski Area to 5,726 acres, with 37 lifts providing access to 238 trails. Yes, the resort will still be ski-only, no skiing, just like it has been since the resort first opened in 1981.

Deer Valley’s East Village will also be built with 1,700 new residential units, 800 new hotel rooms, 1,200 additional day ski parking spaces, new restaurants, an ice rink and more to support all of this new terrain. The new area will eventually be connected by cable car to the current main base of the ice park, which is also planned for a major revitalization in the coming years.

Deer Valley Resorts, Inc.

But enough about the future. If you ski in Deer Valley and want to enjoy the new East Village area during the 2024-25 ski season, here’s what you need to know.

Summer Hull/Points Specialist

Some lifts and runs in the East Village are now open, with more opening soon

On December 31, 2024, the heated six-passenger Keetley Express elevator opened. This officially started the process of opening up the East Village area of ​​Deer Valley.

Summer Hull/Points Specialist

You can take this new express lift to the Sudan Express Elevator, which will take you to the top of Bald Mountain. From there, you can ski to Ice Park Lodge or continue hiking through the resort to Flagstaff, Silver Lake, or the Imperial District.

The short-range Aurora Gondola is also partially open in the New East Village. Additionally, the beginner-friendly Hoodoo Express chairlift, which will connect to a new short greenway called Prospect, is expected to come online soon.

Several green and blue trails that will allow skiers to spend more time in the East Village area are also expected to open “as soon as Mother Nature allows,” said a Deer Valley mountain host who is helping skiers choose their next route. Just left Keetley After the Express elevator.

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Summer Hull/Points Specialist

Currently, the main famous run in the East Village is the long green McHenry Run, which takes you a few miles down from the Silver Lake Lodge near the middle of the resort to the base of the East Village.

However, this may change in the near future to include more options, so for this season and future seasons, keep an eye on Deer Valley’s updated trail map, scheduled lift and run opening listings, and social media pages .

You can park and store your gear in the East Village

Deer Valley is known for its free overnight ski storage, making morning skiing even easier.

While the East Village doesn’t yet have any permanent ski buildings, there are some temporary facilities where you can use indoor gear storage, print lift tickets, rent skis, and more. The new Grand Hyatt Deer Valley is home to the Helly Hanson Deer Valley store, where you can purchase Deer Valley brand merchandise, Helly Hanson ski equipment and lift tickets.

On certain days, skier parking is also open in the East Village area, so you can drive up U.S. 40 from Salt Lake City (avoiding Park City traffic) and take a short, free open-air ride that runs nonstop from there The shuttle goes to the Grand Hyatt Hotel and then to the area where the new Kittery elevators are located. More parking lots will open in the coming years.

Summer Hull/Points Specialist

New Grand Hyatt Deer Valley opens

The cornerstone of the East Village is the new Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, opening in November 2024 with 387 guest rooms, restaurants, lounges, speakeasy and other amenities. Located at the base of the East Village, the hotel is easy to spot as it is currently the only permanent building in this mountainous area.

Summer Hull/Points Specialist

The only lodging option in this area of ​​Deer Valley (for now) can be booked with 21,000 to 29,000 World of Hyatt points per night. While it’s not technically a ski-in/ski-out hotel, reaching the new base via the Keetley Express gondola is just a short walk or a one-to-two-minute ride on the open-air shuttle. The location is pretty convenient if you plan on riding the new lifts, but be aware that if you have beginner skiers who need to get to the ski school at the base of the park, they may need to drive there as there is no direct shuttle currently from the Grand Hyatt to the park .

There are plans to have a ski school in this part of the mountain at some point in the future, but that won’t help if you go there this season. As someone who just came from the East Village area and did a morning children’s ski school hike, this was the biggest pain point with staying here and this side of the resort wasn’t fully built out yet.

Related: The right and wrong ages for kids to start skiing

My favorite amenities at the new Grand Hyatt are the three outdoor hot tubs and fire pits; they are perfect after a day in the mountains.

If you are traveling here this season, be aware that this is a new hotel with new staff and is currently in a relatively remote area with not much nearby. During your first ski season in a hotel, packing a pair of “patient pants” may be just as important as packing your ski pants. The experience you have now may be very different from the experience you may have once the East Village is fully built out.

Summer Hull/Points Specialist

RELATED: Four Seasons is hitting the slopes of Utah’s Deer Valley

This is a big step forward, but still a work in progress

Along these lines, it’s exciting to be one of the first to ride the new express lifts and ski the East Village terrain. But know that if you decide to do this, you are experiencing a work in progress that includes some active construction, temporary facilities, and limited amenities. You may face some day-to-day changes as resorts try to simultaneously build for the future and be open as much as possible this season.

Summer Hull/Points Specialist

If you live in this part of the mountain, it might be a time commitment or logistical challenge to really do much outside of the hotel right now besides skiing. For non-skiing activities, expect a minimum drive of 20 to 30 minutes in each direction; during peak times, weekends and holidays, it may take longer. Although hotel shuttles to Park City run approximately every two hours, if you want more flexibility in your trip, you should drive.

I’m not saying this to discourage you from traveling here this season, but to set expectations since this expansion is a multi-year project and only certain pieces of the puzzle are currently in place.

bottom line

2025 is a very important year for Deer Valley.

Not only does it open three lifts and 300 acres of new terrain for the current 2024-25 ski season, but it also has bigger plans for when the 2025-26 ski season begins later this year. By then, the resort plans to put thousands of acres of new ski terrain, nine new lifts (including chairlifts) and 110 new ski trails into use.

Summer Hull/Points Specialist

If you want to wait to experience Deer Valley in all its glory tomorrow, you may want to wait a few more years. But if you don’t mind the work being done and are ready to take advantage of what’s new now, wax your skis and get ready for friendly service, nice new lifts and one of the longest new ski runs in the country .

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