Snowbasin Plans Major Expansion Including 300-Room Club Med Hotel | News, Sports, Jobs

0


1/2

Skiers descend a slope in Snowbasin, the ski resort in Weber County, in this undated photo. Snowbasin officials unveiled their plans to upgrade the resort on Thursday, September 21, 2021.

Photo provided, Snow pool

2/2

Earl’s Lodge in Snowbasin, right, and the main parking lot at Weber County Ski Resort are shown in this undated photo, taken from a ski slope. The area around Earl’s Lodge is to be transformed into a “resort village”, according to expansion plans announced on Thursday, September 21, 2021.

Photo provided, Snow pool

❯

Snowbasin has quietly planned big changes.

Now the operators of the Weber County ski resort are moving forward. They unveiled ambitious plans this week to build a 300-room hotel on the Snowbasin grounds, add new retail offerings and upgrade some of the lifts that carry skiers. Part of the work is already underway and construction of the hotel is due to be completed by the end of 2024.

“These new developments put us on track to become the envisioned world-class resort destination for Snowbasin,” said Davy Ratchford, general manager of the ski resort. The planned upgrades will be the most significant upgrade to the resort since the changes implemented before the 2002 Winter Olympics, he said.

Snowbasin is a big draw for local skiers, he said. But the resort’s operators are now aiming to increase the appeal of skiers from beyond Utah and around the world. The addition of the hotel – which will be built by Club Med, which operates resorts around the world – is a key part of that effort.

Image provided, Snow basin

This render showing some of the planned changes at Snowbasin, the ski resort in Weber County. Snowbasin officials unveiled their plans to upgrade the resort on Thursday, September 21, 2021.

Powder Mountain, another ski resort in Weber County, has a range of accommodation options for skiers, including cabins and townhouses, but none of the three resorts here currently have a hotel. Nordic Valley is Weber County’s other ski resort.

The new Club Med hotel will be built on the grounds of the Old Day Lodge and Wildcat parking lot, southeast of Earl’s Lodge and the main Snowbasin complex. Work is scheduled to begin in 2022, according to Snowbasin, and be completed by the end of 2024.

“It’s a new building. It will be a complement, for sure, to northern Utah, ”said Ratchford.

Planned developments are also planned around Earl’s Lodge, Snowbasin’s main center of activity off the slopes, including spaces for restaurants, shops, accommodation and more. Work on the ‘resort village’, as it has come to be known, is due to begin in 2025. The ground floor space will be provisionally reserved for retail operations while the second floor space will be reserved for retail operations. ‘accommodation, possibly condos, although Snowbasin representatives have yet to work out those details.

Longer term, over the next 20 to 30 years, perhaps, resort operators are considering other changes, the addition of a large lodging complex north of Earl’s Lodge, in this which is now a parking space and a large open lot. East West Partners is contributing to this element of the plans.

Ratchford did not provide a dollar figure for the planned improvements, but said the scale was comparable to the improvements leading up to the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Snowbasin, privately owned by the family of the late Earl Holding, who acquired the resort in 1984, was a site for downhill skiing during these Olympic Games.

A PATIENT COMPANY

Ratchford said planning ahead of this week’s announcement has been underway for about two and a half years, although such an expansion has been in the works for years. “We are a very patient, methodical and well thought out company,” he said.

Some work, however, is already underway. The car park has been expanded by around 435 spaces and replacement work on the Middle Bowl Triple, one of Snowbasin’s many lifts, is expected to be completed before the end of the year. Other ski lifts need to be upgraded or added and a new area which will serve beginner skiers and those in the process of learning is also to be developed.

Weber and Morgan County officials approved some of Snowbasin’s development plans in the early 2010s, paving the way for planned improvements. However, some items will still need to be reviewed and approved by county officials. Part of Snowbasin’s expansive land stretches as far as Morgan County.

Snowbasin’s plans have sparked excitement in the ski community. “The feedback has been exceptional,” said Ratchford.

Development in the Ogden Valley region can be a touchy subject, however, and more information will be sought at a pair of briefings scheduled for next week. Pre-registration is required and the Snowbasin website says meetings are already at full capacity.

Club Med offers all-inclusive packages at its resorts, including multi-day packages that cater to international travelers. Ratchford sees the planned hotel attractive to short-term visitors to the area as well.

Bulletin

Join the thousands of people who already receive our daily newsletter.


Share.

Comments are closed.