T+L’s Assessment of Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, Utah

When accomplished, the brand new ski space referred to as Deer Valley East Village could have 4,100 acres of skiable terrain, 130 trails, and a base village full of retailers, eating places, spas and million-dollar properties. That imaginative and prescient started to take form this winter with the opening of the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley.

Rising like a stone-and-glass fortress alongside U.S. Route 40 in Utah, the Grand Hyatt is the primary anchor at Deer Valley East Village. The brand new village, initially conceived as a separate resort (known as Mayflower), was folded into Deer Valley a 12 months in the past and — with a mixed 5,726 acres —shall be one of many largest ski areas within the nation.

That monumental scale was evident as quickly as I walked via the entrance doorways. A hovering, two-story foyer led to a wall of glass that framed the mighty Jordanelle Reservoir and the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains. A terrace with blazing firepits invited me to take a more in-depth look, however it began to snow, so I pivoted to discover the nice and cozy, toasty foyer as an alternative.

It was a busy vacation week, and the primary actual check of the month-old lodge. There have been households seated on plush sofas round a fire, decompressing after a day of snowboarding and having fun with artisanal sizzling candies with Oreo cupcakes. Youngsters performed chess of their pajamas. {Couples} shared bottles of wine. Down an extended hallway, youngsters in bathrobes and flip-flops had been operating to the heated outside pool, which missed Deer Valley. In the meantime, a gradual stream of black SUVs rolled up, depositing yet one more batch of skiers and their mountain of drugs.

All of it appeared like organized chaos. And if it took a little bit longer for the s’mores cookies to reach, few appeared to thoughts. Visitors understood this was a brand new lodge in a brand-new ski village. Whereas some kinks wanted to be labored out, they had been stoked to be among the many first to ski down the nation’s freshest trails. Right here, my evaluate of the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley lodge in Utah.

The Rooms

The lodge has 436 rooms on the primary 5 flooring, with a alternative of mountain, reservoir, or courtyard views. The fashionable alpine decor could enchantment to each younger households and enterprise vacationers, with masculine touches like dark-wood dressers, brass sconces, gray-paneled headboards, built-in fireplaces, and chrome-and-stone bogs.

Commonplace rooms begin at 340 sq. toes and include a king-size mattress or two double beds. Some models even have small sofas that convert into twin beds — excellent for the little ones. Suites begin at 600 sq. toes, with a front room and hearth, and go as much as almost 2,000 sq. toes for the Presidential Suite with a wraparound balcony, workplace, and kitchenette.

For these in search of extra space, there are 55 residences with full kitchens and washer/dryers on flooring six via eight, starting from a one-bedroom unit with views of the reservoir, to a three-bedroom unfold with double-height ceilings, three bogs, a mountain-facing balcony, a kitchen with Miele home equipment, and a 10-person eating desk.

Meals and Drink

The 280-seat Remington Corridor serves breakfast, brunch and dinner in an English steakhouse-like area with leather-based banquettes, dark-blue cabinetry, fluted-glass wall dividers, and wood tables. For breakfast, I discovered myself reordering the lobster omelet with truffle oil, whereas the dinner menu presents a number of steaks and chops, together with seafood and pasta dishes like seared scallops.

For individuals who don’t wish to enterprise out for a nightcap, the Hidden Ace is a basement lounge with a cocktail menu developed by Frank Kurt Maldonado, the bartender from Manhattan’s Workers Solely. There’s dwell music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, with native bands taking part in what the meals and beverage supervisor known as “reinterpreted mainstream rock.”

And for a pick-me-up earlier than or after the slopes, the Double Blacks cafe on the decrease stage serves espresso drinks, spiced ciders, contemporary croissants, and small bites.

Actions and Facilities

Though the lodge will not be technically ski-in, ski-out, the brand new heated, six-person Keetley Categorical chairlift is a brief stroll, or a two-minute shuttle journey away.  From there, you’ll be able to ski and take lifts to the remainder of Deer Valley. Ski Butlers operates a locker room on the decrease stage and supplies rental gear, together with skis, helmets, googles, and even snowboards (although snowboarding remains to be banned in Deer Valley). Overlook your gloves?  There’s a Helly Hansen store within the foyer, together with a Deer Valley service desk that sells carry tickets and arranges classes.

After snowboarding, there’s an outside deck with a heated pool and three sizzling tubs. Close by is a well-equipped gymnasium with massive home windows overlooking the mountains. The lodge has partnered with All Seasons Adventures to supply off-slope actions together with snowmobiling, winter fly-fishing, and dogsledding.

The Grand Hyatt additionally homes a 30,000-square-foot conference middle on the decrease flooring, although skiers could have little motive to journey these escalators down. Pets are welcome, and the lodge supplies branded bowls and beds, and even an in-room pet menu that features a burger and berry cobbler.

The Spa

A Haman-inspired spa with eastern-inspired therapies is anticipated to open in mid-2025.

Household-friendly Choices

Youngsters will discover loads of distractions right here. Camp Hyatt is an indoor playground the place dad and mom can drop off their youngsters for supervised enjoyable, together with scavenger hunts and constructing snowmen. The room has craft tables and studying nooks and is stocked with video games, crayons, and books. For older youngsters and youths, the Nexus Lounge has a gaming space with two XBoxes, a Ps, and bean-bag chairs; an arcade corridor (no quarters wanted for Ms. Pac-Man); air hockey; and a ping-pong desk. Once I visited, three boys had been glued to the screens.

Accessibility and Sustainability

ADA-compliant rooms are available quite a lot of sizes, from 600-square-foot Studios with double beds, to a 1,315-square-foot Grand Suite with a king-size mattress and terrace. The rooms are geared up with roll-in showers or accessible tubs, strobe-light smoke detectors, and lowered thermostat and lightweight switches.

Location

For the second, the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley is an island unto itself. So if you wish to transcend the East Village, you will want a automobile. Uber and Lyft are additionally out there, however there could also be a wait throughout peak hours (e.g., when ski lifts open within the morning).

Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

As part of Hyatt, all rooms and packages may be booked utilizing factors, with particular reductions for World of Hyatt members, in addition to Utah residents. Test the location for grand opening and ski season presents.

Service members can get important reductions on lodging, meals, and drinks, as a result of the lodge was constructed on land managed by Utah’s Navy Set up Growth Authority.  Additionally they get unique entry to the NorthStar Lounge, which has a fire, comfortable sofas, TVs, and complimentary snacks.