FORBES: Deer Valley Unveils the World’s Biggest Ski Resort Expansion
There are going to be several new hotels at Deer Valley—eventually. Right now, the major project underway is the Four Seasons, scheduled to open for winter 2026-2027.
The good news is that there are plenty of existing options, as Deer Valley has the biggest collection of top shelf luxury hotels in American skiing, including two of just six Forbes 5-Star ski hotels in the nation, the Montage Deer Valley and Stein Eriksen Lodge. There are also two Forbes 4-Star options, including the Chateau Deer Valley and my personal favorite the St. Regis Deer Valley, the only one that also has a 4-Star Spa and 4-Star restaurant, RIME Seafood + Steak. For this season, RIME, ranked Best Of Utah 2025 by Salt Lake Magazine, is upping its competitive ante by unveiling a new daily ‘Skier’s Buffet’ lunch with emphasis on seafood flown in in daily from Nantucket, Maine and Hawaii, plus ultra-premium cuts of meat. This is especially signifcant at Deer Valley, because the luxury skier’s buffet at the Stein Ericksen here has long been one of the most famous meals in American skiing.
But all of the restaurants at the St. Regis are appealing, which is one of the reasons I like the triple 4-Star hotel so much. It has a standout Italian place, La Stellina, that was new last time I visited and very impressive, the region’s biggest wine cellar, more than 10,000 bottles, and a French Brasserie, all in addition to the flagship steak and seafood spot, a lot of variety under one roof. But the most unique food and beverage amenity is The Vintage Room, a seasonal trailside greenhouse of sorts that has been the hottest après ski spot in Deer Valley since it opened a few years ago. Open only in winter, it is located at the resort’s “ski beach” above its awesome ski valet, and the heated 1,600-square foot space has a high-energy vibe and showcases small bites including full raw bar, fresh shucked oysters and sushi, along with and champagne and cocktails, especially the famous signature Bloody Mary’s for which the St. Regis brand is known (The original Bloody Mary was invented at the St Regis New York, and now every hotel has its own special local version, a globally unique hotel cocktail program about which I wrote an article here at Forbes).
Outside of the great ski resorts of the French Alps I don’t know many places where you can enjoy trailside raw bar, and the scene at the Vintage Room is a big enough draw to get fans of the après ski experience to stay here. But in addition to the Bloody Mary’s, the resort has all the signature touches of the St. Regis brand, including butler service and a champagne sabering celebration with complimentary tasting every evening. The ski valet is as good as they come, including very high-performance demo skis like Stockli, and in my opinion the hotel has the best location of any of the luxury options at Deer Valley, just above the main base lodge area to which it is conveniently connected by private funicular, the closest to charming downtown Park City, and as ski-in/ski-out as any hotel can be, right on the trail. Throw in the stellar spa and it is a pretty complete package, down to the complimentary hot chocolate in the lobby for kids of all ages.
