PARK CITY, Utah — A new gondola at Deer Valley Ski Resort with heated seats and room for 10 skiers, is officially open, bringing guests from the new East Village to Park Peak in 15 minutes.
“It’s like riding a Cadillac,” said skier Bill Keller of the new gondola.
The cabins come every 12 seconds, and skier Terry Adkins said it’s bigger than many other gondolas.
“The addition to the resort doubles the size and doubles the fun for families,” Adkins said.
In the last year alone, Deer Valley has put in 10 new lifts and 100 new runs.
“We would have loved more help from Mother Nature, but we have state-of-the-art snow making, and we’ve doubled our capacity here,” said Emily Summers, Deer Valley Director of Communications.
Summers said one part of the expansion is the resort's partnership with Hill Air Force Base and Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA). The partnerships with numerous entities are the reason that the expansion was possible, she said.
“Because it’s all because of that connection. The Grand Hyatt Deer Valley is an MWR hotel, which is Moral Wellness and Recreation for our members of the military,” she said.
Summers shared that one quarter of Deer Valley rooms, about 100 of the 381-room resort, are held for active duty, reserve, National Guard, veterans, and actively serving Department of Defense civilians, as part of the Salute to Service Program. Those servicemembers also get discounts on food, beverages, and the spa.
“They are paired with Deer Valley lift tickets that are severely discounted,” Summers said. “So, it’s an incredible recreation opportunity for Utahns that qualify for that program.”
