North America’s Newest Ski Village Now Has a Luxe Hotel — With a Glassed-in Lobby and Firepits on the Terrace

When completed, the new ski area known as Deer Valley East Village will have 4,100 acres of skiable terrain, 130 trails, and a base village filled with shops, restaurants, spas and million-dollar homes. That vision began to take shape this winter with the opening of the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley.

Rising like a stone-and-glass fortress along U.S. Route 40 in Utah, the Grand Hyatt is the first anchor at Deer Valley East Village. The new village, originally conceived as a separate resort (called Mayflower), was folded into Deer Valley a year ago and — with a combined 5,726 acres —will be one of the largest ski areas in the country.

That monumental scale was evident as soon as I walked through the front doors. A soaring, two-story lobby 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 closer look, but it started to snow, so I pivoted to explore the warm, toasty lobby instead.

It was a busy holiday week, and the first real test of the month-old hotel. There were families seated on plush sofas around a fireplace, decompressing after a day of skiing and enjoying artisanal hot chocolates with Oreo cupcakes. Kids played chess in their pajamas. Couples shared bottles of wine. Down a long hallway, teenagers in bathrobes and flip-flops were running to the heated outdoor pool, which overlooked Deer Valley. Meanwhile, a steady stream of black SUVs rolled up, depositing yet another batch of skiers and their mountain of gear.

It all seemed like organized chaos. And if it took a little longer for the s’mores cookies to arrive, few seemed to mind. Guests understood this was a new hotel in a brand-new ski village. While some kinks needed to be worked out, they were stoked to be among the first to ski down the country’s freshest trails. Here, my review of the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley hotel in Utah.

The Rooms

The hotel has 436 rooms on the first five floors, with a choice of mountain, reservoir, or courtyard views. The modern alpine decor may appeal to both young families and business travelers, with masculine touches like dark-wood dressers, brass sconces, gray-paneled headboards, built-in fireplaces, and chrome-and-stone bathrooms.

Standard rooms start at 340 square feet and come with a king-size bed or two double beds. Some units also have small sofas that convert into twin beds — perfect for the little ones. Suites start at 600 square feet, with a living room and fireplace, and go up to nearly 2,000 square feet for the Presidential Suite with a wraparound balcony, office, and kitchenette.

For those seeking more space, there are 55 residences with full kitchens and washer/dryers on floors six through eight, ranging from a one-bedroom unit with views of the reservoir, to a three-bedroom spread with double-height ceilings, three bathrooms, a mountain-facing balcony, a kitchen with Miele appliances, and a 10-person dining table.

Food and Drink

The 280-seat Remington Hall serves breakfast, brunch and dinner in an English steakhouse-like space with leather banquettes, dark-blue cabinetry, fluted-glass wall dividers, and wooden tables. For breakfast, I found myself reordering the lobster omelet with truffle oil, while the dinner menu offers a selection of steaks and chops, along with seafood and pasta dishes like seared scallops.

For those who don’t want to venture 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 Employees Only. There is live music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, with local bands playing what the food and beverage manager called “reinterpreted mainstream rock.”

And for a pick-me-up before or after the slopes, the Double Blacks cafe on the lower level serves espresso drinks, spiced ciders, fresh croissants, and small bites.

Activities and Amenities

Although the hotel is not technically ski-in, ski-out, the new heated, six-person Keetley Express chairlift is a short walk, or a two-minute shuttle ride away.  From there, you can ski and take lifts to the rest of Deer Valley. Ski Butlers operates a locker room on the lower level and provides rental equipment, including skis, helmets, googles, and even snowboards (though snowboarding is still banned in Deer Valley). Forget your gloves?  There is a Helly Hansen shop in the lobby, along with a Deer Valley service desk that sells lift tickets and arranges lessons.

After skiing, there is an outdoor deck with a heated pool and three hot tubs. Nearby is a well-equipped gym with big windows overlooking the mountains. The hotel has partnered with All Seasons Adventures to offer off-slope activities including snowmobiling, winter fly-fishing, and dogsledding.

The Grand Hyatt also houses a 30,000-square-foot convention center on the lower floors, though skiers will have little reason to ride those escalators down. Pets are welcome, and the hotel provides branded bowls and beds, and even an in-room pet menu that includes a burger and berry cobbler.

The Spa

A Haman-inspired spa with eastern-inspired treatments is expected to open in mid-2025.

Family-friendly Offerings

Kids will find plenty of distractions here. Camp Hyatt is an indoor playground where parents can drop off their children for supervised fun, including scavenger hunts and building snowmen. The room has craft tables and reading nooks and is stocked with games, crayons, and books. For older children and teens, the Nexus Lounge has a gaming area with two XBoxes, a Playstation, and bean-bag chairs; an arcade hall (no quarters needed for Ms. Pac-Man); air hockey; and a ping-pong table. When I visited, three boys were glued to the screens.

Accessibility and Sustainability

ADA-compliant rooms come in a variety of sizes, from 600-square-foot Studios with double beds, to a 1,315-square-foot Grand Suite with a king-size bed and terrace. The rooms are equipped with roll-in showers or accessible tubs, strobe-light smoke detectors, and lowered thermostat and light switches.

Location

For the moment, the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley is an island unto itself. So if you want to go beyond the East Village, you’ll need a car. Uber and Lyft are also available, but there may be a wait during peak hours (e.g., when ski lifts open in the morning).

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

As a part of Hyatt, all rooms and packages can be booked using points, with special discounts for World of Hyatt members, as well as Utah residents. Check the site for grand opening and ski season offers.

Service members can get significant discounts on lodging, food, and beverages, because the hotel was built on land controlled by Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority.  They also get exclusive access to the NorthStar Lounge, which has a fireplace, comfy sofas, TVs, and complimentary snacks.