It’s always risky to book an early-season ski trip; you never know what conditions you’ll encounter. But the stars were aligned during a December getaway to Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, with plenty of fresh snow falling in the days leading up to our arrival.
Just a quick 40 minutes from Salt Lake City International, Deer Valley makes skiers a priority; it limits the number of lift tickets sold each day and is one of just three venues in North America that doesn’t allow snowboarders.
We spent the first couple of nights at Goldener Hirsch in the resort’s Silver Lake Village. Frequently lauded as one of the country’s best boutique ski hotels, a 2020 expansion added 40 condominiums to the inn’s 18 rooms and suites. A year later, Auberge Resorts Collection was selected to manage the property. (Click here for an in-depth recap, including details about Goldener Hirsch’s modern Bavarian restaurant.)
For the next few days, we moved to the nearby St. Regis Deer Valley, an ultra-luxe hotel that opened in 2009 with 181 rooms. The resort is known for its inventive special touches, including a one-of-a-kind funicular, whose Swiss cable cars travel 500 vertical feet in 90 seconds, connecting residences, La Stellina restaurant, and a Topgolf swing suite with the hotel proper.
Our visit coincided with the holidays, and the resort was festive and glowing. A highlight was a life-size gingerbread house crafted by the St. Regis pastry team. Along with a 3-foot-tall toy soldier made of fondant, it also featured seasonal drinks—including gourmet hot chocolate, complete with an expansive toppings bar.
Perks at St. Regis include its famed butler service, full-service spa (the “boost and brightening facial” is divine), slope-side pool and hot tubs, in-house Saks Fifth Avenue store, and a ski valet team that will even help you put on your boots. The experiences stand out, too. My boyfriend and I learned how to saber a bottle of Veuve Cliquot and to make the resort’s 7452 Mary. (Every St. Regis resort has a signature Bloody Mary that’s inspired by its locale.)
We spent an evening in Park City’s quaint downtown and had a terrific meal at Riverhorse on Main, where the offerings include a Trio of Wild Game featuring buffalo, venison, and elk, served with truffle twice-baked potatoes, asparagus, and huckleberry).
But you won’t need to stray from the St. Regis campus for a delicious meal. Along with the fresh and flavorful Italian fare at the funicular-served La Stellina, options include above-standard treats at St. Regis Bar (where you can view the locally inspired “Into the Mine” mural by Phillip Buller), French food at Brasserie 7452 (try the Croque Madame or the French onion soup), and traditional American cuisine at RIME (seafood and steaks are standouts).
It was at RIME where I indulged in a decadent breakfast of Utah Toast—brioche with toasted nuts, honey-peach-apricot compote, and alpine whiskey mascarpone. It was the perfect foundation before heading out the door for another glorious day on the slopes.
Travel Trips
Nothing Tops Hitting the Slopes
Dallas attorney Rogge Dunn went to the 2002 Olympics in Park City and fell in love with the region. He had recently taken up skiing and decided to buy a second home at Deer Valley to pursue his new passion. “It’s great to go there for the holidays and have a white Christmas,” Dunn says. “It’s also a magnet for the kids to come hang out with mom and dad.”
When it comes to local fare, he recommends Boneyard Saloon and Wine Bar (“by far the best pizza in town”) and The Mariposa (“best lobster bisque I’ve ever had”). Dunn’s vacation home has ski-in, ski-out access. He prefers the slopes at Deer Valley or the nearby Alta Ski Resort for one simple reason: “No boarders,” he explains.
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