Deer Valley: America’s number one ski resort of 13 years levels up with 100 added runs, new base village

There’s an often overlooked downside to being the best — namely the unrelenting pressure to stay there. According to the World Ski Awards, Deer Valley has been America’s number one ski resort for the last 13 years — an accolade achieved through an obsessive focus on five-star service, immaculately groomed slopes and an exclusive skier-only policy (sorry, snowboarders).

All well and good, but what happens when you embark on a historic expansion — one that doubles your terrain, adds 100 runs, 10 chairlifts and an entirely new base village? How do you maintain that acclaimed Deer Valley difference?

With ease, as it turns out. During ROAM’s visit at the tail end of the 2025-26 season, we rigorously test every aspect of the expanded offering, selflessly enduring five days of superb skiing (despite unusually meagre snowfall — a testament to the resort’s new snowmaking infrastructure), flawless service and exquisite dining. The verdict? Still pretty damn perfect.

So what exactly is the Deer Valley difference? What elevates this resort in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains above the considerable competition?

Location, for a start. It’s only 61km from Salt Lake City International Airport, which means you can be kerbside to slope-side in 40 minutes without hitting a single traffic light.

Then there’s the average annual 7.5m of Utah’s famed powder snow — a dry, airy, featherlight wonder that’s like gliding through a cloud. Skier numbers are capped, so it never feels crowded, and an unusually high proportion of runs are groomed, so every day starts with pristine corduroy. Even the forests are strategically thinned to ensure exceptional tree skiing.

And then there’s the service: ski butlers who come to your accommodation for fittings, uniformed lift valets who group skiers to minimise queues, and on-mountain hosts who provide free, twice-daily tours. Dinner reservation in town? Just call the complimentary on-demand shuttle service.

Another innovation is the Ski with a Champion program, where you can book a half or full-day tour with one of seven Olympians.

ROAM spends an entertaining morning with Trace Worthington, a former freestyle skier who competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics.

He whisks us around the mountain, sharing stories, dispensing tips and even filming our clumsy efforts so we can see what needs attention (everything, apparently). The biggest thrill is just watching him ski — a masterclass in effortless grace.

Given the resort’s five-star focus and “lack of riffraff”, as one guest puts it (a reference to snowboarders, we assume), predictably, it’s a VIP magnet.

Taylor Swift, Michael Jordan and Nicole Kidman are all fans. The Kardashians are regulars and Deer Valley was the venue for Gwyneth Paltrow’s infamous on-slope altercation in 2016.

However, apart from the opulent on-mountain real estate (the allegedly Hilton-owned mega-mansion below the Quincy chairlift is particularly extravagant), you’d barely know. As one instructor puts it: “People go to Aspen to be seen. People come here to ski with family and friends.”

The resort is already home to several luxury properties, including the Montage (the Kardashians’ favourite), a swish St. Regis and the European-style Stein Eriksen (complete with $US3 million wine cellar), but the new East Village base area will usher in a fresh wave of A-list hospitality brands.

There’s already a stylish Grand Hyatt, offering sweeping views over Jordanelle Reservoir and featuring Utah’s first outpost of the high-end omakase restaurant Sushi by Scratch.

Hilton unveiled its first Canopy lifestyle property in the state in September and Four Seasons and Waldorf Astoria are predicted to debut in 2028. Rumours abound that Aman will soon join the party, too.

They’ll all provide access to the resort’s new high-speed gondola (complete with heated seats and staff to load your skis, naturally), which delivers guests to 2850m-high Park Peak in under 15 minutes.

From there, you can tackle the new 7.7km-long Green Monster, one of the longest green runs in the country, plus a suite of family-friendly trails, including Homeward Bound, June Bug and Humbug.

Unlike in many resorts, where beginners are condemned to uninspiring runs near the base, here, they can safely access gloriously scenic high-alpine slopes.

The expanded terrain will eventually gain two impressive on-mountain day lodges, but until then there’s no shortage of notable slope-side fare.

For a retro 80s hit, check out The Sticky Wicket, a fun, casual bar that serves a mean brisket-loaded fries. For a touch of Aspen-style glamour, there’s Chute Eleven, a champagne tent with a $US135 caviar-topped grilled cheese sandwich (it’s bloody good).

And for the full Disney Christmas movie vibe, you can’t beat Fireside Dining, where you can indulge in hearty alpine cuisine (think raclette and wild mushroom stew) while horse-drawn sleighs glide past outside.

Towards the end of the trip, ROAM joins the Viking Yurt dining experience — a tractor-pulled sleigh ride to a remote mountain yurt, where we’re served a sumptuous six-course Nordic-themed feast accompanied by a live pianist and aquavit-spiked mulled wine.

Also onboard is Jane from Virginia and her crew of five friends, who’ve been coming here with their families for the last 12 years. When asked what makes Deer Valley special, she doesn’t hesitate: “The service — it’s next level. It’s spoilt me for every other ski resort since.”

deervalley.com

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