Hyatt has announced plans to open a new ski resort, and it’ll be an Andaz… surprisingly?
In this post:
Andaz’s first mountain resort coming to Deer Valley(ish)
Hyatt has signed an agreement to open the Andaz Heber Valley, which will mark the first mountain and ski resort for the Andaz brand. The hotel is supposed to open in January 2029, which seems rather exact, given that properties almost never open on-time (though clearly the goal is for it to open at the beginning of the 2029 ski season).
For context, Heber Valley is located between Sundance Resort and Park City, so it’s easily accessible when flying into Salt Lake City Airport (SLC), as it’s only around a 45-minute drive away. It’s also a five-minute drive from Deer Valley’s East Village development, which currently has a Grand Hyatt, and will soon have a Four Seasons and Waldorf Astoria. So basically think of it as an extension of that, but with its own branding.
The Andaz will be situated within The Slope, a larger mixed-use community masterplan, being developed by Angstrom Development Group. The Andaz will feature 85 guest rooms and suites, plus a collection of private residences, comprised of 62 condos and 140 villas. Those private residences will have their own amenities, along with special privileges at the resort.
Details about the resort otherwise remain fairly limited, other than that the hotel’s signature restaurant “will advance a mountain-to-table culinary philosophy, emphasizing local ingredients, sustainable sourcing and hyperseasonal menus that reflect Heber Valley.”
Here’s how Amar Lalvani, President and Creative Director of The Lifestyle Group at Hyatt (quite a job title!), describes this:
“Heber Valley embodies the spirit of the American West in a perfectly understated way. In keeping with the Andaz brand, the hotel will be firmly rooted in that spirit while bringing a global sensibility inspired by our travels to places like the Dolomites and Niseko, which have very special traditions we have fallen for. We look forward to sharing the first alpine Andaz hotel with guests from around the world, as well as the local community.”
Meanwhile here’s what Neil Goldman, Managing Partner at Angstrom Development Group (the developer behind The Slope) had to say:
“From the beginning, our vision for The Slope was to create a true mountain village–one that feels alive year-round and is deeply connected to its setting. Collaborating with Hyatt allows us to introduce a new kind of alpine hospitality to Heber Valley, one that is design-forward, wellness-driven and rooted in a strong sense of place. Andaz Heber Valley will bring a global perspective while honoring the character of this valley, and it will play a central role in shaping The Slope as a destination where families, travelers and the local community can gather, explore and return to for generations.”
The Deer Valley area sure is growing at a wild pace
The Deer Valley area is seeing a massive amount of hotel growth at the moment, and I’d say that more capacity is a good thing, in terms of hopefully leading to lower hotel rates over time. For that matter, it’s especially great to see more properties belonging to major loyalty programs, where members can earn and redeem points.
I do find it interesting how this property will be branded as an Andaz. The Andaz brand has really lost steam in recent years, and its pipeline outside of Asia has been quite sad (almost non-existent). So this new property seems like a big win for Hyatt’s increasingly forgotten lifestyle brand. I find the branding choice especially surprising, given the huge residences component to this.
Ultimately branding doesn’t mean all that much nowadays, given lack of enforcement of brand standards at the major hotel groups. I’d argue that even more than other hotel groups, Andaz has very much struggled with consistency, and at this point, I’m not sure what exactly the brand’s defining characteristics are. So I’m curious to see what this property (and the overall The Slope development) will be like when it opens.
Bottom line
The Andaz brand is coming to Utah, with the opening of the Andaz Heber Valley planned for early 2029. This is yet another property in the Deer Valley area, around a five-minute drive from Deer Valley East Village. While the hotel will have only 85 rooms and suites, there will be over 200 condos and residences, so the overall development is huge.
What do you make of plans for the Andaz near Deer Valley?
The hotel site is pretty far from the airport and is still a trek to a ski lift. I'm having trouble understanding why someone would choose to stay here, it seems it'd be better in Kamas. Maybe fly fishermen would want this spot? And Heber is a fun little town but not flashy at all, most who stay here would still want to go back into Park City for that scene. This hotel/housing project is...
The hotel site is pretty far from the airport and is still a trek to a ski lift. I'm having trouble understanding why someone would choose to stay here, it seems it'd be better in Kamas. Maybe fly fishermen would want this spot? And Heber is a fun little town but not flashy at all, most who stay here would still want to go back into Park City for that scene. This hotel/housing project is really really strange. The only real draw to Heber for the wealthy is the easy muni airport to fly your private jet into
You really need a better content submission method, I emailed this to you on 2/13...
Wonder if some the sourced cuisine from Heber Valley will come from the iconic Chick’s Cafe, known for their grizzled chicken fried steak slathered in a white gravy full of lard and fried with beef tallow to make a perfect ending for Apres Skiing.
This development is the result of many backdoor deals with the developer and state politicians who misused tax payer money to fund a project that was sold as vacation property for veterans and is now for the ultra wealthy. It is being built on wetlands adjacent to the river at the entrance to our valley and will forever ruin the beauty of the place they say they are “preserving”. Liars and thieves, every one of...
This development is the result of many backdoor deals with the developer and state politicians who misused tax payer money to fund a project that was sold as vacation property for veterans and is now for the ultra wealthy. It is being built on wetlands adjacent to the river at the entrance to our valley and will forever ruin the beauty of the place they say they are “preserving”. Liars and thieves, every one of them. More congestion, higher property taxes, less access for locals is all this means.
I am happy I hope will not be freak expansive day ticket like Park city that think all people are snood rich idiots
Regular people income should have a good place without exploitation
Don’t really understand how people afford skiing in the US. Was looking at deer valley and balked at the lift price. More than aspen?
Deer Valley is the country club ski resort. PCMR is a good deal if you have the Epic pass or buy tickets way in advance.
Lots of people with money in the US that love skiing. I still think this resort is a bad idea. Too much sun exposure in this area and decreasing snowfall over time just makes this a waste of money
I have a serious enquiry for those who might well know the answer to my question. As Salt Lake City, is the nearest international airport to the subject article resort, someone might be able to offer me some advice please?
Both DL and VS offer an A330, direct flight, J seat to LHR. Would anyone like to help me choose between the two?
@ AeroB13a -- If it's the A330-900neo on both airlines, then I'd choose Virgin Atlantic, as I think their soft product is a bit better. However, I'd go based on which airline has the better schedule or price.
Ben, I appreciate your recommendation, thank you so much. The last time I flew a Virgin route was when Virgin Nigeria were in existence …. yes, last century! I think that I might give them a squirt this time, either on the way there or on the way back. Please don’t tell Tim if I do …. :-)
You see Ben, I cannot get out of it any longer, that is, treating my little friend...
Ben, I appreciate your recommendation, thank you so much. The last time I flew a Virgin route was when Virgin Nigeria were in existence …. yes, last century! I think that I might give them a squirt this time, either on the way there or on the way back. Please don’t tell Tim if I do …. :-)
You see Ben, I cannot get out of it any longer, that is, treating my little friend and my sister to a ride across the Rockies on The California Zephyr. They want to do the section between Denver and Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, I get all the good jobs, prior preparation and planning, plus paying of course.
Virgin does not operate a direct flight to SLC. The Virgin marketed flight is simply a Delta codeshare. You are looking at two versions of the same flight.
You are only 100% correct BE, thank you so much for alerting me to my mistake. I checked the route with Google Flights, however, I must have overlooked the code share note.
If Andaz could only get properties to offer a proper assortment of stuff from the Mini Bar again... That has become such a sad brand standard.
Deer Valley needs to get off their high horse and allow snowboarding.
Deer valley has lost the plot with their overdevelopment but they absolutely do not need to allow snowboarders. Most ski accidents are caused by boarders out of control.
That’s funny because I’ve only ever been hit by a skier.
Nah, keep Deer Valley as-is. You gonna whine about Alta next? Go to Brighton.
Andaz had so much promise at the start but has been dismal and fragmented since Covid. Given that, don't count out the possibility that it becomes a Thompson or Alila before it even opens. A part of me thinks the lifestyle branding thing has long since peaked and Hyatt needs to settle on one lifestyle brand and be done with the rest.