Stein Eriksen Lodge is one of the most celebrated ski hotels in North America, a timber-and-stone lodge with the warmth of a Norwegian mountain retreat, set on the slopes of Deer Valley in Utah. It was created in the 1980s by Stein Eriksen, the Norwegian Olympic champion who became Deer Valley's director of skiing, and it remains a byword for luxury, service and seamless skiing.
Stein Eriksen Lodge is one of the most celebrated ski hotels in North America, a timber-and-stone lodge with the warmth of a Norwegian mountain retreat, set on the slopes of Deer Valley in Utah. It was created in the 1980s by Stein Eriksen, the Norwegian Olympic champion who became Deer Valley's director of skiing, and it remains a byword for luxury, service and seamless skiing.
Location: Deer Valley, Park City, Utah, USA
The lodge stands on the slopes of Deer Valley Resort, above Park City, in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah, at the mid-mountain Silver Lake area, with ski-in, ski-out access to the runs. Salt Lake City International Airport is around 40 minutes away, making it one of the most accessible luxury ski hotels in the world.
Deer Valley is famous for its immaculate grooming, attentive service, limited lift-ticket sales and skiers-only policy, and the resort has been expanding with new terrain and lifts in recent seasons. Park City, a former silver-mining town with a lively Main Street of restaurants, galleries and bars, is a short drive below.
Utah's snow is famous for good reason: storms crossing the deserts of the Great Basin lose much of their moisture before reaching the Wasatch, dropping light, dry powder that skiers call the greatest snow on Earth. Deer Valley's grooming, its gentle and intermediate runs and its expanding expert terrain make it suitable for skiers of all abilities.
Rooms and suites at Stein Eriksen Lodge
The lodge has 180 rooms and suites, decorated in a warm, Scandinavian-inspired mountain style with timber, stone fireplaces and rich textiles. Suites range from one to five bedrooms, with full kitchens and living rooms, making the lodge an excellent choice for families and groups.
Many rooms have balconies with views of the slopes or the valley, and the largest suites rival private chalets in size and comfort. Request a mountain-view room for the best experience.
Facilities at Stein Eriksen Lodge
The spa, inspired by Norwegian traditions, is one of the finest in the Rockies, with treatment rooms, a fitness centre, saunas and steam rooms, plus indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs, where steam rises into the cold mountain air after a day on the slopes.
Glitretind, the lodge's signature restaurant, serves refined mountain cuisine with an impressive wine list and is known for its Sunday brunch, while Troll Hallen is a cosy lounge with a fireplace, perfect for après-ski. The ski concierge handles equipment, storage and boot warming, and the lodge's staff can arrange ski lessons and private guides.
The lodge also runs a programme of activities beyond skiing, from snowshoeing and sleigh rides in winter to hiking, mountain biking and fly-fishing in summer, and its staff can arrange excursions to the Utah Olympic Park, where visitors can watch ski jumpers train and even try a bobsled ride.
The mountain moment
The defining moment is the first run of the morning at Deer Valley: stepping out of the lodge onto freshly groomed corduroy, with the light, dry Utah powder underfoot and the slopes almost empty thanks to the resort's limited ticket sales. From the top of the lifts, the Wasatch range stretches in every direction.
At the end of the day, skiing back to the lodge's door and heading straight to the outdoor pool, then to the fireside lounge, is the perfect Deer Valley ritual.
Why Stein Eriksen Lodge is one of the best mountain hotels
Stein Eriksen Lodge earns its place because it delivers Deer Valley's famously polished ski experience with the warmth and character of a family-run lodge. It holds a MICHELIN Key, and its service, spa, dining and ski-in, ski-out position are outstanding. It is very expensive and traditional in style, but for families and skiers who want luxury without stuffiness, few ski hotels in America compare.
Its connection with Stein Eriksen himself, the Olympic gold medallist who helped popularise the elegant skiing style of the post-war era, gives it a sense of history unusual in a relatively young American resort, and photographs and memorabilia throughout the lodge celebrate his legacy.
When to go to Stein Eriksen Lodge
Deer Valley's ski season usually runs from early December to mid-April, with the best snow typically from January to March. Christmas, New Year and Presidents' Day weekend are the busiest periods, and Park City fills for the Sundance Film Festival in January. Summer, from June to September, brings mountain biking, hiking, outdoor concerts and cooler mountain air, at much lower rates, and the lodge is quieter and more relaxed.
Questions, answered
- Is Stein Eriksen Lodge ski-in, ski-out?
- Yes. It sits on the slopes of Deer Valley Resort with ski-in, ski-out access.
- Who was Stein Eriksen?
- A Norwegian ski champion who won Olympic gold in 1952 and later became Deer Valley's director of skiing. He founded the lodge in the 1980s.
- Can snowboarders stay at Stein Eriksen Lodge?
- They can stay, but Deer Valley is a skiers-only resort, so snowboarding is not allowed on its slopes.
