By the Best Mountain Hotels editorial team ·
Sun Valley Lodge is where American skiing began. Opened in 1936 by the railroad magnate Averell Harriman as the country's first destination ski resort, Sun Valley also gave the world the chairlift. The lodge has welcomed Ernest Hemingway, Marilyn Monroe and generations of Hollywood stars, and after a major renovation it combines its glamorous history with a heated outdoor pool, an excellent spa and an ice rink at the front door.
Sun Valley Lodge is where American skiing began. Opened in 1936 by the railroad magnate Averell Harriman as the country's first destination ski resort, Sun Valley also gave the world the chairlift. The lodge has welcomed Ernest Hemingway, Marilyn Monroe and generations of Hollywood stars, and after a major renovation it combines its glamorous history with a heated outdoor pool, an excellent spa and an ice rink at the front door.
Location: Sun Valley, Idaho
The lodge sits in Sun Valley village, in the Wood River Valley of central Idaho, about five minutes from the town of Ketchum. Free shuttles run to Bald Mountain, known as Baldy, with more than 3,000 feet of vertical and famously consistent pitch, and to Dollar Mountain, the beginners' hill. Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey is around 20 minutes away, with connections through Salt Lake City, Denver and other hubs.
Sun Valley's history is part of every stay. The world's first chairlifts were built here in 1936, designed by a Union Pacific Railroad engineer who adapted equipment used for loading bananas onto ships, and the resort quickly drew Hollywood stars, from Clark Gable to Gary Cooper. Ernest Hemingway worked on For Whom the Bell Tolls at the lodge, later made his home in nearby Ketchum and is buried in the town cemetery. Today, Ketchum is a relaxed mountain town of galleries, restaurants and bars, and Bald Mountain, with its long, steady fall-line runs and almost no flat sections, is regarded by many skiers as one of the best single ski mountains in North America.
Rooms and suites at Sun Valley Lodge
Rooms and suites have been renovated in a classic, comfortable style that nods to the lodge's history, with large suites of around 55 to 65 square metres that sleep four, suitable for families. Request a room facing Bald Mountain for the classic view.
The renovation enlarged many rooms and gave the lodge a fresh, elegant style that still nods to its 1930s glamour, with photographs of famous guests lining the corridors. Many rooms have views of Bald Mountain or the ice rink, and the larger suites have separate living areas for families.
Facilities at Sun Valley Lodge
The heated outdoor pool, open all year with views of Bald Mountain, is the lodge's signature, and the spa is one of the best in Idaho. The year-round outdoor ice rink, steps from the front door, hosts skating shows in summer.
There are several restaurants and bars in the lodge and Sun Valley village, including the Duchin Lounge, a classic for après-ski and live music. In winter there is Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and sleigh rides; in summer, golf, fly fishing, hiking and biking.
Sun Valley is also a superb Nordic skiing destination, with groomed trails at the Sun Valley Nordic Center and at Galena Lodge in the nearby Boulder Mountains. In summer, the resort's outdoor ice shows feature Olympic and world champion skaters, and there is golf, tennis, fly fishing on Silver Creek and the Big Wood River, and hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails.
The mountain moment
The Sun Valley moment is a swim in the heated outdoor pool on a cold, bright winter afternoon, steam rising into the air, Baldy glowing in the sun above and skaters circling the rink below, just as stars and skiers have done here since the 1930s.
Why Sun Valley Lodge is one of the best mountain hotels
Sun Valley Lodge earns its place for history and atmosphere. It is the birthplace of American ski resorts, with a superb mountain, a beautifully renovated lodge, a pool and an ice rink that capture the glamour of old Hollywood. It is not ski-in, ski-out, and Sun Valley is remote. But for skiers who love history, quiet slopes and classic style, it is a must.
For another historic Rocky Mountain icon, see The Broadmoor.
For skiers, Bald Mountain's long, steady runs, uncrowded slopes and excellent grooming are reason enough to visit, and the lodge's combination of history, comfort and a superb pool makes it the natural place to stay.
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When to go to Sun Valley Lodge
The ski season on Baldy usually runs from late November to mid-April, with the most reliable snow from January to March and famously sunny days. Summer, from June to September, brings outdoor ice shows, golf, fly fishing, hiking and the Sun Valley music festival.
Baldy's long fall-line runs are at their best from January to March, with Sun Valley's famously sunny weather and good snow. Christmas and Presidents' Day week are busiest. Summer, from June to September, brings the ice shows, music festivals and long sunny days, while autumn is quiet, with golden aspens and cottonwoods along the rivers.
Questions, answered
- Is Sun Valley Lodge ski-in, ski-out?
- No. Free shuttles run to Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain.
- When did Sun Valley Lodge open?
- In 1936, as America's first destination ski resort. Sun Valley also introduced the first chairlift.
- Does Sun Valley Lodge have a pool?
- Yes. There is a heated outdoor pool, open year-round, facing Bald Mountain.
- What is the nearest airport to Sun Valley?
- Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, about 20 minutes away.
