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Five Fabulous Things to Do On A Ski Trip Without the Skis in Park City, Utah

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

You don't have to ski or snowboard to have a good time in Park City, Utah. Besides the Sundance Film Festival and all things Robert Redford, there are a slew of other fabulous ways to spend your days and nights in the resort town. Park City proves itself well in the luxury category.

We put together a list of ways to live well in the city known for having the "Greatest Snow On Earth" (and being the site of a few scenes in Dumb and Dumber), and all without having to ever put on those godforsaken foot and calf-suffocating ski boots.

Apres Ski
In a way, resort hopping the apres ski scene is Park City's other great sporting event. The French term specifically refers to the drinking and revelry that ensues after a long day of skiing or snowboarding. The art of the cocktail is nothing to scoff at in snow country and up in these mountains the Mormon influence shunning drinking and nightlife is forgotten. Alta Resort's Sitzmark Bar is a classic. Off-resort, check out High West Distillery and Saloon. They make their own whiskey and vodka and have a killer, innovative cocktail list with drinks like the High West Silver Julep using High West's Silver Oat Whiskey and Rendezvous Rye. Park City's Main Street features a collection of classic, mountain and Western motif bars and nightclubs like No Name Saloon, The Sidecar, and The Spur. There's also Downstairs, owned by Danny Masterson of "That 70s Show" fame, a hip rocker lounge that celebrities typically flock to when they're in town.

Shop
Ski bunny fashion is no joke in Park City. Locals and pros sport some of the slickest and brightest colored gear and pseudo-gear from brands like The North Face, Patagonia, and Lululemon, or, hanging in resort shopping areas in Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort and The Canyons. It's hard to resist not purchasing a brilliant blue fleece when witness to everyone else looking fashionably ski hip. There's shopping too for the fashion-forward who prefer to wear something that's also stylish away from the resorts. Along Main Street are adorable boutiques like Bunya Bunya and Mary Jane's with clothing and accessories handmade by local artists and independent designers. Park City also has the largest collection of factory outlet stores in northern Utah.

Tags: awards-main, DumbandDumber, golf, luxist-awards, luxury, Montage Deer Valley, parkcity, RobertRedford, shopping, skiing, spa, stein eriksen lodge, Sundance, utah

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The Best Ski Resorts in Utah (with video)

by shira levine (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports, Video

To find out if the three resorts in the Park City, Utah area really do represent "The Greatest Snow on Earth", we skied and apres-skied and learned first-hand how fabulous the town and it's amenities have become. Indeed, the area has come a long way from the area's poor, silver mining history.

During the recent Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah was teeming with glittery Hollywood types littering local restaurants and bars, meanwhile abandoning the perfectly powdered slopes. Over the ten-day stretch, those idyllic resort town slopes– located less than an hour's drive from the Salt Lake City airport, stand virtually empty. It's an insider secret that the week and a half is ideal for powder junkies hungry for crowd-free runs during high season.

(Good luck finding a hotel room though!) As it turns out Hollywood isn't so into that kind of snow.

Fortunately out west ski and snowboard season run long. A good year means soft, fluffy snow starts falling just after Thanksgiving until -- if you're really, really lucky -- as late as Cinco de Mayo. Utah doesn't claim "Greatest Snow on Earth" for nothing -- the trademarked white stuff maintains a unique blend of "consistency, abundance and quality," says Ski Utah's Director of Communications Jessica Kunzer, "Anyone who skis dreams of skiing out west. You might like skiing wherever you're from originally -- if it's Minnesota, or, out east in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, [but] the general wish is to experience our soft, ice-free slopes."

The fleeting effects of Sundance come and go, but the snow steadily falls and the apres ski scene never dies. Here are three stellar spots to kick back and relax between smooth runs and story-worthy wipe-outs.

Tags: 2011+best+ski+resort, 2011bestskiresort, all-inclusive, Alta, awards-main, best+ski+resorts, bestskiresorts, Deer Valley, luxist-awards, luxury, Park City, park+city+ut, parkcity, parkcityut, resort, saltlake+utah+skiing, ski resorts, skiing, snowboarding, utah, utah+video, utahvideo

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11 Park City Luxury Estates Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Auctions

An auction of 11 luxury homes located throughout Park City, Utah is scheduled for August 27th. Accelerated Marketing Partners is holding the nation's largest residential sealed-bid auction with a total of nearly $80 million in property up for grabs. Published minimum reserves for the homes range from $1.495 million to $15.875 million and represent an up to 54 percent reduction in price.These are lavish estates, several have ski-in/ski-out access and overlook resort communities or are located in golf communities. The estates are being sold by motivated individuals who are ready to commit to the highest bidder.

"As the nation's largest sealed-bid, published reserve auction, this watershed event offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for prospective buyers around the country to purchase preeminent mountain homes at unbeatable prices," said Ken Stevens, west coast CEO and co-founder of Accelerated Marketing Partners. "As we have seen through our previous highly successful Park City sales, Lookout at Deer Valley and Silver Strike Lodge at Empire Pass, savvy buyers are out there, waiting for an opportunity to purchase luxury estates at price points they are comfortable with, and they determine."

The property shown above is DeerField Estate, a 15,000-square-foot estate developed by builder Eustace W. Mita of Achristavest, LLC. It was previously the highest listed property in all of Deer Crest and the fourth highest in all of Deer Valley when it was taken off the market a year ago at $28.975 million. The estate has seven suites, a private gondola for ski-in/ski-out access, indoor swimming pool, billiards, theater, family room with open truss cathedral ceilings and a wine room with 18th Century French cast-iron doors. The published reserve for DeerField Estate is $15.875 million, 54 percent less than the previous asking.

Tags: luxury real estate, luxury real estate auction, park city, park city utah, utah, utah real estate

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Summer Star Parties at Utah's Cedar Breaks National Monument

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Green

Summer is the best time to let your inner space geek run rampant, but a truly dark night sky is hard luxury to come by -- most of the United States suffers from extravagant light pollution.

Overcome this challenge and head to Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. At over 10,000 feet of elevation, it's got a view on a perfectly dark sky and on nine nights this summer, throws a Star Party. You can bring your own telescope (which you could do any night on your own), but they'll take you to Point Supreme Overlook and let you look through their powerful telescopes, accompanied by park staff an astronomy volunteers to answer your questions.

The 2010 Star Party dates are July 8, 10, 12, August 7, 9, 11, September 6, 8, 10 and are free of charge. Be sure to dress warmly!

Tags: astronomy, cedar breaks national monument, light pollution, stargazers, stargazing, stars, utah

30 Luxury Properties Up For Auction In Park City, Utah

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

We've seen a rash of condo and luxury home auctions in the Park City, Utah area before but nothing like this. On May 1 30 luxury properties ranging from condos to land to luxury homes will be sold in an auction conducted by U.S. Auctions & Realty. Among the properties is the one that once belonged to cookie queen Mrs. Fields. The 24,000 square foot home is on 51 acres in Wolf Creek Ranch. The press release doesn't mince words saying that "the bank is willing to take whatever they can get." The mansion was appraised at $3.8 million and has a current starting bid of $1.6 million.

Should the cookie palace not interest you, you could score 61 acres adjacent to Mitt Romney's former home in Deer Valley or how about 9,300 square foot winter wonderland where Paris Hilton stayed while playing in Park City? In total five properties are being sold "absolute," meaning that they will sell regardless of the final bid price.

Franz Prossegger, a developer, originally listed his home for more than $8 million, and now the starting bid is $2.995 million. When asked why he chose to put his 8,300 square foot new home in Deer Valley (the site of a recent Hollywood movie) into the auction, Prossegger said, "I like the extra exposure the auction method brings. The right buyer will find this property and will get a great deal through the auction."

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Tags: auction, condo auction, luxury home auction, luxury housing real estate, park city, utah

Homes Up For Auction In Park City

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Auctions

Seven homes in the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah will hit the auction block at the end of March. Accelerated Marketing Partners has announced that it will hold a real estate auction for seven Upper Deer Valley Homes at Lookout at Deer Valley on March 27. The auction will be held at th Stein Eriksen Lodge and mimium bids on the homes range from $1.65 million to $2.55 million which is up to 59 percent below the last asking prices.

Lookout at Deer Valley is a 44-acre community of 35 home sites with 270-degree panoramic views of the Deer Valley Resort and Park City ski runs. The seven homes include four and five bedroom homes with original asking prices as high as $5.595 million.Residents can take advantage of a private homeowners' shuttle service with front-door-pickup, taking them to the lifts of Silver Lake and other destinations within Park City. Other amenities include concierge service, a clubhouse with a private owner's lounge, patio grill and fireplace, and a lookout observatory tower. Five of the homes available at auction are ready for immediate occupancy, two of them can be customized and will be ready for occupancy later this year. The homes have vaulted ceilings, wood-paneled doorways and large stone fireplaces. Gourmet kitchens have granite counters and SubZero appliances and master baths offer heated travertine stone flooring and jetted spa tubs. The homes are geared to an active lifestyle with oversized deck, garage space with ski-storage and ski/snowboard racks and mud rooms. More information is available on the auction website.

Tags: deer valley, DeerValley, home auction, home auctions, HomeAuction, HomeAuctions, utah, utah real estate, UtahRealEstate

More Condos Up For Auction In Park City

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

Fast on the heels of a recent auction in Park City, Utah, a new larger auction has been announced. Westgate Resorts will hold an auction for 44 condominium residences at The Lodge at Westgate Park City Resort & Spa, a development in the heart of The Canyons, resort in Park City, Utah. The event will be held on March 28, 2010 and minimum bids for the homes will range from $149,000 to $995,000, up to 56 percent below last asking prices. Advance registration for the auction is required and on-site conventional financing is available. There are no hidden reserves or buyer's premiums.

The new 488-unit project offers amenities and services at The Lodge at Westgate Park City Resort & Spa, including 24-hour concierge service and personal valet service to and from the The Canyons lifts, as well as a full-service, on-site ski and bike shop with private storage lockers and lounge area. The resort also has three pools, including an adults-only indoor relaxation pool and Utah's largest indoor/outdoor resort pool. The Serenity Spa by Westgate has an indoor grotto, lounges and 17 private treatment rooms; indoor/outdoor pool with sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi; fitness center with dance studio, and basketball and tennis courts. The development also has a business and conference center, library and laundry room and dining at the Westgate bar and restaurant, and on-site marketplace and deli. There is also the Westgate Kid's Club providing daily activities for children supervised by a professional staff, video arcade and a playground.

The units in the auction include 11 studio homes ranging in size from 360 square feet to 635 square feet, with minimum bids ranging from $149,000 to $249,000. There are 14 one-bedroom homes ranging in size from 775 square feet to 895 square feet, with minimum bids ranging from $295,000 to $339,000. The 14 two-bedroom, two bath homes range in size from 1,126 square feet to 1,135 square feet and have with minimum bids of $449,000. The largest homes are five four-bedroom homes ranging in size from 1,652 square feet to 2,150 square feet, with minimum bids ranging from $795,000 to $995,000. All residences are fully furnished and have balconies or decks with panoramic views of the Wasatch Mountain range.

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Tags: condo auction, CondoAuction, park city, ParkCity, ski condo auction, SkiCondoAuction, utah

Silver Strike Lodge Auction Finds Gold

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

Sometimes a condo auction can be a positive thing for a development. The auction of eight prime ski-in/ski-out condos in Park City, Utah turned out to be a boon for the project. The Silver Strike Lodge at Empire Pass units were auctioned off on January 17, racking up nearly $13 million in sales in just a half hour. Homes sold on auction day for an average of $1.620 million.

There are 34 units in the ski-in/ski-out condo hotel and although almost half the units sold when the project was launched in 2006, there were still quite a few available. The units qualify for Talisker Club Membership and the $100,000 fee was covered by the developer for all the winning bids. Following the sale Matt Mullin, principal of Ironwood Resort Development said that after the auction they have reset the prices for the remaining homes. Compensation for the membership activation fee will continued to be covered with all post-auction sales. Accelerated Marketing Partners, which also held a new development auction for Vornado's Bryant Back Bay in Boston that also sold multiple units well above the $1 million mark, sees this as a positive sign for luxury real estate.

Tags: park city, ParkCity, real estate auction, RealEstateAuction, silver strike, SilverStrike, utah

St. Regis Deer Crest Open in Park City

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

The lavish new St. Regis Deer Crest Resort in Park City, Utah, which we first mentioned last year, recently opened its doors in time for the upcoming Sundance film festival. Located slope-side in the exclusive Deer Valley Resort, the 12-acre property is nestled in the elite enclave of Deer Crest and is designed to be an elegant reflection of its dramatic mountain locale. The exclusive resort introduces some of the iconic St. Regis luxury amenities including the St. Regis Ski Butler Service; signature Remède Spa; and a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, Utah's first. It also features North America's only hotel funicular and a European style Ski Beach. Known for its exceptional skiing conditions, Deer Valley is easily accessible from both the east and west coasts, with frequent flights directly into Salt Lake City.

Tags: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean-georgesVongerichten, resort, skiing, spa, St. Regis, St.Regis, Sundance, Utah

Park City Ski Condos Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Eight prime ski-in/ski-out condos in Park City, Utah will hit the auction block in January. The Silver Strike Lodge at Empire Pass will be auctioned off January 17. According to ParkRecord.com, developer Matt Mullin of Ironwood Resort Development says the auction is marketing strategy designed to help bring a market correction to the downward trend in ski real estate. There are 34 units in the ski-in/ski-out condo hotel and although almost half the units sold when the project was launched in 2006, there are still 19 unsold units. Mullin insists that it the sale is not a foreclosure or liquidation sale and is not an attempt to dump the property.

The units qualify for Talisker Club Membership. Accelerated Marketing Partners, is conducting the auction and has created a designated website for the event. Minimum bids are set very high. A two-bedroom unit measuring 1,689 square feet has a minimum bid of $1.15 million and prices go up from there.

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Tags: condo auction, CondoAuction, condominium, park city, ParkCity, utah

Wake Up (Early) Wherever You Are, Ski in Park City Free that Afternoon

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

One of the advantages that Park City, Utah has over other Western ski destinations is its convenience -- it lies 35 major highway minutes east of Salt Lake City's airport. So if your desire to ski exceeds the time you have available to devote to the slopes, you don't have to lose an entire day to transportation: wake up at dark-thirty almost anywhere in the United States and catch a flight into Salt Lake and board your chair lift by the afternoon.

To sweeten the deal, you don't even have to buy a lift ticket on your first day. The Quick START Vacation program allows you to convert your boarding pass into a lift ticket at Deer Valley Resort, The Canyons Resort, or Park City Mountain Resort. You need to register in advance online for a voucher, which you present along with your boarding pass, a non-Utah driver's license or other official state identification at the ticket window.

Make sure you read all the rules and regulations on the website, since there's no flexibility in these requirements. Like, if you're a person who shuns printing boarding passes at home and relies on your PDA for check-in, you're going to need to change your ways to get this deal. And if the airline wants to keep your boarding pass, you're going to need to put up a fight.

As you'd expect there are also black out dates: you're not going to get this deal over Christmas week (December 25th, 2009 to January 2nd, 2010) or from Valentine's Day weekend through March 27th, 2010.

There are more Park City deals and promotions to be had, and I'm particularly keen on is a package offered by The Sky Lodge which is throwing in a complimentary breakfast and a 50 minute spa treatment with each night's stay November 26th to April 13th, 2010. The spa treatment deal is especially nice since the Sky Lodge's Amara spa offers all of its massage and body treatment clients a soak in traditional wooden Japanese tubs called Ofuro baths. Per Japanese tradition, you shower before entering the tub, which is filled with piping hot water I'll admit that the soak made me a little nauseous when I visited this past summer (when it was nearing an unusually sultry 85 degrees outside) but it would definitely be just the thing after a day on the slopes. Once again, there are blackout dates during peak periods, so from December 26, 2009 - January 2, 2010, January 21 – 31, 2010 and February 10 – 15, 2010, you'll be paying for your own spa treatment and breakfast.

Tags: hoteldeals, park city, ParkCity, skiing, snow, snowboarding, utah

Heber City, Utah, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate in Heber City, Utah offers the luxury of your own private lake. The home is a haven for the outdoor enthusiast offering fishing, hiking and more on 32 acres (additional acreage is also available for purchase). The six-bedroom home is a log lodge with an updated kitchen, stone floors and large windows showcasing mountain views. The decks are particularly wonderful, offering room to entertain with plenty of space that includes a dining table sheltered by a pitched roof. This home is listed at $9.95 million.

Gallery: Heber City, Utah

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, heber, log cabin, LogCabin, park city, ParkCity, utah

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Fall For Luxury At The Stein Eriksen Lodge

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Deer Valley area in Utah is very popular with winter travelers but if you head there in the fall you can enjoy the beautiful foliage and catch a sweet deal. The Fall for Luxury Package at the Stein Eriksen Lodge offers five-star, five diamond luxury accommodations at a reduced rate. The room rates are upward of $250 per person double occupancy in the winter season but the rates for this package start at $99 per person, per night for Deluxe Room accommodations and $125 per person, per night for a Luxury Suite. The Fall for Luxury package includes one-night accommodations, a three-course dinner at the award winning Glitretind restaurant, and complimentary valet parking. The resort has a luxurious spa, pool as well as hiking and just enjoying the mountains in the fall. If a visit here doesn't get you in the mood for the coming ski season nothing will.

[via On The Snow]

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Tags: deer valley, DeerValley, hotel deals, HotelDeals, stein eriksen lodge, SteinEriksenLodge, utah

News Flash: A Golf Course Community Opens

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Real Estate Developments

Not long ago, golf real estate communities sprouted across the country every month, each project promising a higher level of luxury than the last. These days, they're as a rare as a postseason in baseball that doesn't include the Red Sox or the Yankees. Hence the curiosity of the Victory Ranch Club, an expansive (5,600-acre) development just east of Park City, Utah, that's to be designed around a just-opened--and, of course, camera-friendly--Rees Jones golf course.

The primary selling point of Victory Ranch is its mountain setting. The 7,600-yard golf course gambols across rugged topography that features deep ravines, bulwarks of ancient stone and high plateaus that yield sweeping views of the Deer Valley ski area and the Jordanelle Reservoir. Horseback riding on a network of trails and fly fishing in the Upper Provo River complete the tableau. Whether buyers will come at a time when the nation's high-end real estate market is reeling remains to be seen.

Gallery: Victory Ranch Club

Tags: Golf, Park City, ParkCity, Rees Jones, ReesJones, Utah, Victory Ranch Club, VictoryRanchClub

The Huntsman Compound, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's expansive property belongs to billionaire industrialist Jon Huntsman Sr., father of Jon Huntsman Jr, the governor of Utah. The Deseret News says that Huntsman, Sr. put his 20,000-square-foot vacation property at the Deer Valley resort on the market in order to use the money for other causes including fighting cancer at the hospital that bears his name, the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He has also been spending more time fly-fishing in Idaho and he is also working on a development called Huntsman Springs.

This Utah property is listed at $55 million and includes three lots for a total of 63.83 acres. The main house is a 12-bedroom home with a game room, fitness room and two custom-built water features. The property also includes a pool and the land could be used for several more homes. The estate has been on the market for about two months, and the real estate agent says she has received several inquiries. It is the most expensive home in the area.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: The Huntsman Compound