Heavenly Mountain Resort, Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev. – August 2, 2010 – Heavenly Mountain Resort (www.skiheavenly.com) has announced that on August 6, 2010 it will break ground on a new on-mountain restaurant. This spectacular 14,980-square-foot restaurant located at the top of Heavenly’s Gondola will offer 500 indoor seats and 250 outdoor patio seats and is the crown jewel of Heavenly’s major revitalization over the past eight years, which includes new and upgraded lifts, increased snowmaking and grooming, and additional on-mountain amenities. These projects signal Heavenly’s ongoing commitment to providing the finest on-mountain experience for skiers and snowboarders.
“The lodge is transformational for Heavenly’s overall resort experience, allowing us to ramp up the quality and variety of our food while increasing comfort for our guests,” said Blaise Carrig, co-president of Vail Resorts’ Mountain Division. “While many resorts are pulling back, Heavenly is pushing forward, solidifying our position as Lake Tahoe’s leading destination resort.”
Set for completion in February 2011, the lodge will offer a beautiful open dining area designed to overlook the ski runs serviced by the Tamarack Express chairlift through a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Conveniently located in the middle of the mountain, skiers, snowboarders and sightseers will be treated to an expansive, comfortable dining area featuring large timber framing and high ceilings throughout. The convenient scramble-style food court will offer a wide array of choices for guests to enjoy. The lodge will also feature a bar offering both high table and bar seating. On sunny days during both winter and summer, guests will be able to enjoy Heavenly’s ample amount of sunshine on the lodge’s 4,320-square-foot patio.
The restaurant’s interior finishes will be a combination of richly-colored woods and stone as well as high-end finishes like granite tops in the bathrooms, bar and food court. The interior of the lodge will be lit by a combination of natural light from the expansive window wall and large, rustic chandeliers in the dining area. The exterior of the lodge will complement the surrounding environment by featuring natural colors of the local Tahoe landscape. Aligning with Vail’s company-wide commitment to the environment, Heavenly will submit the project for LEED certification.
The lodge also represents a critical component that completes Heavenly’s Adventure Peak family recreation area. Already home to snowshoeing, ski biking, sledding and Heavenly’s Super Tubing Hill – five 500-foot lanes of exhilarating tubing action accessed by a fully-enclosed, elevated magic carpet – the restaurant will provide a home base for a full day of on-snow activity.
The groundbreaking will be commemorated with a short ceremony on August 6, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. PST at the site of the lodge at the top of Heavenly’s Gondola. Fans of Heavenly’s Facebook page will have the opportunity to win a Lake Tahoe vacation package and hoist one of the shovels as one of the groundbreaking VIPs. Contestants simply need to become a fan of Heavenly’s Facebook page and describe, in 200 words or less, why Heavenly is their favorite vacation destination. Winners will be selected on August 4, 2010 based on their submissions. For more details, visit Heavenly Mountain on Facebook.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, Heavenly Mountain Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and the consumer website is www.snow.com.