A Mountain of Potential and a New Portal to Deer Valley

New Utah resort master-plan envisioning and placemaking by OZ includes landmark conference hotel with world-class skiing and a unique military tie-in

If all goes according to plan, the Mayflower Mountain Resort in Utah’s Wasatch Range will mark two important milestones when it opens, as the first new full-service ski resort built from the ground, up, in the United States in more than three decades, and as the first resort for Air Force members and their families.

The planned Mayflower Mountain Resort, located along US Highway 40 near the Jordanelle Reservoir and iconic Deer Valley Resort outside Park City, is expected to open sometime in 2022, on a property anchored by a 388-room conference hotel designed by OZ Architecture, which also was involved in the envisioning, placemaking and master-planning of the resort. New York City-based EXTELL Development is developing the resort in partnership with the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA).

Built near the site of the old Mayflower Mine, which until 1969 yielded gold, silver and lead, the 5,600-acre Mayflower Mountain resort will feature 400 acres of skiable terrain, along with a day lodge, skier services, condos, single-family homes, and townhomes (including workforce housing), plus a huge 60,000-foot recreation center, a range of retail, food and beverage options and other guest amenities, and three hotels, among them the MWR Hotel and Conference Center at Mayflower (MWR is military terminology for morale, welfare and recreation services).

“This is a once-in-a-career opportunity to be part of the initial envisioning, placemaking, master planning and execution of a ground-up resort in Utah. Since the 1980’s there have not been any new ski resorts built in the US,” said Rebecca Stone, Principal and Resort and Hospitality Leader at OZ Architecture. “It is also an opportunity to help the environment because the Mayflower Mine will be cleaned as part of the masterplan, and to give back to the Air Force families that do so much for our country. There are so many exciting layers to this development. We are very excited to be part of the team.”

The eight-story, 616,000-square-foot MWR at Mayflower includes special accommodations and a variety of features tailored specifically to armed forces personnel on R&R, including:

• a block of 100 rooms allocated to military members and discounted based on rank (the lower the rank, the lower the rate).

• a military-only concierge/lounge.

• discounts for military members and their families on lift tickets and activities, and

• design features and functionalities to provide a heightened level of accessibility and inclusiveness (accommodations for service animals, for example).

The amenity-rich MWR conference hotel also includes an inviting lobby to serve as the hotel’s living room, plus an outdoor pool, 50,000 sq. ft. of conference space, a fitness center, underground parking, a signature restaurant with outdoor dining, retail, a coffee shop, bar and kids’ area. For skiers, there’s a ski valet and ski lockers. Capping it all is a rooftop plaza (with views to the Jordanelle Reservoir) for special events, lounging and stargazing.

Designed in a “mountain modern” vein, the OZ concept for the conference hotel draws heavily from the mining history of the site and from the surrounding Wasatch landscape, incorporating a mix of materials, including metals and stone, with large expanses of glass to capture the views and natural light . A series of unique “mineral boxes” provides accents within some of the most vibrant areas of the hotel, and stone wraps the base of the building, grounding it to its mountainside setting. There’s also a wealth of outdoor space, including multiple terraces (with firepits) and lawn space to encourage gathering, and several hot tubs surrounding the outdoor pool.

As for skiing and other activities at the resort, the Mayflower Mountain Resort site is convenient — only about a 40-minute drive from Salt Lake City’s airport. EXTELL and Deer Valley ownership are still discussing how the new and existing ski areas would be linked, and whether Mayflower would ultimately function as a stand-alone resort or as another base area and de facto eastern portal for Deer Valley. Plans for the new resort call for a large ski beach and a base area with accommodations, restaurants, bars, retail shops and skier services, including rentals, lessons and daycare. But there will be plenty else to do at Mayflower beyond snow-riding, including ice skating, mountain biking, wildlife tours, and outdoor concerts.

It all comes together within a pedestrian-friendly community master-planned and envisioned by OZ Architecture Principals Rebecca Stone, Dan Miller and Andy White, in partnership with EXTELL and Langvardt Design Group out of Salt Lake City.

For military personnel, and for pretty much anyone seeking R&R or outdoor adventure, there will be no shortage of MWR — morale, welfare and recreation — at Mayflower Mountain Resort.