Across the United States, ski resorts are entering a new era of redevelopment. No longer defined by luxury hotels alone, base villages are being reshaped by demands for workforce housing, infrastructure, and stronger ties to local communities. From Colorado to Utah and California, the way American ski villages evolve today is setting the tone for hospitality development worldwide.
Colorado: From Steamboat to Snowmass
In Colorado, the scale of redevelopment illustrates the stakes. Steamboat’s “Full Steam Ahead” project has transformed the base area, anchored by the Wild Blue Gondola – the longest and fastest in North America. While the lift itself expands capacity, debates around transit, parking, and infrastructure underscore how resort growth now depends on public-private partnerships.
Snowmass, meanwhile, represents a billion-dollar masterplan blending high-end residences, hotels, and retail spaces. Developed by East West Partners and Aspen Skiing Company, the project also integrates workforce housing solutions in the surrounding valley. This duality – luxury investment paired with obligations to community housing – has become emblematic of the Colorado model.
Utah: The Ambitious Mayflower at Deer Valley
Utah’s Deer Valley is home to one of the most ambitious projects in the country. The Mayflower development, directly connected to Deer Valley’s lift system, is designed as a new base village with more than 800 hotel rooms, 1,700 residences, and an estimated 600 workforce housing units. Backed by Extell Development and Alterra, the expansion is reshaping the entire Heber Valley.
Unlike incremental upgrades, Mayflower is essentially building a new town. For investors and operators, it shows that large-scale resort projects in the U.S. can only move forward when they address housing, infrastructure, and community integration head-on.
California: Balancing Ambition with Community
In California, Mammoth Mountain and Palisades Tahoe illustrate the balancing act between vision and public acceptance. Mammoth is still refining its plans for a redesigned main base area, subject to extensive environmental review. Palisades Tahoe, after years of litigation and community opposition, scaled down its redevelopment, prioritized employee housing, and launched the Base-to-Base Gondola linking its two valleys.
These cases highlight a broader truth: growth in U.S. resorts is no longer linear. It is negotiated, revised, and increasingly dependent on alignment with community priorities.
Beyond Luxury: Taos and Big Sky
Some resorts are embracing entirely new models. Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico, as a certified B-Corp, demonstrates how social and environmental responsibility can be embedded into resort business models. Its investments in employee housing and sustainability programs have made it a case study in purpose-driven development.
Big Sky in Montana is pursuing a ten-year masterplan known as “Big Sky 2025,” combining lift expansion and base-area improvements with workforce housing initiatives supported by local non-profits and public partners. The message is clear: long-term success requires collaboration beyond the resort operator itself.
Global Perspective: Lessons Beyond the U.S.
While the United States leads with large-scale redevelopments, similar questions are being asked elsewhere. In Switzerland, Andermatt has transformed from a quiet military base into a luxury resort town, blending investment with cultural programming. In Japan, billion-dollar projects such as Myoko’s new resort are raising concerns about cultural identity and off-season sustainability. In China, new villages like Lake Songhua are being built as complete communities, while massive urban snow centers redefine what a ski resort can be.
The comparison underscores how U.S. resorts stand out for embedding workforce housing and public infrastructure into their plans. Europe leans toward integrating heritage villages, while Asia focuses on rapid scale and technology. Together, these examples highlight a global truth: the future of hospitality depends not just on what is built, but on how it serves both visitors and communities.