Heavenly Mountain Resort held a ground breaking ceremony recently for a new on-mountain restaurant at the top of the Gondola. Part of an ongoing revitalization of the resort, the new facility is slated to open this winter.

The 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.

For more information on Heavenly and to follow the construction progress, please visit www.skiheavenly.com.