Deer Valley Resort said Friday it has finalized its acquisition of Solitude Mountain Resort.
According to Bob Wheaton, president and general manager for Deer Valley Resort, the purchase closed Thursday, with Deer Valley officially taking over operations of the Big Cottonwood Canyon resort Friday. Financial details of the acquisition, which was announced in October, were not released.
Solitude was previously owned by the DeSeelhorst family.
Deer Valley also announced a set of improvements it will make at Solitude this offseason. Chief among them, Wheaton said, is replacing the current Summit two-person chairlift with a detachable high-speed four-person lift. The lift will be renamed the Summit Express.
“That will cut the lift ride time in less than half,” he said. “That will dramatically improve skier circulation there and the whole mountain experience.”
“This is an exciting venture for both Solitude Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort,” said Kim Mayhew, general manager of Solitude Mountain Resort. “As a member of the Deer Valley team for more than 30 years, I look forward to sharing with Solitude Resort similar values and practices that make Deer Valley one of the best operated resorts in the country.”
“Solitude is an incredible resort and will be in great hands with Kim at the helm,” said Bob Wheaton, president and general manager of Deer Valley Resort. “Deer Valley staff worked hand-in-hand with Solitude staff this past winter to share knowledge and develop strong plans for the future.”
Deer Valley’s first capital improvement announcement to Solitude for the 2015-2016 ski season will be to remove the current Summit double chairlift and install a new detachable high-speed quad.