The Park City Pool Experience: The Pendry And Goldener Hirsch

Forbes

 

Whether you’re planning to visit Park City for ski vacation during the winter season or a summer getaway in the prime months of July and August, the pool amenity can be the determining factor in which resort hotel you choose. Granted, you’ll spend more time at the pool during the summer. For many, this is a key daytime activity—when not hiking, mountain biking or boating. If you’re traveling with kids, the pool offers hours of entertainment for them and relaxation for you. It’s also a key lunch spot. And during the ski season, a heated pool and hot tub can offer a more relaxing après-ski experience than a crowded bar.

As a Park City resident for the past eight years, I’ve had the opportunity to experience most of the pools and hot tubs at our finest resort hotels. This includes their menu offerings, service and X-factors that make each pool experience unique. These first two are set apart by the fact that they are located on the rooftops of the respective hotels. As such, they offer exceptional views of the surrounding mountains while feeling a bit more exclusive and quite literally more elevated than being on the ground level. Each of these is also new to Park City in the past few years.

 

The Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Resorts Collection

This Austrian-themed hotel has been located at Deer Valley’s Silver Lake Lodge for decades. But more recently, under new management (Auberge Resorts), it constructed a second tower that features a rooftop pool. Which, of course, is heated year-round. The adjacent hot tub offers spectacular views of the runs at Silver Lake Lodge, and there is a large sauna just inside. So there are multiple ways to warm your body after a full day of skiing. Of Deer Valley’s three base lodges, this is my preferred access point to the resort due to its central location and quick access to powder before the crowds come up from Snow Park Lodge.

During the summer months, the views shift to mountain bike trails, as Silver Lake is the center of Deer Valley’s ever-expanding bike park. You can also have lunch at the pool. I’d recommend the bratwurst. However, alcoholic beverages are not served at the pool.

 

Pendry Park City

Pendry Park City is located at Park City Mountain Resort’s Canyons Base Area. The luxury hotel opened just a couple years ago and features its own lift (Sunrise) for ski-in/ski-out access to the Canyons side of the resort. As a snowboarder, this is my preferred access point to Park City’s vast terrain. So the Pendry has been a welcomed addition to this side of the mountain, not least of which for its unique pool experience.

During the winter months, Pendry Park City pool is a total vibe. It offers a full bar on the pool deck, and there is often a DJ playing during the après-ski hours as the sun sets behind the Wasatch Mountains.

As for summer, Pendry Park City is the place to be for Fourth of July weekend. Although the pool is small and securing a couple lounge chairs can take time (first come, first served), this is Park City summer at its very best. The pool menu consists of lunch staples, such as burgers, wraps and salads, which can be served to your lounge chair with a cocktail of choice.

Following an all-day pool session, I’d recommend dinner at Dos Olas Cantina for some upscale Mexican fare. And then return to the pool deck after sunset for a privileged view of the Canyons fireworks show.