A WALK IN THE PARK (CITY)
Pendry Park City makes it easy to enjoy the Wasatch Mountains year-round.
Written by Bridget Williams
It used to be that ski towns seemed like ghost towns in the summer months, with empty lifts languishing above verdant hillsides abloom with wildflowers. As someone who took to skiing in their 40s and seems to get less capable and confident with every lesson, the mountains have always been more of a warm weather destination for me. And while I am sure that the locals aren't entirely happy about the rest of us discovering the benefits of the slopes sans snow, summer's longer days, sunny skies, and plenty of lodging, dining, and activity options deliver capacious opportunities for communing with nature.
Opened in February 2022 and located in the center of Canyons Village, an easy 35-minute drive from the Salt Lake City Airport and less than ten minutes to the heart of historic Park City, Pendry Park City provides direct access (ski-in/ski-out in winter) to the resort's 7,300 acres of varied terrain. Founded in 2014 by Alan Fuerstman and his son Michael, Pendry is the younger sibling of Montage and the first Pendry outpost to operate as a destination resort. The resort’s 53 guest rooms are spread out in two towers with ample indoor/outdoor gathering areas at the mountain's base.
The soaring lobby, dominated by a massive stone and steel two-sided gas fireplace, is a hub of activity day and night, as Aprés Pendry, a European-inspired lobby lounge, transitions from breakfast to a chic remote work site and through to the nightcap crowd. An important aspect of Pendry’s brand identity is being artforward, emphasizing unique lighting and architectural elements.
A majority of the accommodations at Pendry, ranging in size from a studio to four bedrooms, are privately owned. The super cute bunkroom in our sprawling two-bedroom, 2.5-bath corner unit (with the ability to link to adjacent rooms) almost made me wish we were traveling with young children. A muted color palette with a mix of natural materials, including stone, leather, and wood, and a smattering of contemporary art in geometric motifs defined the mountain-contemporary interior. Unique design touches included leather strap details on the tweed-meets-boucle upholstered sofa in the living room and a dining table for ten with leather bench seating. The fully-equipped kitchen, with an eight-burner gas range and a full-size Bertazoni refrigerator, sat unused due to the plethora of outstanding dining options on the property and beyond.
KITA, the resort's signature dining experience, was conceived as a welcome change from the plethora of American steakhouses that predominate the area. "There's nothing like digging into a hot bowl of aprés ramen," said Beth Rossi, Director of PR and Marketing. KITA offers a menu of the finest A-5 Kato, Miyazaki, and renowned Kagawa Wagyu beef, as well as the aforementioned house-made ramen; daily chef's-special robatayaki; and an extensive menu of Japanese seafood sourced from sustainable Japanese fisheries and flown-in nightly.
Dos Olas is a solid Mexican restaurant serving seriously good tacos and margaritas in a lively environment. The aptly named Pool House, located atop building two and adjacent to the only rooftop pool and bar in the area, offers a naughty and nice menu where you can get a mammoth serving of truffle parmesan fries to accompany your fresh poke bowl.
The spa level of building two includes a sprawling and well-equipped gym, a mainstay of mountain towns catering to the active, outdoorsy set. My blissful one-hour facial was an expertly choreographed pas de deux that seamlessly pivoted from restorative to restful. The pumpkin enzyme peel, which smelled good enough to eat, left me with a baby-faced pink glow.
A subsidiary of Pendry, the onsite Compass Sports offers equipment rentals and the latest accessories for every season, including ski, snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking gear. Want to take a helicopter to Escalante National Monument for a private guided tour? They can happily arrange that and almost any outdoor expedition you can dream up.
Guests can avail themselves of ample hiking and biking trails when the mountains aren't covered in snow. Ride the Red Pine Gondola to access an easy alpine lake hike, or take the 6.1-mile out-and-back trek to Fantasy Ridge, where a safety rope helps hikers navigate a shark fin ridge (don't look down if you're afraid of heights). The trail tops out at Desolation Peak, the second highest in Park City at 9,990 feet.
Pendry offers a complimentary shuttle to Park City for venturing outside Canyons Village. Alternatively, you can reserve an SUV from their in-house suite of Cadillacs. No matter the season, there's never a shortage of things to do.
For more information and special offers at Pendry Park City, visit pendry.com/park-city/offers.
