Looking for a luxury resort in Park City that is fun for families? We recommend Montage Deer Valley.
Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah sets a high standard as both a luxury resort and a family resort. My family spent a weekend here and we were impressed with the comfortable accommodations and excellent service. However, what really impressed us was the array of complimentary on-site activities and family programs at Montage Deer Valley.
Here are the features that wowed my family at Montage Deer Valley.
Families are welcome
Montage Deer Valley is a luxury resort that is truly family-friendly, and we saw many other children there during our stay. On check-in, my children were welcomed at the front desk with a sled full of plush animal toys representing local wildlife and were invited to choose one to keep. In our room, we found child-size robes and slippers in the bathroom alongside the adult sizes. From there, it was marshmallow roasts, arcade games, foosball, outdoor activities, gelato, and swimming all weekend long.
Paintbox is the kids' club at Montage Deer Valley. It offers a variety of supervised indoor and outdoor games and activities for children ages 5-12. We didn't try it, but it looked like a lot of fun! One other thing we were sorry to miss was Monty, the resort's canine mascot. He greets guests twice a day in the lobby, but wasn't scheduled during our stay.
Related: 12 Fun Olympic Venues in Utah
Our room
We stayed in a Resort View Guest Room with a beautiful view of Deer Valley, just as the fall leaves were beginning to turn. Park City was hosting a hot-air balloon festival that weekend and we enjoyed spotting colorful balloons from our balcony in the morning.
Our room was comfortably sized for the four of us, with casual furnishings, a large marble bath and walk-in closet. The flat screen television had all my kids' favorite channels. We had our own gas fireplace with an original painting of a mountain scene hanging above. The resort has a large collection of museum-quality fine art that reflects the local culture and heritage, often created by local artists.
The bathroom had heated floors, which felt nice on bare feet even in September, a deep soaker tub, separate shower with two shower heads and a toilet in its own room for extra privacy and functionality for families.
Related: 6 Tips for Visiting the Sundance Film Festival with Kids
On-site activities
There is always a lot going on in Park City, but there were so many fun things to do at Montage Deer Valley that we decided to spend all of our short stay at the resort. Most of the on-site activities at Montage Deer Valley are complimentary.
As always, the pools were top priority for my children, and we spent time in both. Montage Deer Valley has two pools, indoor and outdoor. The large indoor lap pool and hot tub are inside the fitness facilities, which are limited to ages 16+. It has scheduled family hours, so be sure to check on those early in your stay. I wasn't sure if the outdoor pool would be warm enough in mid-September, but we found it to be well heated and had fun there in the afternoon.
Be sure to check out Montage Merits at the concierge desk. This is a free program where kids can earn pins for each activity they complete at the resort or in Park City. We were excited that the concierge let my kids claim pins for activities we had done during previous visits to Park City. Activities included archery, snow tubing, skiing, hiking, bowling, alpine slide, wildlife spotting, and fly fishing.
In the afternoon, we signed up for an archery clinic through Compass Sports. Our instructor said that her goal was to help everyone get a bulls-eye, and we all did! Compass Sports can also help you with ski or mountain biking equipment, outdoor games such as badminton or croquet, and help arrange off-site activities as well.
Daly's Pub and Rec is a fun place for families to hang out too. Here, we found video games, foosball, darts, a photo booth, big screen TV's playing sports and a private bowling alley. You don't have to order food to play, but all your kids' favorites like pizza, sandwiches, burgers and chicken fingers are on the menu, so it's also a great option for lunch or dinner.
Finally, don't miss s'mores and hot cocoa in the evening, year-round. This free activity was popular with families, including ours. We were wowed by homemade marshmallows in several flavors, and gathered round a large fire pit to toast them. This is a great way to mingle with other guests and enjoy a sweet treat just before bedtime.
Related: Summer at Park City Mountain Resort
Off-site activities
Montage Deer Valley is a ski-in, ski-out resort with access to 200 acres of alpine ski trails and three high speed lifts at Deer Valley Resort. In the summer, those same areas provide great hiking and mountain biking from the resort. Montage Deer Valley can help you plan snow tubing, sleigh rides, dog sledding, fly fishing, golf, or even a private day trip to Moab and Arches National Park!
Park City is a fun family destination year-round. Park City Mountain Resort – the largest ski resort in the U.S. – always has something fun going on. Utah Olympic Park offers two museums and a variety of fun family activities. Both offer alpine slides, play areas, zip lines and other family adventures. Park City offers excellent dining and shopping.
Related: Tips for Visiting Utah Olympic Park
Dining
Montage Deer Valley has four on-site restaurants, plus a to-go cafe, in-room dining and service at the outdoor pool and Vista Lounge. In the evening, my husband and I ordered room service for our children and then enjoyed a casual date night at Burgers and Bourbon. The gourmet burgers were outstanding, and we give the Trio of Fries and Sauces a thumbs up. It's perfect for sharing.
In addition to Daly's Pub and Rec, we found that Buzz – the to-go cafe – was a good option for a quick breakfast or lunch. They have a selection of fresh beverages and pastries for breakfast, plus a few hot items. For lunch, we ordered boxed sandwiches and ate them on the patio overlooking the valley. When my children wanted sandwiches that were (slightly) off menu, the staff cheerfully accommodated our request. When you're looking for the gelato bar, this is the place.
Apex, a fine dining restaurant, and Yama Sushi are also on site, but we didn't try them this time.
My children rank our weekend at Montage Deer Valley among their favorite travel experiences of the year. While exceptional for families, it is elegant and sophisticated, and I would recommend it as a romantic destination as well.
Related: Our Review of the Deer Valley Seafood Buffet
Conclusion
Montage Deer Valley is an outstanding year-round resort for families, or a romantic getaway. We were wowed by the service, our room, the family-friendly activities and the on-site dining. We would definitely return.
Disclosure: My family was hosted by Montage Deer Valley for the purpose of review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Have a question or comment? Add it here.