As Deer Valley gets closer to opening its expanded terrain in Wasatch County, new lodging and skier services are in the works throughout East Village.
Most of the plans for hotels, ski lifts and private residences fall under the purview of the Military Installation Development Authority, or MIDA.
MIDA is a state agency made up of appointed, not elected, officials. It was formed with the mission of serving members of the military, and it creates revenue for its programs by partnering with local government entities to invest in economic development projects. Much of MIDA’s development in Wasatch County is part of East Village.
The Grand Hyatt is one of the most visible pieces of the resort expansion. It’s also designated as a military Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) site, a national program for active duty and retired service members. The hotel has designated 100 of its 400 rooms for eligible military members to book at a discount based on rank.
The Grand Hyatt will welcome its first guests Nov. 20. All 55 of its private residences have sold.
At a MIDA board meeting Thursday, Aug. 22, Extell Executive Vice President Kurt Krieg said construction is now picking up for other projects on the site.
“We’ve shifted a little bit of our construction team's focus to the parcel to the north,” he said. “We’re at the phase of footings and foundations, so the excavation is done.”
That site will house a 180-room hotel. Krieg said the brand has been “locked in” with a letter of intent, but it’s not yet announced to the public. The hotel is scheduled to open in summer 2026.
Nearby, two luxury hotels are under development. One will be a designer hotel and the brand agreement is in progress. The other will be a five-star hotel, and site planning will likely begin in spring 2025.
MIDA Military Operations Director Kristin Kenney Williams said as many as eight hotels could be built in MIDA’s Wasatch County project area.
The vast expansion of the resort and all the new amenities mean higher demand for seasonal workers. Krieg said Marina West, a future development designated for workforce housing, will eventually have anywhere from 660 to 970 units, depending on whether designs prioritize condos or dorm-style accommodations.
Plans for Marina West have not yet been discussed in detail in MIDA meetings.
