Long before Aspen became the go-to destination for Hollywood’s skiing elite, Sun Valley Resort drew Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball and the Kennedy family (among countless other original A-listers) with its mild altitude and endless sunshine. Now, as the destination’s more famous patrons become eligible for senior discounts (apologies, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood and Richard Dreyfus), a California-based developer hopes to give it a youthful injection with the area’s first luxury residential project in more than 20 years.
Auberge Resorts Collection will operate a planned luxury boutique hotel and penthouse residential development in historic downtown Ketchum, Idaho, where Sun Valley is located. For Auberge’s Founder and Managing Partner Mark Harmon, the revitalization is personal.
“My family has a long history of visiting Sun Valley, and I have a deep appreciation for its scenic beauty and character,” Harmon said in a press release. “I couldn’t be more delighted with this opportunity to help create a resort that will showcase the personality of Sun Valley and introduce this special place to new generations of families.”
Like most good things, these posh new digs will require a wait. The development is expected to open in the summer of 2017. Aside from approximately 90 hotel rooms, the complex will feature 14 for-purchase residences, a full-service restaurant and bar, fitness facilities and conference space. Add current renovations planned at Sun Valley Lodge, and a full destination makeover seems in effect. Move over, Aspen?
Featured photo: Marilyn Monroe filming Bus Stop at Sun Valley in 1956. The starlet was a regular on the Idaho slopes.
Luxury Ski Magazine 