How Private Airports Are Rewriting the Luxury Ski Home Market
Private aviation has always been the quiet luxury of winter travel, but this season it is reshaping the real estate map in America’s top mountain destinations. As commercial airports brace for peak-season gridlock, affluent buyers are choosing ski homes based on a single defining feature: proximity to private airports that offer flexibility, seamless access and the ability to land just minutes from the slopes.
This shift is not anecdotal. It is rewriting demand patterns in emerging resort developments and elevating destinations once considered harder to reach. With new openings in Utah and next-generation branded residences rising in Colorado, the runway has become the new front door.
The Rise of Airport-Proximity Real Estate in America’s Ski Towns
Travelers navigating winter break and Presidents Day weekend are confronting some of the busiest flying periods of the year, and patience for delays is thin. Private aviation has surged as a solution, allowing buyers to reach their homes quickly and avoid the airport congestion that defines commercial routes into major ski towns.
This preference is shaping where wealthy homeowners invest, prioritizing locations where the journey is nearly as effortless as the skiing. That trend is now most visible in two major projects transforming the mountain luxury landscape: Deer Valley East Village in Park City and the forthcoming Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Telluride.
Deer Valley East Village: A New Era of Ski-In Luxury Shaped by Air Access
Utah’s Deer Valley has long been synonymous with elevated skiing, but its newest chapter, Deer Valley East Village, is rewriting what a modern ski resort can offer. The opening of East Village marks the first major public alpine ski resort development in North America in over forty years and expands the existing Deer Valley Resort with an additional 3,700 acres of terrain. Portions of the new mountain are already open for the season, inviting travelers to explore terrain that had remained untouched until now.
A Resort Built for the Modern Traveler
Convenience is the luxury travelers are chasing, and East Village delivers it with rare efficiency. The resort sits just 40 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport, where private aviation is notably easy. Buyers also fly in and out of Heber City, a private airport just 10 minutes from the resort that accommodates most aircraft sizes. The appeal is simple. Travelers can arrive without a fixed timetable, bypass commercial constraints and head directly into the mountains with minimal transition. Provo Airport and even Evanston, Wyoming offer additional access points that widen the net of convenience.
The result is a destination where a morning flight from Miami can place a traveler on the slopes by noon, a scenario quickly turning heads in the luxury property market.
The New Centerpiece of Utah Ski Living
Upon completion, Deer Valley East Village will introduce eight destination hotels, private residences, 1,200 parking spaces, 16 chair lifts, a 10-passenger gondola and a year-round village with dining, shopping, entertainment and skier services. This season alone, the village debuted 80 new runs and seven lifts, expanding on the three lifts and 20 runs added last season. Four newly accessible peaks, including Park Peak, Galena, Revelator and Vulcan, give skiers an entirely new vantage point on the mountain.
A Wave of Luxury Residences Arriving in East Village
East Village is quickly attracting global buyers thanks to its rare combination of new development, easy access and partnerships with powerhouse hospitality brands.
Highlights include:
Grand Hyatt Deer Valley
A hotel and residential offering whose 55 residences sold out in summer 2024.
Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Deer Valley
One to six bedroom residences with ski-in/ski-out access, selling rapidly. Amenities include hiking and biking trails, an ice rink, an indoor sports court, indoor and outdoor pools, flexible cabanas, a ballroom, meeting rooms and an outdoor event terrace.
Cormont
A new luxury residential condo offering.
Marcella Landing
Fifty ski-in/ski-out townhomes.
Residences at Pioche Village
Studios and one and two bedroom condos located next to the Jordanelle Express Gondola.
Canopy by Hilton
A 180 room hotel opening next summer ahead of ski season.
More brands and residential concepts will be announced as development continues, reinforcing Deer Valley East Village as one of the most significant new luxury destinations in the United States.
Telluride’s Private Aviation Advantage: The Appeal of a Harder-to-Reach Haven
Where Utah is building outward, Colorado is leaning into exclusivity. The forthcoming Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Telluride reflects a growing sentiment: the value of a location is often defined by how intentionally one arrives.
Telluride’s rugged landscape and limited commercial access once placed it outside the mainstream ski circuit. Today that characteristic is driving demand. Private aviation into Telluride is notably straightforward, and the town’s quieter profile has attracted affluent travelers seeking a more serene mountain experience. Meanwhile, larger ski hubs such as Aspen, Vail and Jackson Hole offer strong access but face heavy traffic, crowds and long lift lines.
A private jet flight into Telluride transforms the pace entirely. Travelers can land within a few hours, reach the new Four Seasons development and settle into the mountain rhythm without delay.
Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Telluride: A Destination Shaped by Design and Service
The $1 billion development marks Telluride’s first five star luxury project, created through a collaboration between Merrimac Ventures and Fort Partners, the same team responsible for introducing Four Seasons to Fort Lauderdale. Their work helped reposition Fort Lauderdale as a top luxury destination, and Telluride is poised for a similar evolution.
A Vision Elevated by Architecture
Designed by Olson Kundig, the project features three connected buildings across four acres with direct views of Mount Wilson, Campbell Peak and The Silver Mountain. Private residences include two to five bedroom homes with fireplaces, floor to ceiling windows, private terraces and in-home oxygenation systems designed to support guests at high altitude. Interiors reflect craftsmanship in natural stone, wood finishes, heated bathroom floors and steam showers.
Hotel spaces and hotel residences are shaped by AD100 firm Clements Design, delivering a modern, mountain grounded aesthetic.
Amenities Designed for a High-Altitude Lifestyle
Owners and guests will enjoy ski-in/ski-out access, ski valet and private lockers, a fitness center, an indoor lap pool, outdoor hot tub, eight treatment rooms, a silent Relaxation Lounge, a Thermal Lounge with a steam room, bio sauna, Jacuzzi and cold plunge, plus a wellness studio and private residents’ club. A children’s club and underground parking round out the offering.
As with all Four Seasons properties, services include on demand car access, housekeeping, butler assistance, valet and wellness programs.
The development sits in Mountain Village, adjacent to the gondola that links directly to historic downtown Telluride and the ski slopes.
A New Rule in Luxury Real Estate: Follow the Runway
With the rise of private aviation and the peak season surge in commercial travel delays, buyers are rewriting their criteria for a mountain home. The ski town with the shortest path from aircraft to gondola often wins.
Deer Valley East Village and Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Telluride represent two expressions of this trend. One offers a rapidly expanding resort ecosystem defined by unprecedented access. The other offers an exclusive retreat elevated by the very distance that once made it hard to reach.
Both share a simple truth. In today’s luxury ski market, the next great investment often starts with an airstrip.
Inspired by what you read?
Get more stories like this—plus exclusive guides and resident recommendations—delivered to your inbox. Subscribe to our exclusive newsletter
Resident may include affiliate links or sponsored content in our features. These partnerships support our publication and allow us to continue sharing stories and recommendations with our readers.