What's New at Schweitzer - Winter 2021/22

New Boutique Ski-In/Ski-Out Hotel Open for Ski Season

Schweitzer, the largest ski resort in Idaho and Washington, is ramping up for a 2021/22 winter season that will be filled with new and exciting guest experiences. The resort is debuting its first ski-in/ski-out boutique hotel, called Humbird, in time for skiers and snowboarders this holiday season. In its first year on the Ikon Pass, the resort also has made on-mountain enhancements including increases to uphill capacity, a new dining option, expanded internet connectivity and more.

The 31-room Humbird hotel will debut in time for the holiday season. The boutique hotel will feature contemporary style hotel rooms with ski-in/ski-out access and a 50-seat restaurant and bar called Crow’s Bench. The hotel was designed by Portland-based Skylab Architecture and showcases the next generation of mountain architecture, featuring precision fabricated natural materials. The resort will start taking reservations this fall for an early winter opening.

Also in the village, Schweitzer has broken ground on  5 Needles at White Pine , an addition to the existing White Pine condominium building in the village. Offering a mix of 2-bedroom, studio lofts, and lofted penthouses, 5 Needles will have a total of 26 new residences. Reservations are now being accepted through local real estate agencies with delivery planned in time for the 2022/23 ski season.

Schweitzer is the newest ski resort to partner with the Ikon Pass , joining 44 iconic destinations including Crystal Mountain, RED Mountain, Snowbird, Alta, Revelstoke, Big Sky, and Mt Bachelor among others. Schweitzer is the first Idaho destination to join the Ikon Pass family.

Laying the groundwork for a successful 2021/22 season, the resort has spent $3M on mountain wide capital improvements. Idaho’s only six-person chairlift, Stella, will see an increase in uphill capacity by adding 14 new chairs to its inventory, augmenting uphill capacity on the mountain by approximately 600 skiers per hour. Schweitzer will also be upgrading the ticketing system to support Direct-To-Lift (DTL) tickets with RFID technology and provide ticket kiosks in the village. This will allow guests to purchase online, pick up their ticket at a kiosk and go directly to the lift. Schweitzer plans to utilize reloadable ticket media so single/multi day lift tickets can be reloaded online and reused without visiting a kiosk or Guest Services. RFID ticket turnstiles will be located at Basin Express, Great Escape Quad, Musical Chairs, and the Sunnyside / Nordic trails access point. To ensure even more convenience for Schweitzer guests, the resort is improving internet connectivity by installing fiber optic cable around the mountain. 

Out on the mountain, work on winter trails continued this summer to ensure a safer skiing experience. Schweitzer acquired an excavator and brush cutter attachment for $350K enabling the trail crews to completely mulch residual tree stumps in approximately 100 acres that were logged two years ago in the Outback Bowl.

Schweitzer guests will appreciate a new on-mountain food and beverage option this winter with plans for an additional dining option located at the “Chair 5 Saddle,” which sits between the top of Stella and Down the Hatch. This seasonal yurt will offer light fare and a selection of beverages.

Other capital improvements include upgrades to Schweitzer’s existing food and beverage equipment in Taps and Chimney Rock Grill, the purchase of a new Prinoth grooming snowcat , and creation of an additional 150 parking spaces at the Fire Station.

Schweitzer is proud to have completed its first year of the NSAA Climate Challenge , committing to action that will target and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this past year, Schweitzer has conducted a waste audit, implemented better recycling practices, transitioned to LED lighting , and received a grant from NSAA to replace single use plastics in lodging operations which eliminated the use of 14,400 bottles that would have ended up in landfills. Schweitzer is also installing eight water bottle filling stations to replace existing water fountains in efforts to encourage more sustainable reusable bottles.

In an industry dominated by consolidation, Schweitzer remains independently owned and proud of the improvements the resort is making under the guidance of an active and engaged board of directors.  Schweitzer is unique in that it does not exist on Forest Service property and owns all 7,000 acres of land on which it operates. For more details or information, please contact Dig Chrismer, Schweitzer Marketing Manager at dchrismer@schweitzer.com .