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Goldminer's Daughter Lodge
3 reviews for Goldminer's Daughter Lodge
One of the problems with most hotels is that there is a certain sense of isolation. You're there by yourself (or with a lone companion or two), but interaction with the other guests is minimal. Not at Goldminer's.
Like Alta itself, Goldminer's Daughter Lodge is old school like the old school. The room are nicely, if sparsely outfitted. Rates are reasonable, all things considered. The food is excellent and the crowd, well, they are all delightful.
I definitely recommending eating at the community table for dinner every night, you'll meet lots of interesting people and will be glad you chose to eat there. Breakfast is very good, dinner is even better. Apres ski snacks are nice too.
Only complaints are that the hot tubs are often crowded and the wait staff are a bit inexperienced (sometimes slow in the morning, unfamiliar with wine etiquette at dinner), Overall it is a very nice place to stay and ski while at Alta.
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Nothing on a winter morning can compare to awakening to the sounds of avalanche blasting, rolling out of bed and stumbling down the hall to a hot breakfast, then grabbing your skis and walking a few steps to the chairlift on a powder day. Did I mention that we heart Alta? Yes we do!
While the price is a bit spendy (~$500/day for 2 adults, 1 child, inc. breakfast and dinner) the GMD provides the most convenient accommodation on the mountain bar none. You pay for this convenience, but it's just so nice to not hassle with a car or the bus or a shuttle van. Pray for a road closure like we got one day and you'll get an extra run or two of fresh tracks!
We've been coming to the GMD for several years, and this year we thought things had slipped a little bit from previous years (minus a half star). Our bed (standard double, pretty crowded) was squishy, bordering on uncomfortable. This didn't help my back, sore from a week's worth of pounding it took on the high traverse. Our friends staying in a 3rd floor slopeside room however said their bed was fine, so maybe it was just that room. They still haven't fixed the sauna in the men's room, which may or may not be working depending on it's mood (minus another half star). Gone is the kids program where they fed and supervised your kids for a couple of hours so you could enjoy a grownup dinner.
We all agreed that what the GMD needs most is a comfy hangout area with games, couches, reading lamps, view of the slopes, etc. Something along the lines of the GMD bar! The problem with the bar is that it's closed until 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and when it opens it rapidly fills up with locals so it gets pretty crowded. The GMD does have a rec room in the basement, but it's like a cave down there, has crappy lighting and isn't at all appealing. Addition of a nice hangout space would kick the rating up by a full star at least!
While the food was consistently good and the wine list quite acceptable, the attentiveness of the waitstaff in the restaurant varied considerably. We had some excellent service from Ali (a gal) and Hazen (a guy) in particular. A couple of the "dudes" however didn't really grasp the whole waiter thing so we nicknamed them "Smoke Two Joints" and "Smoke Three Joints" and tried to avoid their sections whenever possible. If the dining room looks full on a powder morning, skip ordering from the kitchen and head for the buffet as the wait for your order can be really long (45 min. one day with no clue on food status from STJ)
Pros:
- convenience; can't beat it!
- dinner; food ranging from good to really terrific
- front desk & housekeeping; very efficient, friendly service, no billing probs
Cons:
- bed; a bit squishy for our liking
- no proper hangout/reading/socializing area; probably GMD's biggest weakness
- waitstaff (some); needs a bit of basic training
Overall a wonderful experience with lots of face shots, but we were really psyched to get back into our own bed after a week. Will we return to Alta? Definitely! Will we choose GMD again? Probably, but will check around elsewhere too.
PS - Please bring back the chocolate lava cake and the kids program!
So Yelp does not have a category for ski lodges. the Goldminer's Daughter is one of a cluster of old style ski lodges at the foot of Alta Ski Resort. It is not the nicest or shabbiest of your options but if you want to stay by the lifts this is your best bet. Why do you want to stay at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, you might ask? Well when it snows, the access road gets shut down because of avalanche controls. That means you get first tracks while everyone else waits for the road to open.
I had not been back since I blew out my knee four years ago and they have made a few much needed improvements. The hot tub area is much nicer and less cave like, the rooms have been spruced up and the bar area is very cozy. The staff is very helpful and know all the best powder stashes, be nice and they might even tell you about some.