Purchase of Ptarmigan Inn presents a big opportunity for Gravity Haus in Steamboat, founder says
Gravity Haus has purchased The Ptarmigan Inn with plans on bringing its membership-driven hospitality and amenities business to Steamboat Springs.
“So, we’ve been working on Steamboat for a while, and as you can imagine, finding really cool properties where we can actually execute our portfolio of amenities — in any mountain town —is extremely challenging,” said Jim Deters, CEO and founder of Gravity Haus. “We had the opportunity to purchase the Ptarmigan with its location at the base, its locations to the gondola, and with all the investment that Alterra (Mountain Company), KSL (Capital Partners) and East West (Partners) are putting into developing it, we thought it was just an amazing opportunity for us.”
Deters said he felt the property was perfect, and with $5 million in improvements completed in December 2021, it will help the company get a jump on moving into Steamboat.
“We are going to take what was already done on the Ptarmigan Inn — the location is insane — and where they stopped developing the property is where we really shine in terms of our ability to execute beautiful restaurants, bringing our fitness capabilities and co-working spaces,” Deters said. “It was the ideal property for us.”
Matt Windt, EVP Marketing & Communications at Gravity Haus, said the idea is to build a community within the Steamboat community. Gravity Haus purchased The Ptarmigan Inn, an iconic hotel in the shadow of passing gondola cars and adjacent to base area, on Sept. 15.
Windt said the purchase is a chance to introduce Steamboat Springs to what Gravity Haus has to offer and provide its 4,000 members the chance to come to the Yampa Valley. Gravity Haus also has locations in Breckenridge, Vail, Winter Park and Truckee-Tahoe.
The company bills itself as a social club for the modern adventurer and offers discounted hotel accommodations, premium gear access, mountainside co-working space, fitness programs and a like-minded community committed to personal growth and wellness.
“So you can kind of choose your ‘Haus,’” Deters explained. “If you live in the Steamboat community, and you’re a local and you have no real interest in traveling around, you buy a local membership, or you can be an all-in member, which gives you access to the amenities and discounts at all of our properties.”
The new ownership also said visitors are likely to see more improvements. Visitors can expect the restaurant and bar service to be upgraded and rebranded with renovations beginning next spring that should be completed by the 2023-24 ski season.
“There will be some changes coming,” Windt said. “We will expand the restaurant and bring a new restaurant concept there. There’s no fitness facility on the property today, so we will we will build a fitness area.”
However, he added that it will not be a typical gymnasium.
“It’s not your traditional health fitness center,” Windt said. “It’s sort of cutting edge and progressive — a dryland fitness program and a modern approach to fitness. So, we have expert-led classes, as well as open-gym times.”
Gravity Haus will offer a travelers membership starting at $100, local memberships starting at $120 and an all-in membership that allows members to use the amenities at any Gravity Haus. Membership also comes with food and beverages discounts at restaurants and for rooms.
“The properties are not just open to members,” Windt said. “Our hotel concept is open to the public, so you don’t have to be a member to stay and book a room in the hotel or eat in the restaurant. Anybody can come enjoy the experience.”
He also said Gravity Haus wants to create a unique connection to the community.
“The visitors want to hang out where the locals hang out,” Windt said. “Our goal is to bring those two communities together through this unique creation and energy that is Gravity Haus.”
With its new location in Steamboat, Deters said Gravity Haus wants to provide a place for locals to hang out and a place where guests can find an authentic experience.
“This really started out as a passion project for my wife Alicia and I,” Deters said. “What we created was really just a result of overcoming the challenges we had living this Colorado lifestyle.”
He said the business idea is really just a manifestation of a concept he and his wife envisioned several years ago.
“We asked ourselves, ‘How do we make it easier and how do we enable this outdoor active Colorado lifestyle?’” Deters said. “What if we strung together a series of cool Colorado hotel destinations and made it a lot easier for people to not have to lug skis, and not have to find an Airbnb, and to basically seamlessly move from work and play with a series of places that are basically your own clubhouse with like-minded people who want to live this active, wellness centric lifestyle.”
John F. Russell is the business reporter at the Steamboat Pilot & Today. To reach him, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.
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