New England Travel
The New Hampshire mountain’s new lodge will open in December.
Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, N.H., is gearing up for its 86th winter season with a new $20 million base lodge.
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The 30,000-square-foot Fairbank Lodge will include a new food pavilion, slopeside bar, cafe, retail shop, restrooms, and lockers. Fairbank Lodge was named after Cranmore’s current owner Brian Fairbank, who was recently inducted into the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame.
The Cranmore ski season kicks off Nov. 24, and the lodge is slated to open in December.
The Fairbank Lodge project is part of an ongoing $85 million base area redevelopment, according to N.H. Business Review.
“The Fairbank Lodge will replace Cranmore’s aging facilities with a state-of-the-art ski lodge and progressive residential condominiums that will meet the needs of today’s day and overnight visitor to the resort,” Ben Wilcox, president and general manager of Cranmore Mountain Resort, said in a press release.
Fifteen residential condominiums will occupy the upper levels of Fairbank Lodge.
On the exterior of the lodge, skiers will enjoy a 7,000-square-foot patio.
“We’re going to have a lot of really fun days out here on the patio,” Wilcox said in a resort update recently posted on Facebook. “We’ll have the BBQ running on weekends.”
Skiers and riders can enjoy après entertainment on Saturdays, Wednesdays, and during vacation periods at the new Koessler’s Bar and Deck, located on the second floor of the lodge.
Wednesdays at the mountain will look a little different this ski season, Wilcox said.
On Wednesdays — always a special night because of the Mountain Meisters, the longest running winter race league in the U.S. — the mountain will extend its hours to 8 p.m. for skiing, tubing, and après ski at Koessler’s, Wilcox said.
While spending time inside the new lodge, guests will see images depicting the mountain’s history.
“Cranmore’s rich history will be incorporated into the interior design of the building, including large wall murals located throughout the first two floors,” mountain officials said in a press release.
Outside the lodge, skiers and riders this season will discover The 38, a new beginner/intermediate terrrain park with a mix of boxes, rails, and snow features, according to Cranmore officials. The 38 will bring the number of terrain parks on the mountain to four.
What’s more: A new Cranmore app will allow skiers and riders to track vertical skiing, check real-time ski conditions, and view webcams, Wilcox said.
Cranmore will take part in the Snowbound Expo in Boston from Nov. 3-5 and launch the app at the expo, he said.
Other ski mountain improvements made over the last year include the opening of Artist Falls Lodge, a two-story base lodge with a dining space that serves the Mountain Adventure and Tubing Park; The Alpine Cafe and Bar; and the opening of the slope-side Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, according to Ski New Hampshire.
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