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ENLARGE
On Tuesday, visitors to Diamond Peak climb the stairs up from the main level of the lodge.
iNCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — After $4 million and seven months of construction, the doors of Diamond Peak’s newly renovated Base Lodge were opened to community members earlier this month.
New restrooms throughout the lodge, a 300 square foot banquet room, a new food service counter, new lockers and an expanded rental shop are some of the upgrades visitors will now notice.
But for some Diamond Peak patrons, it seems the lodge has not changed much — or enough.
“I was not happy with it, very disappointed,” said Eric Goldberg, a radiologist for Northstar Imaging in Reno and a Diamond Peak skier for the past two years. “I was expecting some brand new beautiful ‘lodgey’ type atmosphere, but it’s still that same old furniture and the cafeteria looked exactly the same.”
John Redfern of Incline, who was out with son Johnny for their first day of the season, said he hadn’t noticed a major change in the lodge but admitted he hadn’t yet been to the dining area.
Others say the lodge shows improvement from a year ago, residents such as Devi Morris and Brooke Cherry, of Incline, both of whom said they liked the lodge’s new exterior.
“The outside looks a lot newer, it looks nice,” Morris said.
Goldberg said he wished Diamond Peak would have kept the building and updated the interior to have an atmosphere more like the Hyatt’s Lone Eagle Grille.
“I have a feeling a lot of people are going to feel that way,” he added. “It’s such a nice little find for locals, and they probably want to try and attract more people.
Kayla Anderson, marketing coordinator for the Incline Village General Improvement District, said the main purpose of the renovation was to open up the lodge area and make it easy for visitors to move around.
“I’ve heard this criticism where community members have asked ‘what did we get?” said Anderson. “But they just need to look at all the things we have expanded.”
Incline resident and three-year Diamond Peak passholder Colleen Welch wasn’t one of those criticizing the lodge, and said the improvements were money well spent.
“I think it looks a lot better,” Welch said. “It’s a lot more clean and organized.”
Anderson added that much of the renovation paid particular attention to “ease of use,” making it easy and more comfortable for visitors to move around the resort.
Diamond Peak expanded the main outside deck 600 square feet, added two new outside food service counters, added 25 more wooden lockers and have installed new full-size metal lockers, Anderson said.
The rental shop area was also expanded with sliding racks that hold more skis and boards and six computers that speed up the check-in process.
“We used to have huge lines here,” said Anderson. “All of the residents have noticed a huge difference in the rental shop.”
As for Goldberg’s argument about the food and furniture, Anderson said they do have the same food as last year, only now they offer it in more places. In addition, the furniture found in the Base Lodge was purchased last year and is still considered new, she said.
Diamond Peak’s Base Lodge is the first part of a two phase, $7.5 million, project to improve the resort. Plans for the second phase include building new ticket windows and a children’s ski center.
Anderson said they will start planning the second phase this summer and hope to begin construction in 2010.
“We appreciate any community input for the second phase of construction,” Anderson said.
New restrooms throughout the lodge, a 300 square foot banquet room, a new food service counter, new lockers and an expanded rental shop are some of the upgrades visitors will now notice.
But for some Diamond Peak patrons, it seems the lodge has not changed much — or enough.
“I was not happy with it, very disappointed,” said Eric Goldberg, a radiologist for Northstar Imaging in Reno and a Diamond Peak skier for the past two years. “I was expecting some brand new beautiful ‘lodgey’ type atmosphere, but it’s still that same old furniture and the cafeteria looked exactly the same.”
John Redfern of Incline, who was out with son Johnny for their first day of the season, said he hadn’t noticed a major change in the lodge but admitted he hadn’t yet been to the dining area.
Others say the lodge shows improvement from a year ago, residents such as Devi Morris and Brooke Cherry, of Incline, both of whom said they liked the lodge’s new exterior.
“The outside looks a lot newer, it looks nice,” Morris said.
Goldberg said he wished Diamond Peak would have kept the building and updated the interior to have an atmosphere more like the Hyatt’s Lone Eagle Grille.
“I have a feeling a lot of people are going to feel that way,” he added. “It’s such a nice little find for locals, and they probably want to try and attract more people.
Kayla Anderson, marketing coordinator for the Incline Village General Improvement District, said the main purpose of the renovation was to open up the lodge area and make it easy for visitors to move around.
“I’ve heard this criticism where community members have asked ‘what did we get?” said Anderson. “But they just need to look at all the things we have expanded.”
Incline resident and three-year Diamond Peak passholder Colleen Welch wasn’t one of those criticizing the lodge, and said the improvements were money well spent.
“I think it looks a lot better,” Welch said. “It’s a lot more clean and organized.”
Anderson added that much of the renovation paid particular attention to “ease of use,” making it easy and more comfortable for visitors to move around the resort.
Diamond Peak expanded the main outside deck 600 square feet, added two new outside food service counters, added 25 more wooden lockers and have installed new full-size metal lockers, Anderson said.
The rental shop area was also expanded with sliding racks that hold more skis and boards and six computers that speed up the check-in process.
“We used to have huge lines here,” said Anderson. “All of the residents have noticed a huge difference in the rental shop.”
As for Goldberg’s argument about the food and furniture, Anderson said they do have the same food as last year, only now they offer it in more places. In addition, the furniture found in the Base Lodge was purchased last year and is still considered new, she said.
Diamond Peak’s Base Lodge is the first part of a two phase, $7.5 million, project to improve the resort. Plans for the second phase include building new ticket windows and a children’s ski center.
Anderson said they will start planning the second phase this summer and hope to begin construction in 2010.
“We appreciate any community input for the second phase of construction,” Anderson said.
