Written by: Jennifer Walton
Heber Valley has always been understood by those who know where to look. In close orbit to Park City and Deer Valley, it offers something those markets have long traded away—space, water, and a landscape that feels intact. That position is shifting as investment and infrastructure extend across the Wasatch Back, led by Deer Valley’s East Village expansion and a new tier of global hospitality brands entering the region. And more discerning buyers are beginning to take notice.
A UNIQUE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE TAKES SHAPE IN HEBER VALLEY
Five minutes from that expansion, along the Provo River, is a new mountain address: The Slope. It is a fully realized mountain village of residences, hospitality, dining, and retail within a cohesive setting.
At its center is Andaz Heber Valley, the first mountain property from Hyatt’s lifestyle brand, brought forward by a development and design team with a history of delivering resort environments at an international level, where hospitality, residential life, and shared infrastructure are experienced as one.
That vision is led by the Ängstrom Development Group, whose work epitomizes an exacting approach to projects of this scale, where multiple uses are conceived from the outset. Execution is led by Big-D Construction, with Big-D Signature focused on the residential component—specifically the townhomes.
“Big-D and Big-D Signature have delivered some of the most iconic projects in Utah and along the Wasatch Back,” says Brandon Bulloch, director of preconstruction. “What makes The Slope different is the diversity of use. It’s rare to have a luxury hotel, high-end residential, office, and retail all on one 40-acre site.”
The Slope functions as a true resort community, where the residential core and the surrounding terrain are part of everyday life. The Provo River runs just beyond the residences. Trails extend directly from the property, and the village brings together dining, gathering, and activity around the plaza. It’s a way of living that invites you in, one that quickly becomes easy to imagine as your own.
You can picture an early morning walk along the river without planning it, following the path as it meets the water and staying longer than expected. From there, the day loops naturally through the village for a second coffee, past bikes set aside and families finishing breakfast al fresco. At some point, the rhythm of the place begins to make sense. The day comes together without much effort.
“WHAT MAKES THE SLOPE DIFFERENT IS THE DIVERSITY OF USE. IT’S RARE TO HAVE A LUXURY HOTEL, HIGH-END RESIDENTIAL, OFFICE, AND RETAIL ALL ON ONE 40-ACRE SITE.”
-Brandon Bulloch, Director of Preconstruction, Big-D Signature, The Slope Heber Valley
It might continue on the trails or pull you toward the plaza, where something is already happening—kids laughing down the tubing hill, a farmers’ market coming to life, and tables turning brunch to lunch. At The Slope, each part of the day connects easily to the next, from time in the gym, to a swim, to a stop at the spa for a steam. Through it all, there’s a sense of belonging. Kids and parents return to the same locations more than once, not just out of habit, but because they want to.
Later you return home and leave the doors open, stepping out on the rooftop deck for a sky full of stars and a view of Mount Timpanogos, while contemplating the hot tub or sauna. Dinner becomes a choice between staying in or walking back through the plaza. Afterward, there are still more options such as an intimate concert, outdoor movie, late-night drink, or meditation class before sleeping. In any season, this grows familiar, each part of the day leading to the next, until it no longer feels imagined, but simply like life at The Slope.
Over time, the village is designed to become a central gathering point for both residents and the broader community to bring together locals and visitors through its selection of shopping, dining, and year-round entertainment.
As construction begins, there is consideration that runs parallel to scale: how a development of this size enters an existing landscape and what it contributes in return.
“As a contractor, there’s always excitement about a project like this,” Bulloch says. “But as locals, there’s also a responsibility for the landscape. The Ängstrom team has been excellent to work with because they truly care about the surrounding area—working beyond baseline requirements to ensure the project adds value and sits within the environment rather than competing with it.”
What becomes apparent is how deliberately The Slope has been designed. From a construction standpoint, cohesion at scale is exceptional. Like other resort communities, this is not a single offering or a collection of residences placed adjacent to a hotel; it is a fully composed residential and hospitality destination with each component established in relation to the others. At full scale, it brings together an Andaz hotel with 86 keys, 62 resort-branded condominiums, and 140 four-bedroom villa residences, all arranged within a walkable plan supported by more than 100,000 square feet of dining, retail, and gathering spaces.
“AS A CONTRACTOR, THERE’S ALWAYS EXCITEMENT ABOUT A PROJECT LIKE THIS. BUT AS LOCALS, THERE’S ALSO A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LANDSCAPE. THE ÄNGSTROM TEAM HAS BEEN E XCELLENT TO WORK WITH BECAUSE THEY TRULY CARE ABOUT THE SURROUNDING AREA—WORKING BEYOND BASELINE REQUIREMENTS TO ENSURE THE PROJECT ADDS VALUE AND SITS WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT RATHER THAN COMPETING WITH IT.”
-Brandon Bulloch, Director of Preconstruction, Big-D Signature, The Slope Heber Valley
With more than 11 acres of open space and water features, including Rock Creek and curated streams, the landscape remains present throughout. More than a mile of connected pathways extends that presence, creating room for activity and reflection.
Amenities are integrated throughout the property. A full-service spa includes hydrotherapy pools, steam, treatment rooms, and a fitness center that supports daily use and recovery, providing a counterpoint to time spent outdoors. Private shuttles connect directly to Deer Valley and the Jordanelle, while bike and ski valet services remove the need to manage logistics and equipment.
The result is a place that never asks you to manage it. This is what defines The Slope. It’s a destination that encourages and supports how people choose to spend their time, at any age, in every season, with the same level of service, activity, and ease that exists whenever you stay and for however long.
And this is where Andaz changes the equation and raises the proposition.
Personal expression defines the brand—an understanding that luxury today is tied as much to individuality as it is to service. Here, that means a way of living that is open and intuitive, where spaces invite movement and connection without instruction, and where experiences are informed by Heber Valley’s character and amenities.
What distinguishes Andaz in this context is its dedication to social space and design. Interiors draw from the material palette of the region, inspiring open, connected layouts that replace the formality of traditional hotel structures, which creates a sense of continuity between public and private life. Dining is an example of their welcoming perspective. Menus that source products from local producers and a wider culinary influence contribute to a restaurant culture that is current and deeply tied to place and the people who gather within it.
To recognize a place at the moment it begins to define itself is to understand its present character and its future potential.
In Europe, certain villages now feel enduring—Verbier, St. Moritz, Crans-Montana—places where the cadence of daily life, the proximity to the mountain, and the consistency of design have reached a level that makes returning almost instinctive. They have a sense of permanence that draws people back seasonally and annually, until they become less of a destination and more of a second home. What tends to be overlooked is how those places began, at a point when access and investment first converged, and when the decision to enter early shaped not only the experience, but also the long-term value of being there.
The same convergence is now beginning to take shape here. Heber Valley lies just outside one of the most celebrated areas, close enough to share access but with just enough distance to provide a different sense of space—more open, with room to be in the landscape that feels less concentrated. As Deer Valley continues its eastward expansion and investment moves further in the Wasatch Back, Heber Valley enters a different phase—one recognized by buyers who understand the advantage of arriving early, before a place fully reflects what it is becoming.
The presence of Andaz is significant. It introduces a level of hospitality that extends beyond a traditional residential offering and into an added dimension of ownership, where daily use is supported by a global standard. As a globally recognized brand based on personal expression, Andaz identifies each property as an extension of its location, integrating design and service as a unified experience. At The Slope, that translates into residences that operate with the benefit of hotel-level service.
For owners, the advantage is evident. Arrival is simplified, with transportation coordinated in advance and the details of each stay prepared ahead of time. Daily needs are handled with the same fluidity, from reservations and activity planning to the management of the home itself, allowing time to be spent fully within the experience instead of logistics. The option to place your residence into Hyatt’s professionally managed rental program creates an efficient, turnkey ownership structure—designed for ease of use, consistent service, and flexible income potential.
The distinction is not only in how owners use it, but in how often they choose to be here. What starts as a seasonal pattern—summer for biking, hiking, fishing, and golfing and winter for world-class skiing and snow sports—gradually expands, enticing residents back more frequently, for longer stretches, until the reasons to come no longer require a season at all. The village remains active throughout the year, the landscape continues to beckon, and familiarity accumulates with each return.
WITH MORE THAN 11 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE AND WATER FEATURES, INCLUDING ROCK CREEK AND CURATED STREAMS, THE LANDSCAPE REMAINS PRESENT THROUGHOUT. MORE THAN A MILE OF CONNECTED PATHWAYS EXTENDS THAT PRESENCE, CREATING ROOM FOR ACTIVITY AND REFLECTION.
As the community develops, the idea of staying longer, or returning more often, becomes less of a consideration and more of a natural progression. The appeal lies in that evolution—in a place that meets you where they are and then grows into something increasingly integral to how you choose to live.
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