Homestead Resort Revenue and Competitors

For more than a century, the Homestead Resort has served guests visiting Utah's Heber Valley, at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. Highlights of the Homestead's history include: 1880's - Simon Schneitter, a Swiss-born farmer, discovers a curious-looking rock crater on his farm. From within flows warm mineral water that attracts buggy loads of visitors from neighboring villages who enjoy soaking in its soothing waters. He builds a board-enclosed pool, pipes it full of water and names his resort, "Schneitter's Hot Pots." 1906 - The Virginia House Hotel, the first lodging facility, is built at the Homestead. It is now on the National Registry. 1952 - A California family, named Whitaker, who has no experience in the resort business, comes for a vacation and never leaves. They buy the property from Schneitter's descendents, and change the name to The Homestead Resort and also change the appearance of the resort. But they leave intact its rural atmosphere and the hospitality for which the resort is known. 1986 - Great Inns of the Rockies, a privately-held hotel company, buys the resort. 1987 - The Homestead earns the Four Diamond Award from AAA for the first time - a rating it has earned each year since. 1996 - A 110-foot tunnel is hollowed out in the north side of the crater, providing access to the hot pot's inner depths. The Homestead is named among Conde Nast Traveler's top 25 ski resorts for the first time. 2001 - The Homestead serves as home base for athletes from 25 countries during the World Cup cross county ski, Nordic combined and biathlon competition held at nearby Soldier Hollow,only 3 miles away.