Insight Into Ski Lodges

I hate it when I walk into a ski lodge and find that someone has posted a topic that would be more appropriate in NSG...

Actuslly this works just fine in Ski Gabber seeing as the topic in question is a "Ski" lodge.

i hate lodges that have a high security cafeteria, its lame if ur short on cash

I agree. way too many tables. way too uncomfortable of chairs. Stairs that are too skinny and slick to accommodate ski boots well. Bathrooms that don't have shelves to put your stuff on in the immediate area where you are going to the bathroom. (there should be a shelf or basket above every urinal and toilet). Bathroom stalls that are too narrow and too short (its hard to turn around and close the door when you have to stand on top of the toilet in plastic boots just to get into the stall). There are never enough hooks on the stall doors to hang up your jacket and mid layer. The hooks that they do have are never strong enough. The door locks are never strong enough. Don't use slick tile on bathroom floors. Have a ton of hand dryers inside and outside the bathroom. paper towels don't cut it, get those super high pressure hand dryers that Quiznos has that cause the skin on your hands to fold over because it has so much HP. Don't use benches on tables in the eating area, its hard to get boots over the bench and under the table. Have baskets under each chair to put your helmet/gloves/goggles in so that they aren't all over the top of the table where you are trying to eat. Seriously, keep the tables far away from each other.

using revit?

i had a ski lodge studio project as well. It was a lot of fun, but tedious amounts of work.

make the stairs bigger, they're not that easy to walk up or down in ski boots

Seriously? Fireplaces/firepits inside and outside of the lodge, and chairs/couches that you can sit on and chill. Nothing beats stopping by the fire for a few minutes to warm up your hands and hang out with your buddies, but its 20x better if its outside.

Stairs wider, a bigger eating area so you could fit more tables comfortably. In the bathrooms, more walking area because everybody with everybody in ski gear it gets tight. Make the shelves above the urinals higher up because when i try and piss the shelf isnt wide enough to put my helmet on there so when i keep it on my head i have to lean back. Bathrooms on both floors. more entrances. Idk, i can go on for a while

multi colored beach chairs in the snow is a must!!

Thanks for all the input!

post pics when you finish the project?

The Fireplaces, ample seating, bigger stairs and Large windows are a must, have a boot bag room

What bothers me is when you open the door to the lodge and there is a wall of people to navigate through, Having a good flow is about getting people to where they want. also, Quite a few people come to the ski lodge just to sit for the day (bus drivers, parents. . . ) so don't be afraid to put some single tables where you have unused space. overhead shelving at table areas are awesome for bags, saves space. Water coolers because i am always thirsty

Will do.

it would be cool to have different restaurants and rooms at one lodge, like a fastfood restaurant with cheap soups and burgers for those who want to go skiing again as fast as possible and a higher quality restaurants, where people could stay longer and enjoy their meal.

lots and lots of pegs to hang all your jenky wet ski shit

high ceilings, lost of windows, and made primarily of rock and wood. thats what i like to see in a ski lodge. and normally a steep triangular roof somewhere too

I friggen hate those tables with the attached circular plastic chairs, they piss me off. I also agree with everyone else on too many tables in such a small space. There should be little squares of like 4 couches near a firepit or something, or place where groups of skiers (6-8 people or so) can just come in an chill on the comfortable couches and chairs rather than plastic seats. Maybe more indoor/outdoor rubs too because I hate walking across slippery wooden/cement floors and stuff too.

escalators

One of my biggest pet peeves is poor design of the bar area. I hate it when the easiest way out of the lodge means walking through the bar. The reason being is that I don't want to sense my language for the families that may so happen to be walking by at any point. I think that the bar should be an eating area for adults and that there should be other ways that are easier to access the rest of the lodge than through the bar.

Bathrooms should be on the main level where the majority of people are going to be entering. I can negotiate stairs no problem, but there are a lot of people who struggle with stairs and it slows up movement and makes for a tedieous experience for guests to simply use a restroom. On that note too, no ceramic tiling anywhere. It needs to be carpet in the main areas, and that heavy-duty rubber flooring in the bathrooms. Anything but represents a serious hazard to people who may not be agile in their ski gear.

Lodges should fit into the natural landscape. Heavy use of natural exposed wood and rock adds a lot of character and feel to the building. The lodge should also fit into the resort itself and the design should match the resorts demographics and customer base. The building should be large enough to fit the guest's and resort's needs, yet designed in a way that it blends into the scenery. There is no reason for a base lodge to detract from the scenery; in fact, it should be designed in a way that adds scenic value.

There needs to be a logical progression to the layout of the building and the location of things needs to be very self-evident to avoid confusion and having people making unneeded laps looking for what they are looking for.

An example of a Lodge that has an excellent layout in my opinion is the Yodeler Lodge at Holiday Valley in Western New York.

[/img]http://enchantedmountains.com/files/imagecache/lightbox_image/places/holiday-valley-yodeler-lodge.jpg[/img]

The bathrooms and retail store are located on the ground level with very easy access for guests to get in and out. Also on the ground floor there are rooms designated specifically for bring-your-own lunches. Upstairs there is a very spacious lodge area with a high number of tables and high vaulted ceilings with exposed wood and floor to ceiling windows that face the hill. There is a large deck as well that can be used when spring-time rolls around and the temperatures are warmer and the sun is warm.

like many people have mentioned - too many tables and chairs ruin a lodge. I was just up at Kicking Horse and their table arrangement was horrible, I couldn't get anywhere and just gave up and left the lodge.

Also as mentioned a big patio with lounge style seating is pimp, make sure it's south facing, in fact, the entire lodge should be designed with sun and mountain orientation as the number one concern. What good is a deck/patio if it's in the shade all winter? Use the natural lighting of the lodge site to get natural lighting (and heating - from the minimal heat the sun gives off in the winter) when it's sunny outside - keep the dark and dingy to the bar.

This brings me to the bar. only one other had even mentioned the bar, which isn't too surprising considering most people here aren't of age. A good bar for some apres-ski beers is absolutely key in my mind. Make it roomy, friendly, lots of bar space (but only one bar counter - this isn't a club, we don't need multiple spots to buy our beer, just one awesome bar with stools for sitting up at the bar. In all reality though, the most important part of your bar - and your whole lodge is flow. look for spots that will become bottlenecks on a busy day.

If your lodge has flow (many doors in and out of any room at any time) bathrooms on every floor, ample locker space for the pass holders, and good sun orientation, without a crowded cafeteria, it will be a good lodge.

Having a seperate are for this would be great. Have a block of microwaves, and a source of hot water. Also have a larger prepared foods section in the caf with lots of sandwiches and pizza pretzels and that sort of thing for the people who don't feel like waiting in line for 10 minutes to get some greasy pizza.