The new K-1 Lodge at Killington Resort in Vermont has been through a long construction process. The lodge was announced in 2019 and was originally scheduled to open during the 2020-21 season, but Covid-19 and supply chain issues delayed its opening to Thanksgiving Weekend of this year. It did open during Thanksgiving Weekend, but numerous parts of the lodge have yet to be completed.
I picked the perfect time for my first impressions of the new lodge, as I went in during extra time of the World Cup final. Listening to the game on the ride up, I hustled to get up to their new bar to see the second half of extra time and penalties. The bar, which is on the top floor, was packed for the final minutes of the match. The top level is spacious, with tons of tables and seating spaces outside of the main bar. Another highlight is the 180-degree glass-window views around the mountain, where you can see Superstar, Upper/Lower Ovation, and the K-1 Gondola.
Seeing the final minutes of extra time plus penalties was a cool experience, as most of the crowd was rooting for Argentina. When Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty, the place went crazy. This experience makes me believe that the K-1 Lodge is well on its way to becoming a great après experience, and a phenomenal place to watch sports.
Most of the main level has been completed as well, with the food court and coffee area currently open to the public. Both eateries have many great options.
Many parts of the lodge have still yet to be completed though. On the main level, the area around a fireplace is unfinished. This area still looks to be a couple of weeks out from completion.
The escalator, which will be the first in Rutland County, has also yet to be finished. Its completion looks imminent though.
My overall impressions of the lodge are that it’s pretty damn nice and may be better than the Peak Lodge. The food options look more plentiful than the old lodge, and it’s more spacious (58,000 square feet compared to 37,000 square feet of the old K-1 Lodge).
It’s tough to give a full opinion on the lodge yet, as a large portion of it has yet to be finished. I look forward to seeing the rest of the lodge in the coming months.
Image Credits: Killington Resort, Ian Wood of Unofficial Networks
