I
n Utah’s remote northeast corner, Powder Haven has quietly become a standout in luxury ski real estate. In 2023, Netflix co‑founder Reed Hastings bought the resort and is steering a makeover that promises to change how people live and ski in the mountains.
The first phase—39 ready‑to‑build lots—sold out in record time, many before roads were paved. Hastings told *Robb Report* that the demand was “tremendous” and the lots were snapped up in three to four months based on flagged corners and renderings.
Powder Haven is a private ski community of 650 families spread across 12,000 acres in the Wasatch Range. Developers offer everything from multi‑acre custom sites to turnkey chalets by firms such as CLB, Lloyd Architects, and Walker Warner. The next release will add 34 custom lots, mostly 2–5 acres, priced around $4 million on average. Eight developer‑built chalets, 3,500–5,200 sq ft, will debut this fall with construction starting next spring. Larger 6,500‑sq‑ft homes will arrive in 2026. All are ski‑in, ski‑out, featuring panoramic decks and contemporary alpine design that echoes the surrounding peaks.
Hastings’ connection to the mountain is personal. After two decades of skiing from a downtown Park City house, he and his family built a home at Powder in 2021. “Park City was getting crowded, Vail was pulling in passes, and then we found Powder Mountain—uncrowded, unique geography,” he recalls. He bought a lot immediately and built a house.
After retiring from Netflix two and a half years ago, Hastings increased his skiing from 10 days a year to 60. He saw the mountain struggling; existing owners asked if he would take over. Lacking the capital to execute a bold vision, he stepped in. “If not me, then who?” he said.
Unlike the Yellowstone Club or Wasatch Peaks Ranch, Powder Haven focuses on preserving the soul of Rocky Mountain skiing while offering exclusivity. Brandi Hammon, chief revenue officer, notes that membership is capped at 650 families to keep the mountain intimate. Private skiing remains a niche, but the community balances private and public access: members enjoy 2,700 acres of private terrain, while 5,300 acres of Powder Mountain remain open to the public, managed to avoid overcrowding.
Hastings describes the model as a membership program. “Powder is more expensive than Netflix, but the focus on membership—whether a season pass on the public side or full membership on the private side—creates a positive growth spiral,” he says. The same lesson that fueled Netflix’s success is being applied here.
A new 73,000‑sq‑ft members’ clubhouse, the Arclodge, broke ground this summer. Designed by Hart Howerton with interiors by Champalimaud, it will house dining, a spa, fitness, bowling, and climbing walls. The community currently operates three private lifts, with a fourth opening this winter.
For Hastings, Powder Haven is a legacy project, not just a development play. “Professional developers will tell you, ‘Don’t live in the community. Look at it as a money‑making proposition,’” he says. “I’m a passion developer, so I live in the community. It’s a big part of my legacy.”
Beyond infrastructure, Hastings is investing in large‑scale land art installations across the mountain, likening the vision to “Storm King on a ski resort.” His wife grew up near the Hudson Valley sculpture park, and he imagines a similar experience on a ski area—spectacular, accessible, and a gift to the public.
As real estate sales and lift upgrades accelerate, Powder Haven is emerging as both a lucrative investment and a fresh blueprint for luxury ski living—where exclusivity, authenticity, wealth, and joy share the same slope. “Even after retiring, I said, ‘Okay, I’ll be CEO of this.’ It’s been so much fun. It’s just a joy,” Hastings concludes.
