CANAAN VALLEY, W.Va. — Canaan Valley Resort State Park’s new $24 million lodge is open for business.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday to officially open the new structure that boasts nearly 95,000 square feet of vacationing space in Tucker County.
“It’s been two years in the making and just a tremendous amount of renovations and we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and we’re just very, very excited,” said David Herscher, General Manager at Canaan Valley Resort.
The new lodge has two four-story wings that contain 80 guest rooms each, totaling 160 rooms. The South Wing of the lodge was opened up at the end of August while the North Wing started accommodating guests last weekend.
Before the new lodge, the park’s lodge complex consisted of five 50-room detached modular units accessed by outdoor walkways. Herscher said the resort needed an upgrade.
“The older guest rooms were old and worn and tired and we needed new accommodations here,” he said. “Just the new facilities will bring in whole new clientele and it will also bring back the old clientele that will be able to share in the new facilities.”
The new 160 rooms come equipped with a flat-screen television, wireless Internet access and individual climate control. Some rooms even have fireplaces and balconies. Both wings even include eight two-room suites.
The old modular units are set to be demolished with the completion of the new lodge.
Although the new lodge was the biggest portion of the renovation project at the resort, it was not the only changes made to make the experience at the park better for guests.
Renovations were also made to the ski area’s day lodge. The resort also received a new snow making system, snow tubing park and beginners ski slope.
But Herscher said it’s not the renovations and the new lodge that will make the resort special, but rather it’s the people.
“You can open up a new hotel, new resort anywhere but without the wonderful people that work here and the guests that come through each and every day it’s just a building if it’s just that,” he said.