Montage Mountain hotel project progressing
Aug. 30—Plans for a slopeside hotel on Montage Mountain continue to move forward as Philadelphia-based DAS Architects, the firm hired to design a model for the property, released more detailed renderings.
Charles Jefferson, part owner of Montage Mountain Resorts, hopes to break ground on the nine-floor, 150-room Montage Mountain Hotel & Conference Center in May with the goal of opening the facility by December 2024.
"Our efforts, internally, are going to be focused on marketing over the next two years to ensure we hit the ground running with full occupancy and events booked for the first two to three years and beyond," Jefferson said.
The facility will feature a combination of natural and locally sourced materials such as wood and stone along with walls of glass.
"We want it to be a welcoming place, but we also want it to be a very unique and different place," Jefferson said. "We're not trying to create something that exists somewhere else and bring it to Scranton, we're trying to create something unique to Scranton and Northeast Pennsylvania."
Among the amenities, the approximately 10,000-square-foot conference and event center will feature outdoor terraces with fire pits.
The hotel will also feature a rooftop bar and lounge, lobby bar and restaurant, pool, hot tubs, and a full-service spa, Jefferson said.
Jefferson previously estimated the construction will cost around $45 million.
The hotel will be positioned midway on the mountain where skiers can easily ski in and out to access beginner and intermediate terrain as well as the more difficult slopes of the Northface complex.
Jefferson believes the hotel will fill a void for weddings and other special events following the closing of Genetti Manor in Dickson City.
"I couldn't be more excited over what this hotel represents for Northeast Pennsylvania," he said. "We're pretty much handcuffed from events in the wintertime because we're using 100% of our facilities. This will open up the entire winter for us."
Bruce Reddock, director of economic development for the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, feels the hotel will provide a boost to the region.
"Anytime you have an opportunity to attract folks to one of your great amenities for an extended period of time, and not just a single-day trip, it allows our community to showcase all our other amenities and the ability to bolster the local economy through their spending at local restaurants and shops," he said.
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