Olympia Hotel Management has announced that it has been selected to operate Sun & Ski Inn and Suites in historic Stowe, Vermont, the state’s premier four-season destination. The 39-room hotel, which features Stowe Bowl and Stowe Golf Park, caters to families and guests with an active lifestyle. Bordering the West Branch Little River, it has an enviable location midway between historic Stowe Village and Stowe Mountain Resort.
The property is co-owned by Mark and Rachel Vandenberg, as well as Michael and Debi Diender, Rachel’s parents. The Dienders have a lengthy history in Stowe. They previously owned Grey Fox Inn and the Dutch Pancake Café and assumed ownership of Sun & Ski Inn and Suites in 1996. The Vandenbergs took over hotel operations from the Dienders in 2012.
“We will continue to be active stewards and ambassadors for the property and for Stowe as the state’s premier four-season tourism destination,” said Rachel Vandenberg. “Since Mark and I took over the operations of Sun & Ski Inn and Suites, we have been committed to remodeling and updating every part of the hotel. Partnering with Olympia Hotel Management is a natural next step for us. It enables us to keep Sun & Ski Inn and Suites a leading accommodation and attractions provider in Stowe. It will allow us to bring new efficiencies, resources, knowledge, and opportunities for our employees while allowing Mark and I to expand on our commitment to the hospitality industry, our community and our family.”
Expansion and improvement have always been part of how the Diender and Vandenberg families have operated the property. The Dienders built Stowe’s first miniature golf course, Stowe Golf Park, as a tasteful and fitting recreational concept for Stowe in 1999. Centrally located on the Mountain Road in front of Sun & Ski Inn and Suites, Stowe Golf Park offers an 18-hole “golf-in-miniature” course in a garden environment.
The Vandenbergs continued that innovation trend with Stowe Bowl, the town’s first modern bowling lounge, in 2016. This is an eight-lane boutique bowling venue with a state-of-the-art audio-visual experience.
Dining options are offered at The Eatery, adjacent to both Stowe Bowl and Stowe Golf Park, and serving comfort food classics. Guests can dine at the lanes, the bar, or the restaurant and lounge. The hotel’s other amenities include a fitness center, a hot tub, and an all-season indoor heated pool, with a retractable roof for the summer. There are courtesy bikes and access to a 5.3-mile-long paved recreation path. The hotel is also a pet-friendly property.
While day-to-day operations will be led by Olympia Hotel Management and a new General Manager will join the team, the Diender and Vandenberg families will remain deeply invested and involved in both the business and the Stowe community at large.
“We’re delighted to have been chosen to operate Sun & Ski Inn and Suites,” said Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hotel Management. “As a New England company with a strong track record in resort management, we’re ready to keep this well-established property moving forward.”
Stowe is arguably the most beautiful resort town in Vermont, overlooked by Mount Mansfield and offering a wide range of recreational opportunities. Sun & Ski Inn and Suites provides proximity to the slopes of Stowe Mountain Resort. A town-wide complimentary ski shuttle picks up in front of the Sun & Ski Inn and Suites during the winter season. Wintertime pursuits in Stowe also include sleigh rides, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, snowshoeing, dog sledding, and ice skating. The property is well located for spectacular foliage tours in the Green Mountains. In the summer, it’s the perfect base for families and pursuits like hiking and mountain biking, as well as visiting the Stowe Farmers Market and attending Gazebo Concerts.
