Locals are still getting used to the name “Trailborn.” Say it to someone like your Teton Science Schools’ wildlife guide, and there will be a blank stare moment followed by, “Oh, you mean Snow King Resort?”
The landmark hotel at the base of Jackson’s “Town Hill” — which was renamed "Snow King" in 1938 — has been Snow King Resort for a little more than 50 years, and it was once a scrapbook of community life.
It was where local high school sports banquets took place, where state association conferences parked their trucks, and where generations of skiers clomped through the lobby in wet boots.
A new name is going to take some time to sink in.
The renaming isn’t just about some new letters on the side with a fresh coat of paint. Snow King Mountain Resort has become part of the young-but-fast-growing Trailborn brand, which is one of the founding members of Marriott Bonvoy’s new outdoor adventure lineup.
Trailborn Jackson Hole has styled itself — rather loftily — as the “Official Hotel of the Great Outdoors.”
To live up to all that, Snow King needed new amenities to elevate its slope-side stay. That comes with a higher price tag for the rooms, which will run around $600 a night during peak seasons.
Trailborn is a fast-growing brand, just 3 years old. Its Jackson Hole property is one of the newest in its family of eight adventure hotels, which are all strategically placed near popular ski resorts, beach towns, and wine country.
Jackson Hole is crowded with luxury stays and historic dude ranches — each claiming to be more one-of-a-kind than the last.
That meant Snow King Resort had to be completely “reimagined,” Caralyn Ross, Trailborn’s director of sales and marketing, told Cowboy State Daily.
“Why I like to use the word ‘reimagine’ is because all of the four walls that you’re operating within — the aged cedar beams and the raw wood fireplace, which was historically built in the 1970s — those pieces we didn’t want to touch,” she said. “That’s a big part of this transition is that we kind of kept, as a through line, the history of Jackson.”
The hotel also added a number of vintage photos and Indigenous art pieces.
“We worked closely during our transition with the History Museum in Jackson,” Ross said. “To make sure we brought in pieces that represented who Jackson was, what Jackson is now, all of that.”
What’s New At Trailborn
The hotel’s footprint has not grown. It’s still the same size. However, its historical features are now woven into redesigned spaces.
The multi-story fireplace, for example, has become the centerpiece of a 1970s-style “conversation pit,” creating a space where the hotel hopes guests will gather and connect. A cafe has been added to that area, serving coffee and grab-and-go pastries by day and cocktails by night.
The cafe opens directly on the pool, so parents and grandparents don’t need to leave to order food — a major convenience for those with young children in tow.
Every day at 4 p.m., free cocktails, mocktails, and snacks are also offered to guests in the gathering space for the “aprés” hour. Once a week there’s also some flashy Jackson Hole activity on tap, like meeting a live eagle or hawk. Some of those activities are open to the general public.
“We do some survival lessons for the kiddos, like tying knots and things like that,” Ross said. “And then in the snow season, we’re thinking of doing mini ‘Avy’ classes so people can learn about the snowpack and all of that.”
“Avy” is short for “avalanche.”
Another new amenity is the Alley Oop, a retro gaming space that features daily duckpin bowling at specified hours. The space is open anytime for shuffleboard and Skee-Ball, as well as chess and checkers.
There’s also a sports lounge with a wide-screen television and comfy lounge seating. Books are scattered about, vintage video games are available, and a photo booth stands ready to capture the occasion.
Pool Access For Locals
One amenity that hasn’t changed much is the day-pass program for the pool area, which features a hot tub and a larger swimming pool. Every so often, that area is open to the community for a free happy-hour pool party.
“We have two new cabanas back in that space,” Ross said. “And we did go through and resurface, update it. All of the furniture is new, and the fire pits are also new.”
A wellness spa is also attached to the hotel, though it has been rebranded as the Ember Lily Spa instead of its old name, Grand View Spa.
A new “Recovery Room” was added, offering targeted treatments to refresh aching muscles. However, many of the old amenities remain, including Jackson’s first halotherapy salt room, where salt ions are pumped into the air to promote respiratory health and well-being.
“It’s above my pay grade,” Ross said with a chuckle. “But, like, those ions have vibrations and things that affect your body. I don’t know all that goes into it, but it’s a very cool concept.”
The 203 guest rooms, meanwhile, kept their original brick walls, but the bland neutral tones are gone. The brick has been painted a deep forest green instead of white, complemented by new carpet, linens, beds, furniture and lighting.
Guests also sleep with a piece of the retail experience right in their rooms — a well-stocked minibar with snacks and drinks provides temptation, along with custom, Trailborn-branded robes and vintage books available for purchase.
Locals: The Food Is Better
Perhaps the biggest change locals have noticed is the restaurant, which remains open to the public. For years, the in-house dining was known as Hayden’s Post — and most locals didn’t think much of it.
About the most polite comment shared with Cowboy State Daily about the old restaurant was, “Yeah, there were lots of places that were better to eat.”
The new restaurant occupies roughly the same footprint, but has been renamed Old Timer. Its new concept is an “aprés” forward menu with varying price points, so guests can find something that suits both taste and pocketbook.
“Locals are finding us again,” said Amy Higgins, general manager of Old Timer. “We have music Wednesday through Saturday, which brings a lot of folks in.”
Bar seating was frequently full at the restaurant while Cowboy State Daily was on site. Locals using the swimming pool said the food is “way better” than it used to be.
Higgins was proud to hear the community feedback.
“I think it’s the consistency, right?” she said. “So not only are we rolling out programs such as the bacon Old Fashioned and other classic cocktails, which I think the local community is really getting behind, but it’s the consistency of both that’s really standing out.”
Her chosen aesthetic has been “vintage alpine,” featuring interactive menu items, such as the alpine fondue and the chocolate fondue.
“It gives a cute, kitschy vibe to the table,” Higgins said. “It’s also a great activity for everybody.”
But there are also entirely practical items, including a go-to smash burger, a chicken club sandwich and parmesan fries.
Locals, she added, sustain the hotel through the shoulder seasons. She and others are thinking about more ways to cater to them.
“We’re not going to be closing this winter,” she added. “And we really want to make sure we’re mending those fences with the locals, so we can take care of them and they can take care of us.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
