The Cliff’s double sliding door entrance performed well, except for one serious issue: the 9-storey building’s atrium lobby and escalators created a chimney effect, causing a ferocious wind tunnel throughout the winter months. “It was like standing in a windstorm,” recalled Jerry Giles, Director of Village Operations. “With outside temperatures as low as 20 degrees below zero, the atrium was really, really cold.” And given the resort’s popularity, particularly during ski season, those doors were often open, and the entrance vestibule and lobby space’s comfort level was dramatically affected.

“We’re in a competitive market, and we have to do what is needed to ensure our guests are happy, or they may go elsewhere—improving our customer’s experience and comfort was a top priority for us,” said Giles. Along with interior design firm Beecher Walker, Giles looked at his options. “A revolving door was not new to me, but previously it was somewhat cost-prohibitive.”

Snowbird made the commitment to spend 10 million dollars to remodel the vestibule entrance area and the guest rooms of the resort. A new revolving door was at the centre of their plans. The automatic, two-wing door is 16 feet in diameter with two generous compartments that allow guests to easily move through with luggage, carts and ski or golf equipment. “Our new rotating door has solved at least 80% of the air flow issue and we can keep the space much more comfortable—it’s very different from before,” said Giles.

“The revolving door makes a better presentation,” Giles continued, “and now what formerly was a cold atrium area has now become active space for our guests to enjoy in comfort. In fact, the new Boon Edam revolving door uses less interior space than the old double door vestibule. Snowbird opened up the existing space, removed a luggage storage room and moved the valet desk to where the old double door vestibule had been. “People now enjoy meeting and relaxing in the atrium, and with the open design, new lighting and furniture, we have a much more vibrant presentation for our guests. It’s 10 times better than what we had previously.”

Giles reports that, in addition to enhancing guest comfort and opening up formerly dead space, the resort is definitely experiencing energy savings from the revolving door. “We couldn’t keep the vestibule or the atrium lobby warm no matter how much heat we pumped in, I mean we even had interior plants freeze with the old sliding doors! By simply changing the type of door, we’ve solved a number of challenges and we’ve definitely enhanced our guest’s Snowbird experience.”