I spent the 3 days before coming to Alta at Deer Valley. Make no mistake, Deer Valley is great. But so is Alta, especially the Rustler. In contrast to DV (with scripted "my pleasure" at every turn), the staff seem genuinely friendly and helpful. Warning- if you need luxury rooms, these are not. They are, however, perfectly functional with good beds (better than Alta Peruvian), soft linens and clean bathrooms (but no marble- you'll survive or go to DV). The food was excellent and beautifully presented. The meal service provided was great as long as you're not picky about what shoulder your food is served over (DV :) ). Additional amenities were nice and clean, including eucalyptus steam room, sauna and indoor hot tub as well as outdoor. Lift access was easy to either side of the mountain being midway along the rope tow. The mountain will accommodate all levels of skiers, but is home to "the hike to/not sure if this has a name" crowd.

Staying at the Rustler Lodge the past few days was one of our most enjoyable trips ever. The food was wonderful, as was the room, especially the extremely comfortable bed. Particularly outstanding was the staff's eagerness to make our stay as fine as possible. My wife caught a cold that kept her in on our last day. The head of the dining room overheard our conversation and offered, then brought her a thermos of ginger tea that Helen said gave her surprisingly good relief. We give the Rustler hour highest recommendation.