Beaver Creek offers new club for teens and tweens to hangout

Hey parents, looking to occupy your teen or tween with some fun activities after the slopes close? I know, I know, your kids are giving you the “eye roll” while you try to suggest anything remotely fun, but Beaver Creek has a brand new offering this season called Hawk’s Nest Cabin, and it’s definitely not your typical resort kids club.

Beaver Creek took the time to conduct a review of teen clubs and spaces primarily outside of the ski resort industry to see what characteristics and features seemed to be successful.

“Beaver Creek has always been a family resort, and the way families want to experience a vacation has evolved over time, perhaps most significantly for digital natives like teenagers and older kids,” said Clint Huber, director of economic development for Beaver Creek Resort Company. “Hawk’s Nest Cabin is a modern mountain lounge theme with many custom, high-tech elements that make the experience uniquely Beaver Creek. Ultimately, there is no space like Hawk’s Nest Cabin anywhere else.”

Hawk’s Nest Cabin is conveniently located in Beaver Creek Village near the ice rink, above Hooked restaurant. You can’t miss it at night when the dance floor lights up the big windows overlooking the plaza.

“The two-story glass room overlooking the plaza just seemed like an amazing place to have a dance floor with very visible and exciting lighting elements,” Huber said. The interactive dance floor and chandelier were custom designed for Beaver Creek. “Fun fact, the custom chandelier has over 5,300 individually controlled LED pixel lights to light up the dance floor and Beaver Creek Village,” Huber said.

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Beaver Creek held focus groups with teens and older kids during the development process that influenced some of the elements. Music, interactive features and unique lounge seating were all appealing. In addition to the dance floor, Hawk’s Nest Cabin has table and arcade games, an interactive light wall, music and a ski simulator.

“We partnered with a company that builds ski simulators to develop an experience that uses a balance board style platform and replicates the actual experience of the Beaver Creek slalom racecourse,” Huber said. “There are so many exciting custom-made experiences in Hawk’s Nest Cabin that don’t exist anywhere else in the world.”

Hawks’ Nest Cabin made its debut this season and so far the kids are loving it. Laura Dziadosz, director of activities for Beaver Creek Resort Company said the ski simulator and dance floor have been popular but she also emphasizes that the Hawk’s Nest Cabin employees help make it a great night for the kids, too.

“The staff plays a huge part in the experience and they bring their talents to the space in different ways,” Dziadosz said. “They will often engage in a game of chess or Jenga, teach dance moves, challenge visitors to a foosball game, or point out the established rankings on the ski simulator leaderboard for others to chase.”

Hawk’s Nest Cabin has already hosted events like a pizza night on Valentine’s Day and a root beer tasting complete with ice cream over Presidents Day Weekend. There is also a list of craft mocktails the kids can try. This spring, look for bingo nights, popcorn, pencil sketching, origami, DJs and more.

Hawk’s Nest Cabin is open daily from 2 to 9 p.m. for those who are 10 to 18 years of age with exclusive hours for those 14 to 18.

• 2 to 4 p.m. – Ages 10 to 18 – Free
• 4 to 5 p.m. – Ages 10 to 18 – $10
• 5 to 9 p.m. – Ages 14 to 18 – $10.

Please note: Kids ages 10 to 13 must be accompanied by an adult.

“We wanted to offer it to the 10 to 18-year-olds for a few hours and then transition to older kids and teens only for a few hours into the evening,” Dziadosz said. “We felt that the teens would like a space away from the younger age group, as well as parents, so we chose to offer the hours from 6 to 9 p.m. exclusively to that age group.”

“We think it’s important to have exclusive hours for teenagers, where they aren’t sharing the space with other kids or parents. Especially on family vacations, teens appreciate the space and independence they can get at Hawk’s Nest Cabin,” Huber said.

There’s been a lot of feedback received from parents so far expressing gratitude for a space for this age group to socialize with others of the same age.

“We have seen many repeat teens and families that enjoy the space and the staff. They want to come back in and try to beat their score on the ski simulator or arcade game, or just want to hang out after being on the slopes all day,” Dziadosz said.

To learn more about daily operations or inquire about hosting a private party, go to BeaverCreekResortCompany.com/Hawks-Nest-Cabin/.