Sunrise Ski Resort - Hope

**Parking:** There should have been someone directing traffic in the parking lot, as there were many wasted spaces. The parking lot filled up quickly after opening, but they could have accommodated more cars if everyone had parked more efficiently. **Ticketing:** On the Cyclone side, there was only one kiosk for tickets, which I was directed to instead of the main side. Thankfully, I arrived early, so the wait wasn’t too long, but later in the day, the line was extremely long. **Rental:** I waited in line for about an hour only to find out that all the snowboards were out of stock. I was aware that I could have reserved one in advance, but there was no option to pay for just the board (I already had snowboard boots). You likely won't face this problem if you book online ahead of time. I would also recommend renting your skis or board before you reach the mountain, as there are a few rental options in Showlow/Pinetop. **Cafe:** While I was getting my rental, my boyfriend was waiting at the cafe. Even after an hour or more after opening, they weren’t ready with the register. They had no Wi-Fi and couldn’t process orders at first, but this was resolved later on. **Shuttle:** I believe the shuttle service between the two areas should be larger. It’s too small to comfortably accommodate passengers with their skis or snowboards. Overall, it felt as if it was their first year operating the resort, even though that isn’t the case. The staff were friendly, and it seemed like they were doing their best, but there is definitely room for improvement. If they continue to work on these issues, I’m sure this place will become fantastic! It’s a beautiful location with a good variety of runs.

On the downside, the lines to get your RFID pass for the first time were quite long. I hope that in the future, when you purchase your pass online, it's automatically loaded onto your card to save time. The only place for hot food is at the main lodge at the bottom near the rental area. The food options were acceptable but typical bar fare—think pizza, cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, and grilled cheese sandwiches. However, the wait was so excessive that I plan to bring my own lunch next time. A mini cooler left in your car would be a great idea. As for lockers, the small ones were around $8 and the larger ones about $12. The $12 locker was just big enough for my boot bag and shoes, but not much more. The runs were icy, which is to be expected in Arizona. It was so warm that I had to strip down to just my ski jacket and pants at 38 degrees. If you decide to go, I suggest arriving by 8:30 AM for better parking and aiming to visit during the week if possible. It was really crowded this past Saturday, likely due to the holiday weekend, and I spent quite a bit of time waiting in lift lines.

Sunrise consistently demonstrates that it operates in one of the worst-managed resorts in the country. The staff seems indifferent to customer service, leading to a disappointing experience. The service is lacking, the roads are inadequately maintained, and the ticketing process is frustrating. It's really unfortunate, as there is genuine potential for improvement. However, it feels like the tribe's management is hindering progress.

I feel like I need to write this review and give them a solid 4 stars as a lot of people on here really trashing the resort. I've been skiing for over 15 years, and this is a pretty solid ski resort. It's not going to be like Park City or Telluride or elsewhere, but honestly, where in AZ are you gonna find skiing that's a couple of hours drive from the Valley? Also, their daily lift prices are very reasonable if you don't want to be locked into all these seasonal passes. I found them to be a really good deal! Now, if you fly in, then yea, maybe you might be disappointed. It's still fairly early in the ski season, so only 3 lifts were open, and 8 14 trails open when I came here. But, during the week between Xmas and New Years, they have night ski, and that's mainly why I came, so I could finally experience this, and it was such an awesome experience. The lift price is so reasonable and from 4 8pm, there are fewer people and you have the mountain to yourself. The runs are very well lit, so it is not even necessary to carry your own light. Things that will make your experience so much better: I bought my night pass and next day pass all together and avoided the line for the next day. I did see the line to get lift tickets was very long from 9am until 2 3pm. I think that's why there are so many bad reviews here because those lines were pretty ridiculous. This place was insanely crowded on Dec 29th (Fri) when I came and there were long lines for food. I beat the line and got a beer at 11am as I had already been skiing for two hours and needed a break. Also, bring your own snacks if you can. At 11am on Fri and a holiday week, they were out of fries. I was thinking, this is going to be a crisis! I had snacks packed, so when I finished my beer (you can't bring in any outside food or drinks to the saloon pub), I went out onto the sunny patio and ate my snacks. Get here early, by 9am, the lot was close to full. Get your lift tickets early and then just get right in line for the lifts. The later the day gets, the more people. After 12:30pm, the lines were pretty long! I recommend coming on a weekday or when night ski is available, way less people! Some things they could improve on: The parking lot is one sloshy, muddy disaster. Wish they could either plow it or do something so the lot isn't so messy when the snow starts to melt. Also, there are quite a few potholes in the lot and the road coming into the resort could use some work, there was an icy stretch, and they could really salt that or just blow it. They could do a bit better job at training their staff as each time I asked lift attendants about trails and lifts, they couldn't answer my questions. Overall, I had a great experience and got to ski for 1.5 days and enjoyed it! I'll be back again to ski and will plan when less people are here.

An amazing park that is operated so well. The snow is gorgeous, all around of the facilities are clean and organized, and all of the activities and concessions are affordable. We had three wonderful days of tubing, skiing, and snowshoeing. The lifts are awesome, and the runs are well groomed. So much fun!!!