Stan Castleton

by John Blodgett

There’s a fireplace mantel in the model guest room that’s been rebuilt 30 times over the course of a year, each time with a new style of stone. It’s still not just right.

There’s a mirror in the bathroom — custom-made so the TV behind it is visible when on, invisible when off — that’s been changed three times. It’s part of a vanity that’s taken at least 100 hours to design.

The kitchen is built like a ship’s galley — compact, efficient, elegant. The oven has a flip-out control panel; the microwave slides in and out of a cabinet at the touch of a button.

It’s the kind of attention to detail required by Utah’s first five-star resort, the $250 million St. Regis Resort & Residences, Deer Crest, near Deer Valley.

The man paying all that attention is Stan Castleton.

“I’ve sort of been cursed with a love for the hospitality business,” says Castleton, who is thankful for the influence of his contractor dad. “You learn over the years that attention to detail is part of the way to be successful.”

He named his company for his children — David, Debbie, Rachel, Mary — but the initials also stand for Design, Development, Research and Management of luxury resorts.

Castleton is low-key for a man who oversees a development portfolio worth more than $2 billion. He wears corduroys and a blazer, his is voice quiet and his demeanor modest — unsurprising for a boy from Centerville whose father attained wisdom through hard work. The younger Castleton himself works upward of 80 hours and six days a week.

Castleton became involved with the St. Regis in 2004, after three previous developers failed to get the project off the ground. He says the upfront work is the toughest. “You can’t be changing your mind during construction,” he says.

Outside is the North American ski industry’s only funicular — sort of a ground-based gondola. Skiers will have a “ski beach” with multilevel pools and the requisite hot tub. Inside will be Utah’s largest spa and
a giant bronze fireplace.

“The service level here will be ridiculous, over the top,” says Castleton.