Inside the beautiful mountain lodge where the biggest names in tech and media are staying for the annual 'summer camp for billionaires' and rooms start at $450 a night
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Every July, the biggest names in Silicon Valley and media gather at Sun Valley Lodge in Idaho.
The exclusive conference, often called "summer camp for billionaires," is hosted by investment bank Allen & Co.
The lodge is home to a full-service spa, cozy fireplaces, and stunning mountain views.
Every year in July, investment bank Allen & Co. holds an exclusive conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. It's a time for the top executives of America's media, technology, and sports industries to hobnob and make deals.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Disney CEO Bob Chapek, Apple boss Tim Cook, and Meta chief exec Mark Zuckerberg all made the guest list for this year's event, Variety reports, but all eyes will likely be on Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO who's in the process of buying Twitter.
This year's conference kicks off on July 5, according to Variety.
The annual congregation of wealthy businesspeople has earned itself the name "summer camp for billionaires." It's credited as the birthplace of some major mergers, like Comcast and NBC Universal, and significant deals, like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' purchase of the Washington Post.
But it's also where some of the world's top execs unwind alongside their families and take advantage of the resort's hiking trails, pool, and spa.
Take an inside look at the massive and beautiful venue that plays host to this star-studded event: the famous Sun Valley Lodge.
Sun Valley Resort is a roughly three-hour drive east of Boise, Idaho, but many moguls arrive by private jet.
Private jets park alongside grazing cows at Hailey's Friedman Memorial Airport in Sun Valley, Idaho, ahead of the 2021 Allen & Co. Sun Valley Conference.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
While it was founded primarily as a ski resort in 1936, Sun Valley is open year-round and offers golfing, fishing, swimming, and mountain biking, as well as access to skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating.
A woman and girl spin around on the year-round outdoor ice skating rink at Sun Valley Lodge.
Rick Wilking/Reuters
Booking a night at the lodge doesn't come cheap. For example, a one-night stay on a weekday in July averages $500 per night, while the resort's most expensive accommodation — a modern, deluxe townhome overlooking the golf course — goes for $1,900 a night.
The entrance to Sun Valley Lodge.
Rick Wilking/Reuters
When guests pull up to the main entrance of Sun Valley Lodge, they're greeted by swans swimming in the pond out front.
The entrance to Sun Valley Lodge.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Of course, no resort would be complete without amenities. The resort offers a full-service spa, bowling lanes, an ice skating rink, fitness center, yoga studio, pool, restaurants, lounges, and event space.
A photo posted by Andrew Harper Travel (@harpertravel) on Aug 17, 2015 at 4:11pm PDT
During this year's conference, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman and Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault will walk down those same halls.
Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple, attends the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 11, 2018 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
A photo posted by allisonspeerpr (@allisonspeerpr) on Jul 29, 2015 at 7:46am PDT
One thing's for sure: As much as it might look like they're going to the perfect summer camp, the attendees of the Allen & Co. conference will be doing a lot more than just fishing and singing songs around the campfire.
