‘Full steam ahead’ as Mount Charleston Lodge construction begins

Construction has started on a new Mount Charleston Lodge after the original burned down more than four years ago.

Ellis Island officials, who own the lodge along with the Village Pub chain, confirmed on Monday, they are going “full steam ahead as weather allows.”

“We’ve started construction on the Mount Charleston Lodge,” said Christina Ellis, vice president of development. “We’re excited to share more details as the County approves our final plans.”

This comes after development was seemingly stalled, with the Review-Journal reporting no signs of construction in July, despite expectations to break ground last year.

The historic property burned down in September 2021 after an accidental fire. The lodge’s neighboring 23 cabins were unaffected by the fire and remain open.

Renderings for the redevelopment were released in March 2024 with architecture firm Steelman Partners, whose work can be seen in Las Vegas at Resorts World and Circa, leading the redesign.

Design plans and renderings call for almost 11,000 square feet of lodge space and a parking garage with about 190 spaces that builds into the natural grade of the mountainside property. Inside the restaurant, guests can expect the same iconic A-frame with fireplaces, wood and stone design and big windows that put the mountain’s beauty at the center.

These design plans were approved by Clark County in December 2023.

“The design of the building was a labor of love. We love the area,” CEO Paul Steelman told the Review-Journal when the renderings were released. “We love the nature of it, and we certainly didn’t want to put anything that was Las Vegas-styled into it.”

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.