December 14^th, 2021

Les Otten lines up new financing for his Balsams resort reboot

December 14^th, 2021

December 14, 2021

“Les Otten has spent nearly $19 million and the better part of seven years working to reopen the tumble-down Balsams resort in Dixville Notch, N.H. It’s been a difficult, if not quixotic, quest, even for a man who built a skiing empire earlier in his career.

When my Globe colleague Janelle Nanos checked in with Otten in 2016, he was expecting the Balsams to be back in business the following year. But the obstacles were many, including financing setbacks, a painstaking environmental review, and, more recently, the pandemic.

Now, just as it looked like another lonely winter in North Country, Otten has struck a funding deal that might allow him to start construction on a new hotel and conference center as soon as March. Under that scenario, the resort could welcome skiers for the 2023-2024 season and summer guests in 2024.”