| There
is certainly no dearth of slopeside luxury and service
around the globe. We even discovered a swanky ski property
in Lebanon (the IC Mountain Resort & Spa Mzaar),
but it didn’t make the cut because just getting
there is more dangerous than navigating a black diamond
run. Instead, we’re simply giving you—as
we always do—our favorites, chosen for their locations
and style. Among them you’re sure to find a mountain
retreat that’s just right for you.
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UNITED
STATES
New Hampshire
Mount
Washington Hotel
www.mtwashington.com
Most
mountain resorts embrace a casual, laid-back, slope-friendly
lifestyle. But it’s an old-fashioned formality
that gives this property its charm—colonial-style
décor in the bedrooms, and jackets required in
the Dining Room, where an orchestra serenades diners.
After two years of construction by 250 master craftsmen,
this hotel opened in 1902, and today it’s a National
Historic Landmark. It’s a part of The Mount Washington
Resort at Bretton Woods, and right outside the door
are hundreds of acres of ski terrain. You’ll find
101 trails and glades (including plenty of black diamond
glades), White Mountain National Park for cross-country
skiing, high-speed quad lifts and a gorgeous landscape
for night skiing.
Utah
Stein Eriksen Lodge
www.steinlodge.com
When
seeking the ideal ski retreat, a lodge founded by an
Olympic gold medallist seems a good choice. Stein Eriksen
created this place in 1982 to bring full-service luxury
slopeside. With its blond wood and mountain décor,
the property has a Scandinavian feel. But while the
look is rustic, the ambience is anything but. Ski-in/ski-out
access is offered to Deer Valley Resort, and if you
need skis, boots or other snow-friendly accoutrements,
you can pick them up or rent them at the onsite Stein
Eriksen Sport. Glitretind Restaurant pays tribute to
alpine style, and the full-service spa includes treatments
suited to a day on the slopes. For sun-damaged skin,
try the Nordic Princess. And to relieve sore muscles,
go for a Deep Tissue Massage.
Wyoming
Four Seasons Resort Jackson
Hole
www.fourseasons.com/jacksonhole/vacations/index.html
Whatever
lodging endeavor the Four Seasons undertakes, it can
be counted on to do it well. Its first ski resort is
no exception. This property is suitably mountainish
for its Jackson Hole setting, but it also manages to
blend Western chic and Native American accents with
a tasteful Arts & Crafts feel. Of note, the unity
of graceful Mission-style light fixtures and a rugged
stone fireplace in the Westbank Grill. Like most resorts
on our list, this one has ski-in/ski-out access. There’s
also a dedicated ski concierge, private ski instruction
and racing programs. You can even try heli-skiing. The
spa is inspired by the quiet of the surrounding wilderness,
and among its yummy treatments are Après Massage
and the Willow Wisp Body Wrap, using a willow bark herbal
infusion to soothe aches and pains.
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AUSTRIA
Lech am Arlberg
Gasthof
Post
www.postlech.com
If
you’re a jet-setter looking for a high profile
getaway, this place isn’t for you. It’s
all about serious skiing, serious eating and peace and
quiet. This family-run (since 1937) chalet-style lodging
offers the kind of charms you’d expect from a
homegrown mountain retreat. A former post house, it
is cozy and sweet, with its antique furniture, hand-painted
woodwork and tile stoves. Each of the 37 rooms is unique,
and décor ranges from rustic lodge to quaint
alpine country. Adorned with antlers and gun racks,
public areas evoke a hunting lodge. There’s a
good restaurant serving Austrian cuisine accompanied
by an excellent wine list. Lech was founded in the 14th
century (the original church is still standing), and
its great skiing starts right outside the hotel’s
front door.
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CANADA
Quebec
Fairmont Tremblant
www.fairmont.com/tremblant/
Across
Canada, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts seem to have cornered
the market on luxe ski lodgings. They operate high profile
properties in places such as Whistler and Banff, and
then they have a few sleepers, like this best kept secret
in charming Tremblant Village at the foot of Mont-Tremblant
in the Laurentian mountains. This contemporary château
was designed to harmonize architecturally with the village
it inhabits, and its interior lodge style is homey and
subtle. On the slopes, skiers will find almost 100 runs
over 600 acres. There’s also a high-speed chairlift
at the hotel doorstep, as well as a complimentary ski
valet for hotel guests.
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CHILE
Portillo
Hotel Portillo
Hot
summer months north of the border mean it’s time
to head for the slopes down south. In the Andes on the
shores of Lake Inca, Portillo Resort attracts quite
the range, from Fidel Castro to the U.S. and Austrian
ski teams. It got its official start in the late 1940s,
pulled in Stein Eriksen to run its ski school in the
1950s, and hosted the Alpine World Championships in
1966—needless to say, it has an impressive pedigree.
As for the hotel, it’s hard to separate it from
the resort, even though there are a few other lodgings
in the area. It’s quite a sight, a bright yellow
arc beaming in the snow. The rooms are fairly simple,
but there’s a nice Old School feel, and a great
fostering of camaraderie, since most people skiing in
the area stay here.
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FRANCE
Courchevel 1850
Byblos Courchevel
www.byblos.com
Considering
that the resort of Courchevel was essentially created
to draw an elite ski crowd, and that this hotel was
designed by the people behind the Byblos in Saint-Tropez,
the jaunty style here shouldn’t come as a surprise.
There is a modish playfulness that has the Rat Pack
written all over it. Yet at the same time the hotel
manages a warm chalet feel, which can be credited in
large part to the way it uses wood, from carved woodwork
to impressive pillars. The hotel resides in Courchevel
1850 (named for its altitude), one of the villages that
make up the Courchevel resort in the French Alps. A
ski lift and cable car can be caught right at the lobby,
and there is a dedicated concierge to arrange passes
and lessons.
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ITALY
Cortina d’Ampezzo
Cristallo
www.cristallo.it
Technically,
the Cristallo isn’t a dedicated ski resort. But
it is a fabulous historic hotel in one of Italy’s
most popular ski destinations. Tucked into the Dolomites,
Cortina was home to the 1956 Winter Olympics. It has
eight ski areas with miles of slopes and dozens of cables
cars—we recommend taking the Freccia nel Cielo
(Arrow to the Sky) for the spectacular views. The Cristallo
has a palatial feel, and its bedrooms are particularly
beautiful, with hand-painted boiserie and frescoes and
ceilings that feel like works of art. This is also a
great après ski sanctuary, featuring the Monkey
Club (a jet-setting hotspot in the 1960s and ‘70s),
the glassed-in La Veranda with mountain views and a
wellness center with sauna, Turkish bath and hydro-massage.
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NEW
ZEALAND
Queenstown
Remarkables Lodge
www.remarkables.co.nz
A
former farm homestead that dates back to the 1860s,
this Southern Hemisphere getaway features a contemporary,
streamlined style that would make Frank Lloyd Wright
proud. Hospitality is warm, casual and distinctly Kiwi
(this is the sort of place where you while away the
time playing billiards and sipping local wines), and
the setting is great. The lodge sits in the foothills
of the Remarkables mountain range and is within easy
driving distance of Cardrona, Treble Cone and Coronet
Peak. The latter features night skiing on weekends—hit
floodlit slopes under the stars with beautiful views
of Queenstown. If you need equipment, you can be fitted
right at the lodge. And you can enjoy heli-skiing from
the lodge’s own helipad.
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SWEDEN
Åre
Hotel Diplomat Åregården
www.diplomathotel.com
Bottom
line: This hotel is downright pretty, with its clean,
countrified Scandinavian style. It opened in 1895 and
is a mainstay in Åre, one of Northern Europe’s
most popular ski resorts. On the slopes you’re
bound to find lots of fun-loving, partying Swedes, but
the hotel itself is classy and subdued, with a wonderfully
quiet ambience. Its Restaurant Bakfickan serves modern
Swedish dishes in Åre’s first bank. And
it is close to the ski lifts. Among Åre’s
many snowy attractions is a World Cup downhill run.
Åre also hosted the Alpine World Championships
in 2007.
(Updated: 10/20/10 NW) |
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