Ever considered Alaska for a far-flung vacation? Then we say hit up the town of Girdwood, Alaska located about 45 minutes outside downtown Anchorage and home to the state's biggest ski resort, Alyeska Resort.
The resort has seen numerous changes in ownership over the last few years and the newest owners have recently made a dedicated effort to improve the rooms inside the The Hotel Alyeska, the resort's "base camp" hotel.
Not to fear though, you'll still find stuffed polar bears in the lobby and massive views of Alyeska Ski Resort out of the huge panoramic windows, provided there is sun.
Last summer, we checked up on the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, a massive 19-acre condo-hotel development at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain (near Vail) slated to be completed "Summer 2008."
Well, we swung by the site to check on progress and, um, yeah. About that whole opening-this-summer thing? It's gonna be a stretch.
Okay all you downhill skiers, in 2011 the ever-popular slopes of Vail will welcome a new posh mountain resort from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The luxury hotelier just announced plans to develop the Fairmont Vail, with 128 plush rooms, 73 Fairmont Residences as well as Fairmont Heritage Place, the company's private residence club homes.
Set amidst the destination's three mountain areas, the new resort will treat winter and summertime guests to a handful of restaurants, a signature 10,000-sq.ft. Willow Stream spa, and 9,500-sq.ft. feet of function space, including a 3,000-sq.ft. ballroom for apres-skiing fun.
Vail is going to be getting a slew of luxury condo-resorts like The Ritz Carlton Residences, the Solaris Solaris and a Four Seasons Hotel by 2009. The Fairmont brand is already located at other famous ski resorts like Banff Springs, Whistler, Lake Louise, and nearby Telluride.
Despite the deluge of luxury digs, eco-minded skiers will be somewhat comforted to know that the entire Vail Mountain destination is 100% powered by the wind.
We always get excited about hotel opening rates as it's usually means way cheaper rates than what you can expect from an "established" hotel.
And while we are excited that the brand-new Westin in Avon/Beaver Creek, Colo. has opened up the reservations line, the actual opening is still a loooong time away.
The Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa will open in August 2008 but the place has just started taking reservations. Rooms are starting at $119 a night in the summer and $250 a night for early ski season.
Actually, that's something that we would recommend booking now--your ski trip because rooms at ski resorts either sell out fast or hotels charge outrageous prices during peak season.
Some of our editors have sort-of stopped thinking about skiing and are praying for spring to start for realz. But there's plenty of snow to still be had, including in Europe. The Nevai, with its vaguely snow-referencing name, would be our pick as totally pretentious enough for swanky Verbier in the Swiss Alps.
From the owner's of the King's Parc Hotel, Nevai opened its 33 rooms and 2 suites in late December 2007. Obviously, a restaurant, bar and spa are all on-site. The most basic room starts at $265 a night during the week; there's a three-night minimum over weekends, when rates start at $409. Compared to Richard Branson's Lodge at Verbier this is a deal.
Just a reminder that if you're gonna do off-piste skiing in the spring: You better know what you're doing. Enjoying your chic digs is hard when you're the one who triggered an avalanche.
Celebs often rely on their name and reputation to get away with a third-rate film or a tuneless song.
But can they do the same with hotels?
Richard Branson's latest venture, opened in December 2007 after a $7,256,000 renovation, is the super-luxury ski chalet The Lodge in the elite resort of Verbier, Switzerland. You won't find many guests blogging their experiences, though, because with next year's prices set at anything between $83,000 and $140,000 a week for the nine-room chalet, guests aren't really in the blogging market.
So let's see what you get for your money....and see whether you think it's worth it.
Well, the writers' strike may be over, but it'll still be at least a few weeks before your favorite shows come back. Kill that time and get one last gasp of exercise with the "Skier's Escape" package from The Lodge at Vail.
The deal includes three nights accommodations, two three-day lift tickets and breakfast daily at the hotel set in the heart of Vail village. (Your lift tix are good at both Vail and Beaver Creek.) Rates start at $1,272, and obviously there are some blackout dates. Still, getting a room and a day of skiing for $424 isn't bad, given that one day at Vail costs $92.
It's worth noting that the hotel's Spa is scheduled to open next month, so book later rather than earlier if that's a priority. The Skier's Escape package is available until April 19.
When we went out to Park City, Utah last month, we crashed at The Yarrow Hotel. But if we were looking to do a ski vacation rather than a Sundance trip, the Treasure Mountain Inn would be our pick.
The green hotel's studio units offer up condo-like amenities--balcony, kitchens, separate seating area--right in the heart of town. To get to Park City Mountain Resort, it's an easy walk downhill to the Town Lift which will haul you right up to the slopes.
If the apres is just as important to you as the ski, Treasure Mountain is ideally situated on Main Street. You're basically across the street from the Wasatch Brew Pub, and more bars and music venues are just down the street.
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by DanielR
