| VACATIONING IS HARD WORK. Riding the slopes all day. Sampling all the best restaurants. Dancing the night away. That's why what Colorado ski lodging you choose to lay your head at night can be crucial to achieving maximum return on your holiday investment.
Luckily, Colorado's mountain resorts are chock-full of ski lodging properties suited to every visitor type. From five-star hotels dripping with spas, terry-cloth robes and attendants catering to your every whim to cozy, family-run bed and breakfasts featuring Victorian décor and scrumptious homemade meals, Colorado offers mountain lodging for all.
The range of accommodations is, well, mind-blowing. One can rent a slopeside condo complete with treats for the kids, request a room with a view at an affordable lodge run by a reality TV show star or dine at world-renowned bistros steps from their hotel room.
Wherever you decide to stay over, sleeping in the mountains may just be one of the best parts of the mountain vacation. These days, Colorado ski resorts are offering better accommodations, sweeter lodging deals and small luxuries that will keep you dreaming of silk sheets and blazing fireplaces on the slopes.
Some of Colorado's finest hotels are located, not surprisingly, in Aspen, Beaver Creek, Vail and Telluride. These destination ski resorts are known for their international flair and extraordinary customer service. Among the top-ranked, most award-winning facilities are Aspen's Little Nell, St. Regis and Hotel Jerome, all imbued with intimacy, refined style, pampering services, history and star-quality service.
Beaver Creek hosts Park Hyatt, a luxurious, ski in-ski out centerpiece hotel acclaimed for its in-house Allegria Spa while Vail offers Sonnenalp, the historic, immaculately appointed European-style lodge in the heart of the village. Telluride's The Peaks Resort features hand-peeled alpine log and quarry stone construction, the acclaimed Golden Door Spa, see-forever penthouses and cabins-even pampering for kids.
Mid-range lodging in the high country varies from immaculate hotels with all the necessaries but none of the glitz to cozy, family-style condos and lodges. The newer Steamboat Grand hits the mid-range mark with easy mountain access, over 300 rooms and suites, special ski packages and an in-house restaurant serving contemporary Colorado cuisine.
Keystone's River Run, in the heart of the base village, also affords slopeside perks and free activities, such as snowshoeing and ice skating with every reservation. Zephyr Mountain Lodge at Winter Park lets the whole family share a condo, hot tubs and base activities just steps from the lift. Other creative quarters include the Chipeta Sun Lodge & Spa in Ridgway, a short drive from Telluride, and Durango's restored 1887 Strater Hotel - just down the hill from the mountain resort.
If you need to keep the budget in check, there are plenty of affordable and off-the-beaten-path lodging secrets that are worth seeking out. We can't name them all, but here are a few classics that won't break the bank: The quirky Rabbit Ears Motel right in downtown Steamboat Springs; The Nordic Inn, Crested Butte's "friendly little lodge;" Leadville's legendary Delaware Hotel near Ski Cooper; and Glenwood Spring's vintage Hotel Colorado, close to Sunlight ski area and within walking distance from the world's largest hot springs pool.
Remember, before you book, to pre-qualify yourself with the following questions:
• How close to the resort do I want to stay?
• How much am I willing to spend?
• Do I need proximity to dining facilities or an in-room kitchenette?
• Do I need child care or babysitting services?
• Do I need transportation from the airport to the resort and vice-versa?
• And most important: How big is the hot tub?
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