After a day on the slopes, you’ll want to have a great spa to come back to. Here are some of our favorites.
Topnotch Resort and Spa, Vermont
Horse drawn sleigh at Topnotch
Set in the ski town of Stowe, Vermont, the beloved Topnotch Resort and Spa just emerged from a $15 million renovation, and what a beautiful butterfly it has become! Construction started last October and the resort, with 68 rooms and 50 resort homes, reopened in late spring. The re-build on this family-friendly resort features sustainable materials sourced locally: i.e., the Roost bar was built from Lake Champlain stone. Delicious food served in two new restaurants on property draws from Vermont’s natural bounty, as well. “Anything we can possibly source locally, we do,” says execu- tive chef Steve Sicinski, a nine-year veteran of Mii Amo, before taking over at Topnotch. The property is set on the Green Mountain National Forest and Stowe Land Trust, near a recreation path perfect for biking or walking to the Farmer’s Market on Sundays.
And then, of course, there is the spa. “There is supposed to be a spiritual vortex in the Green Mountains, and Topnotch is at the heart,” says spa director Alex Sharpe-Keene. Whether you are sensi- tive that way or not, there is something very calming about the spa, which rests on four key philosophies: active, revive, discover and restore. Try the Mount Mansfield Saucha, a heavenly herbal body treatment with an organic lavender, sage oil and sea salt scrub, hand- made on property, followed by a detoxifying body wrap infused with Vermont herbs and a full-body aromatherapy massage. The Topnotch staff is so incredibly helpful and friendly that you will feel like you are visiting friends. topnotchresortandspa.com
Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Colorado
Courtesy of Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa
Consistently cited as one of the nation’s top cross-country ski destinations, with 85 miles of pristine trails, Devil’s Thumb Ranch, a two-hour drive out of Denver, is set on 6,000 stunning acres. At an altitude of 8,500 feet, the air may be a bit thinner than what you’re used to, but the views—including cows, horses, and moose, if you’re lucky—are worth it.
If the altitude ails you, the Spa offers a terrific restorative called Altitude Adjustment, a relaxing massage that relies on a mix of strategically placed hot towels and aromatherapy oils to relax and center guests. The Spa has a rustic, Western-style decor, and features 14 treatment rooms, a yoga studio, steam and sauna, and an aromatherapy room. According to spa director Charity Baxter, “The industry now is geared toward wellness, and that’s our goal, too–to create an area of wellness, and an opportunity for people to receive what they need.”
Relaxing at Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort
Most buildings at The Ranch use geo-thermal heating and are built with recycled wood from beetlekill or recycled barns. Devil’s Thumb is only 30 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park, and close to Winter Park and Maryjane, which offer downhill runs nearby.
Stein Eriksen Lodge, Utah
Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley
This beautiful property in Park City, Utah, styled after a Norwegian-style ski chalet, offers a jaw-dropping alpine setting, tucked between the mountains at Deer Valley Ski Resort. The Lodge offers ski-in, ski-out access, along with snowboarding, dog sledding, and many other activities perfect for the family to share. Take a deep breath of sweet mountain air and you will never want to leave.
Once indoors, you can warm up in the hot tub—many of the rooms feature their own—or enjoy one of the hotel’s 145 stone fireplaces, in the common rooms. If you’re lucky, you can cozy up on the couch in front of a roaring fire in your spacious room, with natu- ral elements like wood and stone featured in the stunning decor. Room service is served 24/7, which means you can get really cozy at Stein, also a popular romantic destination for couples. The 23,000 s.f. Spa is warm and welcoming, with 16 treatment rooms, plus two couples’ rooms, sauna, steam, and separate facilities for mani/pedi and salon. Try the High Altitude Relief Package, a trio of Stein signature treatments that includes a Body Polish, Signature Massage, and Nordic Experience Facial. You will still be up in the clouds when you leave. steinlodge.com
Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa, Michigan
Spa treatment at Crystal Mountain
Set on 1,500 beautiful acres, this family-run property—now one of the premier ski destinations in the Midwest—has come far from its beginnings as a community ski area. The resort’s 250+ accommoda- tions run the gamut from beautifully appointed rooms to five-bedroom townhouses, perfect for a getaway with a group of ski buddies.
The 18,500 square-foot Crystal Spa is the only LEED-certified spa in the Midwest. There are 12 tranquil treatment rooms, mani/pedi salon and a meditation lounge, with a mesmerizing stone fireplace that is a great place to warm your toes before or after a treatment. The eucalyptus steam rooms and infrared saunas are some of the most relaxing spots on this planet, and the outdoor meditation gar- den, with a heated stone floor, is accessible year round, and features a hot tub for eight.
Don’t miss the Evergreen Renewal Body Treatment, a signature of Crystal Spa, based on a centuries-old Scandinavian treatment that begins with a citrus and sea salt scrub, to stimulate the circula- tion, followed by a body wrap infused with Icelandic moss to help remove toxins. A full-body massage—with extracts of white pine, balsam fir and silver fir—will leave you relaxed, revitalized and reconnected with the beauty piney outdoors, ready to head back out to the slopes in the morning. crystalmountain.com
Cross-country skiers at Crystal Mountain