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5 Top US Ski Destinations

by Jennie Nunn
ski destinations

Photo captions: The pool lawn at Montage Deer Valley

Gear up for a great ski season with these new ski and spa offerings at top U.S. destinations out west.

From Lake Tahoe, CA, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, to world-class ski resorts in Vail, CO, consider hitting the slopes this season (or even just the après scene) at one of these top five ski destinations.

Lake Tahoe, CA

Located approximately two-and-a-half hours north of San Francisco, Lake Tahoe is home to many ski resorts, including Squaw Valley (squawalpine.com), host of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games, and Heavenly Resort (skiheavenly.com) in South Lake Tahoe with 97 total runs. For an overnight, consider the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe (ritzcarlton.com/laketahoe), a 153-room ski-in/ski-out property situated mid-mountain on Northstar Resort (3,170 skiable acres). The winter wonderland is replete with a 17,000-square-foot spa, and a nightly complimentary s’mores-making station with an on-site marshmaologist. The resort also offers a ski concierge with everything from expert boot fittings to slopeside equipment storage.

Park City, Ut

Thanks to a $50 million investment project, as well as a new eight-passenger gondola connection and other improvements, Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Resort (parkcitymountain.com) have connected making it the largest single ski and snowboard resort in the U.S. with 7,300 acres of skiable terrain. The area, best known for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, includes the Utah Winter Park designed for skeleton, luge, bobsleigh, Nordic ski jumping and Nordic combined events, features some of the best spas and resorts in the country.

At the Craftsman-style Montage Deer Valley (montagehotels.com) check off a bucket list experience and ski with local three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist Shannon Bahrke Happe (she won silver in 2002 Salt Lake City Games and bronze in the 2010 Vancouver Games). Tucked atop Park City’s Main Street, Washington School House (washingtonschoolhouse.com) is the only mountainside luxury hotel adjacent to the country’s largest new ski resort. Dating to 1889, the limestone converted school house-gone-boutique property is outfitted with a heated, outdoor swimming pool (flanked by the original steel torch from the 2002 Winter Olympic Games), and a ski lounge for mingling post-skiing.

In Deer Valley, head to the spa at Forbes five-star Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley (steinlodge.com), just named World’s Best Ski Hotel by the World Ski Awards, for treatments such as the Apre``s Ski Soak & Muscle therapy, or revive achy legs and feet with the Ski Boot relief.

ski destinations
ski destinations
ski destinations

Top: Relax by the fire at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch; left: hitting the slopes at Bachelor Gulch; right: the Westin Riverfront Gondola

Jackson Hole, WY

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Jackson Hole is home to some of the nation’s top skiing, with over 2,500 total acres, lodging and spas in the country. At 132-room Hotel Terra (hotelterrajacksonhole.com), a LEED-silver certified hotel located at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, guest rooms are outfitted with gas fireplaces, 100 percent organic towels, bathmats, bathrobes and leather club chairs. After the last run of the day, head upstairs to Chill Spa for a dip in the rooftop Jacuzzi, or treatments such as the Arnica Sore Muscle massage with locally sourced arnica to relieve achy quads and calf muscles, or the Goat Milk Hydrating Soak using goat’s milk, Himalayan salts, lavender and cocoa butter.

Directly across from Hotel Terra, the Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa (tetonlodge.com) debuts a reconceived on-site SpaTerre replete with Indonesian and Thai-inspired treatments. This month, sign up for Elevate I, The Women’s Ski Camp, led by experts Jess McMillan, Kim Havell, and Crystal Wright (offered January 18-22). For the ultimate getaway (and privacy), splurge for a night or two at Amangani (aman.com) situated 10 minutes from downtown Jackson, and just below the Bridger Gondola with a private ski lounge. For a break from skiing, hit the fitness center, lined with redwood walls, or consider snowshoeing or snowmobiling.

Situated at the base of Jackson Mountain Resort, Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole (fourseasonsjacksonholewy.com) features 106 guest rooms and 18 suites, an 11,685-square-foot spa, and two restaurants with locally sourced ingredients from Wyoming tomatoes to Idaho potatoes and trout. For the ultimate ski experience, choose from one of two new intensive guided ski camps: Steep & Deep (for advanced skiers focused on techniques reading a slope and terrain selection) or Backcountry (a four-day camp dedicated to topics such as avalanche awareness).

Vail, CO

Relax and unwind at Spa Anjali at Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek (spaanjali.com) layered with bamboo flooring and treatment tables equipped with energy-saving hydraulic cranks. The serene, 27,000-square-foot spa offers innovative spa journeys based on experiences influenced by the Rocky Mountains, Alps and Himalayas. Stay in and take a dip in the outdoor saline lap pool, sign up for a yoga or Pilates class at the adjacent athletic club, or opt for a leisurely lunch upstairs at Mexican-inspired eatery, Maya.

Located just up the road, the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch (ritzcarlton.com) is a skier’s paradise with ski-in/ski-out access to Beaver Creek Mountain. Located steps from Bachelor Gulch Express, a high-speed quad chairlift, the property features a complimentary ski valet (think pre-warmed boots and equipment brought straight from storage), an on-site ski and rentals shop, a ski nanny, and a 21,000-square-foot spa complete with an authentic, stone grotto. New treatments include the Arctic Berry facial for hyper-pigmentation and the anti-aging Black Diamond facial using a diamond-infused age defying serum, a thermal mask and a vitamin C booster.

Aspen, CO

Historic Hotel Jerome (hoteljerome.com), an Auberge resort conceived by tycoon Jerome B. Wheeler in 1889, offers new spa offerings at Auberge Spa including “Booster Club,” 30- to 60-minute treatments with an emphasis on stretching and muscle-warming therapies before hitting the first run of the day. For a glimpse of hidden shrines dedicated to notables such as Marilyn Monroe and Jerry Garcia, and scattered throughout Aspen Mountain (or “Ajax” as dubbed by locals), book a guided, backcountry ski tour. Tucked across from Aspen’s Wagner Park, The Limelight (limelighthotel.com) is the spot for one of the best après ski scenes in town. For overnight guests, the eco-conscious, pet-friendly hotel offers an outdoor swimming pool, ski lockers, and a complimentary breakfast buffet
with plenty of hearty options for pre-ski fueling.

At nearby Viceroy, Snowmass (viceroysnowmass.com) skiers can take advantage of ski-in/ski-out access and newly debuted spa treatments designed for a quick recharge and warm-up off the slopes. The spa, located steps from Assay Hill (skiers can ski directly to the spa), includes new Kick Off Your Boots (30 minutes; $95), a foot soak with a warm bath infused with sweet birch sea salt followed by a foot exfoliation and scrub using a lemongrass mimosa-scented lotion, and a hot stone massage; and the hydrating Warm Up Your Hands and Toes treatment (30 minutes; $95) using coconut oil.

ski destinations

Enjoying the spa plunge pool at the Viceroy, Snowmass

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