A guide to top North American ski resorts with standout spas
Much like a hot toddy at the end of a day on the slopes, skiing and spa-ing are a perfect fit. Many of today’s top ski resorts are home to extensive spas that feature services ideal for easing worn muscles, programming geared toward the active traveler and facilities designed to warm you up. From the largest spa in Utah, which has its own stone-walled grotto, to a Vermont resort that wraps you in maple sugar or house-blended hops, here are seven North American ski resorts with standout spas.
Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Set at the base of Blackcomb Mountain, the castle-like Fairmont Chateau Whistler has welcomed guests to this world-class British Columbia ski destination since 1989. Once settled in to one of the 519 rooms (many have fireplaces), you’ll enjoy easy ski-in, ski-out access to the slopes, plus on-site attractions like the Mallard Lounge, a cozy apres-ski spot serving house-infused spirits and locally influenced bites accompanied by live entertainment.
Operated by an outside company, the Vida Spa has 15 treatment rooms, including two outfitted with handcrafted cedar steam cabinets. Body treatments range from scrubs made with sea salt and immunity-boosting essential oils and wraps that envelop you in nourishing shea butter to traditional Ayurvedic treatments that incorporate steam, medicinal herbal oils and scalp massage. Save time to use the hotel’s steam rooms, saunas, indoor and outdoor pools and Jacuzzis, and don’t miss a visit to the nearby Scandinave Spa Whistler (scandinave.com), a meditative retreat famous for its Scandinavian-style hot-and-cold hydrotherapy circuit. fairmont.com/whistler
Topnotch Resort
The Green Mountains provide the scenic backdrop for this Vermont resort, which sits on 120 wooded acres at the base of Mount Mansfield—the state’s highest peak—in the popular East Coast ski destination of Stowe. In addition to being near the lifts (and offering on-site ski equipment rental), the resort offers plenty to do on the property, as well, from sleigh and carriage rides in the winter to tennis, horseback rides and year-round indoor swimming.
The resort is a favorite of families, and the younger set is not forgotten at the spa, which offers dedicated menus for teens and kids. For adults, standout services include the Vermont Maple Sugar Body Smoothie, which softens and nourishes the skin using locally produced maple sugar and a goat’s milk body cream; the Herbal Fusion Wrap, which cocoons you in warm linens steeped in dried herbs and flowers; and massages ranging from traditional Thai and shiatsu to therapies using house-blended CBD oils or a house-made mix of hops and herbs. Afterward, enjoy a soak in the indoor or outdoor hot tubs. topnotchresort.com
Montage Deer Valley
From a base at this sprawling mountain-set resort, you’ll enjoy easy access to both top-class skiing and the charming town of Park City, which is located just five minutes away. You’ll also have the largest spa in Utah at your doorstep—the hotel’s 35,000-square-foot Spa Montage, home to numerous treatment rooms, a mosaic-lined indoor pool, redwood saunas, jetted whirlpools and separate men’s and women’s relaxation areas set around roaring fires.
Two signature treatments are only available at Montage resort spas: the muscle-relaxing California Wildflower Ritual includes vibrational work, a massage with healing herb-filled poultices, and orange blossom-scented wrap and a foot massage; and Peace Within balances and revitalizes using Ayurvedic massage, the use of a chakra-awakening Kansa wand and a hot oil Shirodhara scalp massage. Organic facials are also available to soothe and nourish skin after a day out in the sun and snow. montagehotels.com/deervalley
Amangani
Surrounded by views of the Grand Tetons and Snake River Valley, this luxe hideaway puts you close to all the renowned skiing in Jackson Hole, but is removed enough to provide a serene sanctuary after an active day. Wellness is one of the main pillars of the Aman brand, and this Wyoming location showcases that with services like Himalayan salt scrubs, targeted massage, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic treatments, sound therapy and yoga sessions atop a butte.
New this winter, the Après Ski Dream Ritual includes a eucalyptus-scented steam, a sage smudge cleansing, an organic wax treatment for the feet and hands, dry brushing, a body massage using CBD oil, a scalp massage with argan oil and the use of warm stones and amethyst crystals to loosen up the head and neck. Meanwhile, the new Granite Hot Springs Adventure full-day guided excursion gets you out into the destination with a snowmobile or dogsled ride in the countryside, followed by a soak in natural healing waters and a private picnic. aman.com
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
From the views of Beaver Creek Mountain and the Eagle River Valley to the locally sourced ingredients featured in the restaurants, the destination is celebrated in all aspects of this Colorado resort, which sits just steps from the Bachelor Gulch Express chairlift that whisks you up to the slopes.
Local flavor also abounds at the 21,000-square-foot spa, which houses 19 treatment rooms, saunas and a stone-lined grotto. The Miner’s Mineral Mud Wrap includes a full-body exfoliation followed by a body wrap using activated charcoal mud foraged from Colorado mines; a hydrotherapy soak and a body and scalp massage tops off the 100-minute session. Elements like herbal poultices, river stones and CBD oil are used in therapeutic massages, while ingredients from further afield—like avocado, honey and shea butter—are used in treatments to soothe and hydrate winter skin. ritzcarlton.com
Hotel Jerome
Originally opened in 1889, this Auberge hotel has hosted generations of Aspen regulars, from cowboys to celebrities. Winter sports enthusiasts will find plenty to enjoy, from skiing on Snowmass and Aspen Mountain to night tubing, cross-country skiing on Nordic trails and snowshoeing in the backcountry. (On Friday nights, Snowmass even hosts a winter wonderland party—complete with cocoa and s’mores—in honor of the Norse god of snow.)
Inspired by the healing traditions of the Roaring Fork Valley, the hotel’s intimate spa offers treatments geared toward location-specific issues—like easing sore muscles, hydrating dry skin and dealing with the effects of the high altitude—by incorporating elements like pink Himalayan stones, oxygen infusions and native botanicals. This being Colorado, you’ll also find an Intuitive CBD Massage that helps relieve muscle pain with deeply penetrating CBD oil. aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome
The Ritz-Stein Eriksen Lodge
Find a piece of Europe in the heart of Utah’s Deer Valley at this five-star resort, which takes its name—and inspiration—from the late Norwegian Olympic gold medal alpine skier, Stein Eriksen. Ski the slopes of Deer Valley Resort on your own, or book the Lodge’s exclusive “Ski with a Champion” package, which sends you out on runs with noted Olympic athletes.
After a day of that (or of snowshoeing, snow tubing or taking bobsled or sleigh rides), retreat to the spa to warm up in the sauna, steam rooms and Jacuzzi. Ease muscle fatigue with targeted massages (in styles like hot stone, Thai and anti-inflammatory) or fight the effects of high altitude with a circulation-boosting treatment that uses body and face massage, cold stones, aromatherapy and infrared blankets. steinlodge.com