BachelorGulch

If escaping to warmer weather isn't your optimal idea of a vacation, head west to the Rockies for a family ski trip. There, the air is clear, the powder is fresh, and the amenities are plenty. For the best of all three, try Beaver Creek and Vail – the winners of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award in the Best Luxury Family Winter Vacation category.

Perhaps the most famous of America's ski resort towns, Vail has its reputation for good reason. Vail Mountain, at 5,289 skiable acres, is the largest single mountain ski resort in the U.S.; the town of Vail is a luxury ski bum's dream. The area, which is reminiscent of renowned resorts such as Switzerland's St. Moritz, Italy's Cortina and Spain's Val d'Aran, it is a year-round destination for families with plenty of activities geared for all ages. Its legendary ski slopes make Vail the ultimate place to enjoy world-class skiing and snowboarding in addition to Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. Kids ages four and under ski free; children's lift tickets start at age five and go to age 12. Nightlife includes world-class theater productions and some of the best dining in Colorado.

Vail offers plenty of other activities, such as the Nature Discovery Center atop Vail Mountain. The Nature Discovery Center has provided guests with access to the wonders of the natural world in addition to a variety of environmental education and interpretive programs led by naturalists. During the winter season, Vail Ski School students visit the Discovery Center as part of the ski school's SKE-Cology program, which educates youth about mountain safety and mountain ecology. In winter and summer, naturalists lead snowshoe tours and nature hikes that explore the sub-alpine habitat atop Vail Mountain, including Nature at Night, a free nature talk held under the stars. Expert naturalists also host regular moonlit snowshoe tours, allowing guests to learn about their surroundings while snowshoeing through the White River National Forest.

If escaping to warmer weather isn't your optimal idea of a vacation, head west to the Rockies for a family ski trip. There, the air is clear, the powder is fresh, and the amenities are plenty. For the best of all three, try Beaver Creek and Vail – both of which are up for a Readers' Choice Award in the Best Luxury Family Winter Vacation category.

Perhaps the most famous of America's ski resort towns, Vail has its reputation for good reason. Vail Mountain, at 5,289 skiable acres, is the largest single mountain ski resort in the U.S.; the town of Vail is a luxury ski bum's dream. The area, which is reminiscent of renowned resorts such as Switzerland's St. Moritz, Italy's Cortina and Spain's Val d'Aran, it is a year-round destination for families with plenty of activities geared for all ages. Its legendary ski slopes make Vail the ultimate place to enjoy world-class skiing and snowboarding in addition to Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. Kids ages four and under ski free; children's lift tickets start at age five and go to age 12. Nightlife includes world-class theater productions and some of the best dining in Colorado.

Vail offers plenty of other activities, such as the Nature Discovery Center atop Vail Mountain. The Nature Discovery Center has provided guests with access to the wonders of the natural world in addition to a variety of environmental education and interpretive programs led by naturalists. During the winter season, Vail Ski School students visit the Discovery Center as part of the ski school's SKE-Cology program, which educates youth about mountain safety and mountain ecology. In winter and summer, naturalists lead snowshoe tours and nature hikes that explore the sub-alpine habitat atop Vail Mountain, including Nature at Night, a free nature talk held under the stars. Expert naturalists also host regular moonlit snowshoe tours, allowing guests to learn about their surroundings while snowshoeing through the White River National Forest.

A few miles away, tucked away in the mountains, is neighbor Beaver Creek Village. This tony enclave offers a village-to-village ski experience with Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead and turns into a miniature cosmopolitan center every night, playing host to live jazz concerts, Broadway-level theater, visiting symphonies, films and other attractions. Bars and taverns line the warmly lit streets. For kids, there's a four-lane tubing hill and an ice skating rink, in addition to one of the best ski schools in the country, if not the world. A great place to stay in Beaver Creek is the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa. This 190-room chateau-style resort offers a full-service spa, private balconies in most rooms and an outdoor firepit complete with a daily dose of s'mores.

More intimate and removed than Beaver Creek Village, Bachelor Gulch is the perfect setting for a family-oriented ski getaway that combines privacy with authentic Rocky Mountain luxury. Bachelor Gulch is part of Beaver Creek and is one of its three Village areas. Stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, which is a Readers' Choice Nominee for Best Ski Hotel. The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is a kid-friendly grand lodge with luxurious accommodations situated right at the base of the Bachelor Gulch Express Lift (a high-speed quad chairlift, providing unparalleled ski-in, ski-out access).

In Vail, stay at the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail, a boutique-style hotel in the heart of the village and enjoy nightlife that includes frequent musical guest, film festivals, and always cozy eateries and watering holes. Another great place to stay in Vail is the Arrabelle at Vail Square, a RockResort property. A brand new world-class hotel, it is located the center of Vail Square, and is just steps away from the Eagle Bahn Goldola at Vail Mountain. On top of luxurious accomodations and a full-service spa, it also has a beautiful skating rink and is surrounded by shops and restaurants that are suitable for all ages.

Room rates for the most luxurious hotels in the Rockies generally start around $400 per night, based on double occupancy. On the bright side, a flight to Colorado won't set you back as far as an international excursion.

Vote now for what you believe is the best of breed for each of the Winter Travel categories. Readers' Choice Awards for the Best in Winter Travel will be announced on January 31st.

Gallery: More from Vail/Beaver Creek/Bachelor's Gulch

Tucked away on a quiet Colorado mountainside ideally situated between Beaver Creek and Arrowhead in the heart of the majestic Rocky Mountains is the exclusive enclave known as Bachelor Gulch. The village is aptly named for its original settlers---seven pioneering, single men who came in search of wealth and a better life. Today, the crown jewel of the village is the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, which is a Readers' Choice Nominee for Best Ski Hotel.

The property opened in 2002, is reminiscent of the architecture of the grand lodges of Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks. This unique style, known as parkitecture, features a variety of indigenous natural materials such as logs, timbers and stone. The hotel has 180 guestrooms including 40 suites (with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms) and the 1,800 square foot "Ritz-Carlton Suite". No fewer than 95% of the guest rooms offer spectacular mountain or resort views and 77 have fireplaces.

Bachelor Gulch is the centerpiece of Beaver Creek's village-to-village ski experience. More intimate and removed than its Beaver Creek or Arrowhead neighbors, Bachelor Gulch proved to be the perfect setting for a family-oriented ski resort that combines privacy with authentic Rocky Mountain luxury. The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is situated right at the base of the Bachelor Gulch chairlift, a high-speed quad chairlift, providing unparalleled ski-in, ski-out access. The daily Fire Pit Lighting Ceremony starts at 3:15 pm and is a favorite amongst guests and locals, with hot chocolate, cookie and s'mores.

Guests can literally hit the slopes and finish up the day right from the resort's back lawn. There is a wide array of other winter outdoor activities available to guests at the resort, including snowshoeing, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, cross-country skiing, and hot-air ballooning. During warmer months, guests can enjoy more than a dozen world-class Colorado courses in Vail Valley and have exclusive access to the Red Sky Golf Club, which was recently rated in "Top 100 Courses to Play" by Golf Magazine.

Other nice amenities offered by the hotel is its Ski Concierge and Ski Nanny services. The Ski Concierge provides valet service to securely store and dry skis, boards and boots for overnight hotel guests. Guests have the option to have their equipment waiting slope-side, or the Ski Concierge staff can assist with loading equipment onto the Beaver Creek shuttles. The Ski Concierge can also assist with booking lift tickets; private lessons and facilitate equipment rentals. The Ski Nanny program enables parents to enjoy their morning and hit the slopes for a day of skiing or spa, at their leisure. The Nanny will make sure the resort's young guests get on the ski school bus that takes them to Beaver Creek Village for group lessons. After a day on the slopes, the Ski Nanny will meet children at the Ski School drop-off point and escort them into Ritz Kids for munchies and a movie where parents can pick up their children at the end of the day.

The resort also boasts a 21,000-square-foot, Mobil Four-Star rated Bachelor Gulch Spa featuring 19 treatment rooms, a luxurious separate manicure/pedicure salon, and men's and women's locker rooms offering sauna/steam and water therapies. A unique feature to the Spa is the rock-lined Grotto with a lazy river hot tub. There's also a year-round heated pool and three hot tubs.

A state-of-the-art fitness center boasts beautiful views of Beaver Creek Mountain and the Vail Valley and offers a cardiovascular room with top-of-the-line Precore elliptical trainers, treadmills, step machines and stationary bicycles. All cardio machines are equipped with flat panel screens, DVD/CD players and iPod station docks. The Fitness Center also offers a full line of Cybex equipment and free weights. Certified personal trainers are on hand to assist during workouts or to provide customized one-on-one training. Classes are available in the center's aerobics room daily with classes such as Step Aerobics, Body Sculpt, Kickboxing, Yoga and Pilates.

The Ritz-Carlton offers a bevy of dining options including Spago, the only Colorado outpost of Wolfgang Puck's renowned flagship restaurant, which features imaginative, seasonal American cuisine with Asian accents in a sophisticated, warm environment. For those seeking a more rustic ambiance , there's Anderson's Cabin, which is situated just above the resort and boasts sweeping views of the surrounding National Park. There's also outdoor dining, year-round, both poolside and mountainside at The Mountainside Terrace which offers grilled Colorado specialties.

Another unique feature to The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is its resident Labrador Retriever, Bachelor, who is available for guest walks via a Loan-a-Lab program. Available Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. and on select weekends, Bachelor can accompany guests on a 30-minute or one hour hike or snow shoe out the backdoors of The Ritz-Carlton on two designated trails.

Standard room rates vary by season and range from $195 per night for a single or double occupancy in the spring/fall to $450 in the summer and $725 in the winter. Suite rates begin at $540 per night in the summer and $950 in the winter.

Vote now for what you believe is the best of breed for each of the Winter Travel categories. Readers' Choice Awards for the Best in Winter Travel will be announced on January 31st.

Gallery: More from the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch