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Situated some 2,135 meters (7,000 feet) above sea level and high above the town of Jackson, Wyoming is Amangani, a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Ski Hotel.

If it is action-packed days on the slopes and a convivial après-ski atmosphere you are in search of, look no further than this 40-suite resort. Amangani, which translates to "Peaceful Home", is the first Aman resort in the United States. Opened in October, 1998, Amangani is near the southern boundary of Grand Teton National Park.

Constructed with soft-hued Oklahoma sandstone, Douglas fir, cedar and Pacific redwood, the three-story resort is cut into the hillside on the western edge of the East Gros Ventre Butte. The area is encircled by elevated peaks and buttes, hence the world "hole" is used to describe this extensive alpine valley. It is a peaceful location at the southern end of the Greater Yellowstone Area, a vast expanse of mountain and meadow, sage flats, river bottoms, national forests and wildlife sanctuaries.

Amangani is a short ride away from some of the North America's most acclaimed ski runs at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, where ski and snowboarding enthusiasts enjoy 1,000 hectares of high-thrill skiing and snowboarding terrain featuring a lift-serviced vertical drop at 1,260 meters (4,139 feet). As Jackson Hole averages 1,016 cm (400 inches) of snow a year, it offers some of the best skiing conditions in the world. During winter months, snow piles up to four meters (10 feet) in the mountains. The entire valley turns white after mid-November and winter can stretch past early April.

In Teton Village, at the base of Rendezvous Mountain, the resort has a private ski lounge where guests will find snacks, hot beverages and a concierge service (which organizes ski equipment rentals and lessons). The resort offers a complimentary shuttle service as well as private transfers to and from the resort and the ski lounge, which is 20 minutes away. After a day on the slopes, guests unwind before the large wood-burning fireplaces of Amangani's Lounge with the two-story window wall offering beautiful views of the Snake River Range.

In addition to skiing and snowboarding, other winter activities enjoyed by the guests include snowmobiling, snowshoeing and half-to-full day dog-sledding. Amangani also offers horse-drawn sleigh rides which take guests up to the ridge of the butte where they will see panoramic views of the valley. Guests can also spend a day visiting nearby Yellowstone National Park, which is America's first national park and its largest outside Alaska. Yellowstone boasts its own Grand Canyon, plentiful geysers and Yellowstone Lake, the largest mountain lake in America.

While the resort has been nominated for best ski hotel, Amangani is also a great option for spring and summer vacations. During the warmer months, wildlife safaris led by biologist guides enable guests to view a wide variety of wildlife including black bears, grizzly bears, elk, bison, moose, pronghorn, bald eagles and golden eagles. Fly fishing enthusiasts enjoy the Snake River, which is a haven for local cutthroat trout as well as rainbow, lake and brown trout. Canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, horseback riding and hot-air ballooning are other activities offered to guests.

The Health Center features treatment rooms, exercise studios, steam rooms and individualized yoga programs. The resort offers a 30 meter outdoor pool and whirlpool with magnificent mountain views; both are opened year-round.

Each of the resort's 40 suites have spectacular mountain and valley views. Rates start at $565 for April to mid-June and mid-October to mid-December; $725 from early January to early April (excluding Presidents' Day weekend when the entry rate jumps to $875); and $857 from mid-June to mid-October. A four-bedroom home with full hotel amenities is also available for $3,400 to $4,800 per night, depending on the time of year. The resort is a 20 minute drive from the Jackson Hole Airport.

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 Amangani Hotel

Votes have been cast for Best Gourmet Grocer/Food Hall, Best Online Gourmet Goods, Best Cheese Shop, Best Caviar Retailer and Best Bread Bakery. The Luxist Readers' Choice Award Winners are all leaders in their respective industries.

Dorothy Lane Market is the Readers' Choice Award Winner for Best Gourmet Grocer/Food Hall. Dorothy Lane Market, also known as DLM by its loyal customers, has several well-known gourmet supermarkets in the Dayton, Ohio area that are recognized for great food and service.

The Readers' Choice Award Winner for the Best Online Gourmet Food is Dean & DeLuca. Though the New York institution is now one of America's finest online grocers -- offering a wide array of food, wine and even kitchenware --- the company got its start well before the information superhighway received its first coat of pavement. Dean & DeLuca's staff travel the world in search of great artisan-produced foods.

The Readers' Choice Award Winner for the Best Caviar Retailer is Petrossian. New York City-based Petrossian has grown to become the premier buyer and importer of Russian caviar worldwide. Its Tsar Imperial label graces some of the finest Beluga, Ossetra and Sevruga on the market. To this day, the company insists that members of the Petrossian family personally select the best of every Russian caviar catch.

Zingerman's Bakehouse is the Readers' Choice Winner in the Best Bread Bakery category. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Bakehouse is comprised of a group of 130 dedicated foodies and skilled artisan bakers that use traditional methods to hand make all of their breads and sweets and sell to over 100 wholesale customers in addition to a growing crowd of retail shoppers.

Farmstead is the Readers' Choice Winner in the Best Cheese Shop category. A husband-and-wife team own this Providence, R.I.-based company that develops close relationships with producers and hand-select fine foodstuffs, specializing in small production, limited release cheeses. As an extension of this hands-on approach, Farmstead aims to educate its customers on the subtleties and history of cheese, offering product tastings, cooking demonstrations, and cheese and beverage pairing classes.

This month, Luxist is launching the Luxist Awards, sponsored by Cadillac, to honor the very best in fine living.

During the year-long program, the Luxist audience will nominate their favorite businesses, destinations or products. A different category -- and subcategories -- will be featured each month, ranging from decor to travel to entertainment. New categories will be introduced at the beginning of each month with winners for "Reader's Choice" announced at the end of the month. Our first category, Best in Decor, will launch Sept. 16 and run through the end of October.

Luxist "Editor's Choice" winners will be determined by the Luxist editors, writers and experts, who will conduct extensive research to determine the best in class in each award category. Winners will be crowned "The Cadillac of..." in their respective categories. "Editor's Choice" award winners will be announced during the last quarter of the program.

Along with the Luxist Awards, the "Cadillac-ipedia" will be launched serving as a resource for Luxist viewers who want to explore the finer aspects of life. The Cadillac-ipedia will provide useful tips, hints and guides about a wide variety of consumer lifestyle pursuits.

All entries will be searchable by category and location, providing the Luxist audience with a valuable tool for finding luxury businesses and products throughout the world.

The Cadillac of ... It's a designation few merit. And while earning that distinction isn't easy, discovering the most essential of life's luxuries has never been easier, thanks to Cadillac-ipedia and Luxist.com.

In partnership with Luxist, the leading online luxury authority, Cadillac celebrates the finest of fine living with the Luxist Awards, featuring honors in the categories of Food & Entertaining, Style & Design, Travel, Health & Well-Being and more.

The Cadillac-ipedia is the Cadillac of guides to discovering the best of what life has to offer. It is an invaluable source of useful tips and savvy hints, organized by category. If you want to explore the world of fine food, learn about different perfume classifications or what constitutes an authentic Oriental rug, the Cadillac-ipedia is the resource you can turn to.

Today, Michelin released The Michelin Guide 2010 New York City Restaurants, with five establishments receiving three stars, its highest rating. The top rated restaurants include Daniel, Jean Georges (above), Le Bernardin, Masa and Per Se.

There were six restaurants earning two stars and 44 restaurants that earned one star. Three stars represents "exception cuisine, worth a special journey" while two stars is for "excellent cuisine, worth a detour". One star, which is still an excellent rating, is defined as "a very good restaurant in its category".

To rate restaurants and hotels around the world, Michelin employs a rigorous selection process that is applied independently and consistently. Indeed, in each of the 23 countries where it inspects restaurants and hotels, the selections are made by anonymous, professional inspectors who are Michelin employees. The inspectors pay all their bills in full.

While the Michelin Guide is known around the world for its famous stars, these restaurant account for just 10% of the selection in the New York City guide. The guide also includes a wide diversity of establishments, and includes small restaurants that offer a high-quality dining experience at an affordable price.

One useful section features "Inspectors' Favorites for Good Value", including a total of 85 affordable restaurants that offer two dishes, and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less. There is also a list of 109 restaurants selected by its experts that offer a meal under $25.

"The Michelin Guide has long been respected and the stars are what people love to talk about in the culinary world," says Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guides. "But the Guide is so much more. It's filled with a year's worth of notes from the team of inspectors who set out to ensure the Michelin Guide provides an excellent mix of what readers truly want--a wonderful dining recommendation from trusted experts."

The Michelin Guide New York City 2010 is the fifth edition since Michelin began reviewing restaurants in New York. Its cover price is $17.95.