skiresorts

Votes have been cast for Best Ski Hotel, Best International Ski Destination, Best Caribbean Cruise Line, Best City Hotel and Best Luxury Family Winter Destination. The Luxist Readers' Choice Award Winners are all leaders in their respective fields.

Best Ski Hotel
Aurelio Lech, Austria's most luxurious ski and spa lodge, nestled in the exclusive resort of Lech am Arlberg, is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Ski Hotel. Aurelio Lech, which opened in December 2008, provides all the sophistication and comforts of a world-class hotel combined with the ambiance and elegance of a private residence. Each of its nineteen bedrooms and suites were individually designed and offer cozy, chic and extremely luxurious amenities. The resort's 14 deluxe double rooms and five suites and junior suites all offer views of the snowy slopes. The resort offers two spas, including the Spa at Aurelio Lech which is a holistic day spa with exclusive treatments, a modern fitness center complete with the latest equipment and a personal coach, several indoor pools including an activity pool, an extensive thermal suite and a tranquil meditation center where guests relax in front of an open fire. The Ski Spa has a herbal sauna, aroma vapor bath, cooling-off pool, blossom bath, adventure showers, Jacuzzi, Techno-Gym equipment and treatment rooms. At 23 meters in length, one of the resort's two swimming pools is the largest and deepest swimming pool in Lech.

Best International Ski Destination
Lech and Zürs in Austria is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best International Ski Destination. One of Europe's finest skiing locations, Lech and Zürs offers the glamour and glitz of Milan or Paris in the setting of a quaint mountain town. Packed with top-notch restaurants, stellar scenery and copious entertainment opportunities, it is made up of the neighboring hamlets Lech am Arlberg and Zürs. Lech and Zürs dates back to the fourteenth century. Like many ski resorts in Austria – as opposed to ones in France and Switzerland – Lech and Zürs offers a slightly younger, more laid-back atmosphere. It is established as one of the world's greatest ski resorts and a snowy playground for Europe's rich and famous. Renowned for its five month guaranteed snow season, glamour and quality skiing, attractions include outdoor performances like "Viva Verdi: The Magic of Arias in the Alpine Landscape," a riveting performance of light, fire and passion enacted on a unique outdoor stage setting consisting of several hundred cubic meters of snow and ice with an impressive natural backdrop.

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.

The resort offers two spas, including the Spa at Aurelio Lech which is a holistic day spa with exclusive treatments, a modern fitness center complete with the latest equipment and a personal coach, several indoor pools including an activity pool, an extensive thermal suite and a tranquil meditation center where guests relax in front of an open fire. The Ski Spa has a herbal sauna, aroma vapor bath, cooling-off pool, blossom bath, adventure showers, Jacuzzi, Techno-Gym equipment and treatment rooms. At 23 meters in length, one of the resort's two swimming pools is the largest and deepest swimming pool in Lech.

The hotel's butler and concierge service can arrange a variety of activities, including heli-skiing and heli-boarding in the Arlberg Mountains. There's also Nordic walking, tobogganing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, ice-skating, snowshoeing, paragliding and much more.The resort has professional instructors and fully certified ski guides. The Lech Ski School is one of the first of its kind and was established in 1925.

One part of the Hotel Aurelio, "The Aurelio Club", can be rented exclusively as a chalet with nine rooms, its own spa, including a swimming pool, chimney room lounge and a separate meeting room.

Rates for a deluxe double room range from 675 euros to 1,500 euros per night, depending on the date; while suites range from 900 euros to 2,200 euros a night. A video of the hotel can be viewed here.

Gallery: More from Hotel Aurelio

The Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice nominees for the Best International Ski Destination nominees include one of the planet's most decadent getaways that is nestled in the southwestern Swiss Alps. Another is a mile-high Swiss village that is one of the best-known holiday resorts in the world. The third nominee, based in the French Alps, offers dramatic slopes that are among the most challenging in the world. The fourth nominee offers the glamour and glitz of Milan or Paris in the setting of a quaint mountain town while the final nominee, features challenging slopes, spectacular panoramic views of the Alps and delectable Italian cuisine.

Chamonix, France
For Francophiles and French homebodies alike, winter paradise can be found in Chamonix. Located in the shadow of Mont Blanc, Western Europe's tallest, Chamonix is a popular destination for winter sports, and not just wealthy ski bums. Its dramatic slopes are among the most challenging in the world, drawing ice climbers, paragliders, and extreme skiers and snowboarders who relish the chance to go "off-piste" and conquer inclines sometimes steeper than 60 degrees while dodging dangerous crevasses. There are a multitude of slopes for skiers who are beginners and intermediate level, as well. Chamonix offers tremendously long slopes, skiing through the trees and free ride. For those with tamer tastes, there's the spectacular cable car ride to the top of the Aiguille du Midi; during the trip, riders rise 2,800 meters in 20 minutes.

Chamonix's skiing extends over three main areas: Brévent/Flégère, offering south-facing slopes and exceptional views of the Mont-Blanc chain, the Grands Montets, high altitude north-facing slopes which dominate the village of Argentière and the Balme area, wide open slopes at the top of the Chamonix valley, bordering on Switzerland. The sister resort of les Houches lies at the opposite end of the valley and is accessible with the Mont-Blanc Unlimited ski pass.

Vote now for what you believe is the best international ski destination. Readers' Choice Awards for the Best in Winter Travel will be announced on January 31st.

The best ski hotels in the world, according to Luxist's readers, include award-winning hotels in France, Switzerland, Austria, Colorado and Wyoming. One is Austria's most luxurious ski and spa lodge. Another is a landmark hotel in the center of legendary ski paradise St. Moritz, known for its unrivaled luxury, immaculate service and extravagant and exclusive Après Ski experience. The third is an intimate alpine retreat in the heart of the world's largest ski area in the French Alps while the the fourth is a "peaceful home" located on the edge of a mountain high above Jackson, Wyoming. The final resort is an exclusive enclave tucked away in the majestic Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Amangani Hotel, Jackson, Wyoming
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.

Looking for a family winter adventure? Consider a visit to Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias and a vast wilderness area. During the late fall and winter months, however, it hosts a variety of indoor activities in addition to nordic skiing, cross country skiing and other outdoor offerings.

During January and February, Yosenite's luxury hotel, the Ahwahnee is hosting a series of three-day long programs featuring nationally renowned guest chefs. Called "Chef's Holidays", each program features culinary demonstrations and behind-the-scenes kitchen tours hosted by the guest chefs. Included in the package is a gala dinner in the Ahwahnee Dining Room, featuring a five-course gourmet meal highlighting each guest chef's unique specialties paired with complement of wines. Guest packages include lodging in addition to each of the events tied into the Chefs' Holidays. For example, on January 27th and 28th, competitors from Bravo TV's Top Chef will be featured, including Ryan Scott (of Ryan Scott 2 Go in San Francisco), Ariane Duarte (of CulinAriane in Montclaire, N.J.) and Carla Hall (of Alchemy Caterers in Wheaton, Md.).

Between early November and early December each year, the Ahwahnee Hotel hosts Vintners' Holidays which showcase California winemakers. Guests enjoy expert-led tasting seminars and a gala dinner in the Ahwahnee DiningRoom featuring an elegant five-course gourmet meal specially prepared to complement the wines made by the guest vintners. Two and three night lodging packages are offered to guests wanting to participate.

If outdoor adventure is more to your liking, Yosemite is home to Badger Pass, the very first ski resort built in the Sierra Nevada range. Open since 1935, the ski resort is geared toward families who want to learn how to ski or hone their skills. Indeed, Badger Pass offers one of the best ski schools in the country with a wide selection of beginner and intermediate slopes to choose from (there's also one expert run).

Built in 1927, the Ahwahnee Hotel is known for its magnificent façade, and architecture. It offers 123 handsomely appointed guest rooms, including 99 hotel rooms, parlors and suites and 24 cottages. The lodge has bell service, a full-time concierge, daily maid service with evening turndowns, room service, afternoon tea service.

Ahwahnee Hotel amenities include a year-round outdoor heated swimming pool and seasonal tennis courts. Rates for 2010 range from $424 to $1,134 per night.

The easiest way to get to Yosemite by air is to fly into Fresno Yosemite National Airport, which is a two hour drive from the park.

Gallery: More from Yosemite's Ahwahnee Hotel

Badrutt's Palace, the landmark hotel in the center of legendary ski paradise St. Moritz, is a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Ski Hotel. Situated amidst breathtakingly beautiful and unspoiled scenery, Badrutt's Palace has long been hailed as a favorite of celebrities and royalty alike since its opening in 1896.

One of the top lifestyle addresses in the world, the family-owned hotel is known for its unrivaled luxury, immaculate service and extravagant and exclusive Après Ski experience.

Located in one of the most challenging ski areas in the world, Badrutt's is renowned as a world class ski resort with extensive and immaculately kept slopes. Guests enjoy moonlit ski runs, skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, vertical ice-wall climbing, torch-light skiing, among many other activities.

Over the past 10 years, the entire hotel was refurbished and modernized, including its guest rooms, suites, spa and wellness areas. There are 159 guestrooms and 38 suites with stunning views of the Swiss Alps and Lake St. Moritz. Luxurious suites include the two-bedroom Hans Badrutt Suite with a surface area of 280 square meters, wood-paneled library. The two-bedroom Helen Badrutt Suite is 250 square meters in size.

The renovated "Palace Wellness" spa offers therapeutic luxury treatments along with the latest in fitness equipment in addition to indoor and outdoor pools with breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps. The exclusive treatment menu offers carefully selected product lines such as Anika Organic Luxury, Intraceuticals, Shodeea and La Biosthetique. Specialized treatments use mainly natural and predominantly organic ingredients to achieve maximum results.

Gourmet dining includes such well-known favorites as Nobu, which offers unique fusion cuisine combining traditional Japanese ingredients with Peruvian influences. The restaurant is only open during the winter months. Another fine dining experience will be had at Le Restaurant, the Grand Dame of the Palace restaurants. Here, guests enjoy glamorous nights in a unique, but classic setting. The venue features international and French cuisine. During the winter months, a harpist entertains guests for breakfast while there is a musical ensemble during the dinner service. The hotel's Chesa Veglia, one of the oldest farmhouses in St. Moritz, features three restaurants and two bars.

The hotel also offers an exciting nightlife at the King's Club and exclusive shopping including Bulgari, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Emilio Pucci, Loro Piana, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard and De Grisogono boutiques among others. The Kid's Club features such activities as cooking classes, baking classes, horse carriage excursions, husky sledge excursions, dancing lessons, ice skating lessons and much more.

Daily rates at Badrutt's Palace for 2010 start at 465 Swiss francs for a standard room during the peak and high seasons during the winter months and 4,185 euros per night for a superior suite. Rates include buffet breakfast, internet access, service, tax and VAT.

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 Badrutt's Palace

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

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

Le Mélézin, in the fashionable Alpine village of Courchevel 1850, is a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Ski Hotel.

The intimate alpine retreat lies in the heart of the world's largest ski area, the Trois Vallées in the French Alps. Ideally situated on the Bellecôte piste, the four-story lodge provides easy ski-in and ski-out access to Courchevel 1850, one of one of Europe's most fashionable and exclusive resorts. Le Mélézin is a short stroll from the epicenter of the resort which offers superb restaurants and shopping.

Le Mélézin opened in the heart of the Trois Vallées region as an Aman resort in 1992, offering 31 luxurious guest rooms and suites. The four-storey resort combines a ski experience with the classic traditions of the finest French Chateaux with its classic design. Its patterned parquet flooring and panelling and spectacular 200 year old oak beams, add a weathered touch to the updated surroundings. Most of the rooms throughout the property offer spectacular views of the ski slopes and surrounding peaks.

The resort , which is an Aman Resort, offers the ultimate après-ski experience with guests relaxing in the spacious hammam (steam room) or the white capri stone pool with a jacuzzi on either side. The resort also offers a spa with three treatment/massage rooms and a Thai/Shiatsu room.

The Trois Vallées region that embraces Courchevel is acknowledged for its beautifully groomed slopes, superb infrastructure and some of the consistently best skiing conditions in the world. Guests at Le Mélézin enjoy 600 km of groomed slopes, some with gradients of 38 degrees that are among the most taxing black runs in the world. There are also more than a dozen cross-country routes in the area, most of them created especially for the 1992 French Winter Olympics. A two-kilometre toboggan run, lit for night use, links the village of Courchevel 1850 with Courchevel 1550. There is a range of sports and other activities for children both indoors and outdoors during the day and a mix of day nursery and introduction to skiing pending on age.

Rates at Le Mélézin through April 7, 2010 start at 730 Euros per night, net of taxes and service. The winter ski season runs from mid-December to mid-April.

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 Le Melezin

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