Holiday Guide: The Best Luxury Ski Resorts in the Western US

Since some of the best winter sports – skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, even snowshoeing if that’s your thing – take place in the western United States, the region justifiably ranks among the top winter travel destinations each year.

It doesn’t hurt that there are so many excellent luxury ski resorts near the slopes, either.

This winter, whether you’re controlling your edges at 100 kilometres per hour, navigating the bunny hills, or just in it for the après ski, check in to one of these lodges.

Edgewood Tahoe

The recently opened Edgewood Tahoe welcomes guests for its first-ever winter season.

The resort is nestled on the shores of South Lake Tahoe, near some of California’s most acclaimed ski slopes, including Heavenly Mountain Resort and Sierra At-Home.

To help get you on the slopes more quickly, the lodge offers fittings and rental gear at its on-site Adventure Center.

If flying down the slopes isn’t your forte, you can still be among the first to enjoy après ski at Edgewood Tahoe’s year-round heated pool and hot tub beside the lake.

Beaver Creek Lodge

The all-suite Beaver Creek Lodge has a lot to offer those travelling to Colorado this winter.

At this boutique property, you can ski, snowboard, go dog-sledding, snowmobile, and more. Quite literally seconds away from the ski lifts, Beaver Creek Lodge even offers ski-in, ski-out access to the Colorado Rockies.

If you’re the curious type, the property’s Demo Ski Package offers you the option of trying different types of ski rentals each day through on-site rental centre Christy Sports.

Limelight Ketchum

Sun Valley, Idaho, was the United States’ first ski resort destination. Its unrivalled beauty and A-list reputation – guests in the Valley have included a long list of celebrities, from Ernest Hemingway to Oprah Winfrey – still attract luxury travellers from across the world.

Now in its second winter, the Limelight Ketchum is once again offering its Inside Tracks programme, a complimentary ski-ride deal that gives guests the opportunity to work with top-rated ski school professionals while exploring Bald Mountain’s varied terrain.

Only five guests can join the experience each week. If you miss out on that deal, you can always relax in your three-bedroom residence or soak in the hot tub.

The Sundance Mountain Resort

The part of Utah best known for the annual Sundance Film Festival also packs them in for ski season.

The Sundance Mountain Resort, located in Utah’s Provo Canyon and founded by actor Robert Redford in 1969, is an iconic winter retreat. The resort offers everything from rustic mountain lofts and suites to private, six- and seven-bedroom residences. Bonus: it’s right on the hills.

This year, the ski season begins on December 8, with night skiing options available from December 15. Off the slopes, the resort can set you up with alpine zip line tours, cross-country skiing along 15 groomed kilometres of winter trails, and night owling (i.e., a professionally-guided, snowshoe wildlife tour of the backcountry).

Elevation Hotel and Spa

Set at the base of Colorado’s Mount Crested Butte, Elevation Hotel and Spa is the only ski-in, ski-out resort in town. The luxury ski resort offers 55 kilometres of cross-country trails, ski and bike rentals, a salon, and a slope-side restaurant, among other amenities.

After a day out in the alpine snow, you can retreat to the Elevation Spa or, if you’d rather, indoor and outdoor hot tubs. Not bad.