The Best Places to Sleep in the Mountains This Winter
Dec 6, 2018
We can't wait to check out these ten new snow-country huts, lodges, and hotels
There’s no shortage of great places to cozy up for a winter getaway, but with amenities like stargazing observatories, wood-fired saunas, exceptional taverns, and winter sports aplenty, these new mountain huts, hotels, and lodges are raising the bar. You may never want to leave.
Sister’s Cabin
Breckenridge, Colorado
A new 2,090-square-foot backcountry hut called Sister’s Cabin is opening on the northern side of Breckenridge’s Baldy Mountain. An upgrade from your typical rustic hut, this winter-only 14-person cabin comes with a wood-fired sauna and indoor bathrooms, meaning no snowy midnight treks to an outhouse. Built by the Summit Huts Association, it’s expected to open in January and will start taking reservations via Huts.org soon. Heads up: You’ll need to ski tour or snowshoe about 3.5 miles and climb some 1,500 vertical feet to get there. (From $50 per person per night.)
Mount Royal Hotel
Banff, Alberta
In 2016, a fire burned down the historic 135-room Mount Royal Hotel. This July, it reopened its doors, and the place has been completely redone, with comfortable new beds, sleek decor, phone-charging stations, gas fireplaces, and a general store for grab-and-go lunches. Oh, and you can order drinks without leaving the new rooftop hot tub. The concierge desk can help arrange outings like Banff-area hikes and skiing at Lake Louise, or you can browse through guidebooks in the hotel’s library. (From $82 per night.)
Eastwind Hotel
Windham, New York
At the new Eastwind Hotel, which opened in the Catskills in June, you can book a well-appointed hotel room, two-room suite with a fireplace and writing desk, or a tiny Scandinavian-style A-frame cabin. Each comes with access to an outdoor wood-barrel sauna and hot tub. Skiing at Windham Mountain Resort is a five-minute shuttle ride away, or head to Hunter Mountain, 20 minutes down the road. Breakfast is served on weekends, and the in-house chef whips up group dinners on Saturday nights. (From $219 per night.)
Compass Rose Lodge
Huntsville, Utah
Opening in January 2019, the Compass Rose Lodge has an on-site coffee shop, free breakfast, and its own astronomic and lunar observatory that plays host to public star parties. But the best part? Its strategic location in Huntsville means the 15-room farmhouse-style hotel has significantly increased the lodging options near Utah’s remote Powder Mountain Resort. (From $227 per night.)
The Josie Hotel
Rossland, British Columbia
The Josie opened at the base of Red Mountain in late November, adding a ski-in, ski-out boutique hotel to the otherwise low-key ski area. When you’re finished exploring the powder-choked glades off Red’s Granite Mountain, hotel staff will store your skis overnight, book you a deep-tissue massage in the soon-to-open spa, or point you toward après-ski cocktails in the hotel bar. The hotel is currently offering a package dealwhere a two-night stay includes a pair of lift tickets for the resort. (From $142 per night.)
Snowpine Lodge
Alta, Utah
Alta has a handful of legendary old-school hotels where every meal comes included with your stay and the shared bathroom is down the hall. When the Snowpine Lodge opens in January 2019, it’ll be the first true luxury ski-in, ski-out accommodation on the mountain. In addition to private rooms, the hotel has dorm-style bunks and everything skiers need, like lockers, a good bar, and hot tubs with views of the hill. (Bunks from $99; rooms from $259.)
Limelight Hotel Snowmass
Snowmass, Colorado
The Limelight Hotel in downtown Aspen is already a crowd favorite for its laid-back yet upscale vibe. This winter, Aspen Skiing Company is opening another property, Limelight Hotel Snowmass, a 99-room hotel right next to the Elk Camp Gondola. You’ll be treated to ski-in, ski-out lodging, a stellar European-style breakfast spread, live music and drink specials during après, and a free ride to Aspen’s three other mountains. Sign up for the First Tracks program with the concierge and you’ll be on the slopes before everyone else. (From $159 per night.)
Experimental Chalet
Verbier, Switzerland
You’ll come to Verbier to ski its world-class steeps, but you’ll stay for the party. This quaint Swiss village, after all, is home to the raucous après-ski at Pub Mont Fort and the Farinet. The new Experimental Chalet, opening in December, is your home base for both. In addition to 39 sleekly designed rooms, you’ll find easy access to the Médran lift, a restaurant run by a chef brought in from Paris, a retro cocktail bar, and a wild nightclub in the basement. (From $208 per night.)
Caldera House
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Teton Village, at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, isn’t lacking for high-end hotels, but with the debut of splurge-worthy Caldera House this summer, just steps from the resort’s famous tram, there’s a new king of the hill. Guests can rent lavish two- or four-bedroom suites. Each comes with a chef’s kitchen, a palatial living area with a gas fireplace, and private balconies. You’ll be treated like ski-town royalty with a private member’s locker room for your gear and an on-call concierge who can organize everything from caribou sleigh rides to backcountry heli-skiing. In case you’re not actually royalty, the Southcable Café, in the main level of the hotel, serves coffee, breakfast burritos, and sloshies—the frozen cocktail made famous in Jackson. (From $1,250 per night.)
Red Mountain Alpine Lodge
Red Mountain Pass, Colorado
Slated to open in late December, the new Red Mountain Alpine Lodge is an off-the-grid timber-framed backcountry cabin located near Silverton on the 11,018-foot Red Mountain Pass. It’s just 300 yards from the highway, making access much easier than many of Colorado’s other huts. The place sleeps up to 20—rent the whole thing, a private room, or a spot in the loft—and comes with three meals a day, hot showers, a wood-burning sauna, and guided or unguided access to some of the best out-of-bounds ski terrain in the San Juans. (From $134 per person per night.)
Filed To: Colorado / Jackson / Skiing / Utah / Aspen / Breckenridge / Lodging / Travel