It’s the shlep-factor that eventually causes some skiers to give up the sport. One day, crammed in tight and uncomfortable ski boots, they tread across the icy base area, carrying heavy, award skis that they never quite learned how to carry.
Suddenly, CRASH, down the go on the ice! The knee swells up to basketball size, and they have a base-area injury that comes without the benefits of bragging rights. Slowly, the passion for skiing becomes conspicuous in its absence.
Managers of luxury resorts do what they can to minimize the shlep factor. This article highlights Vail and Beaver Creek, two luxury resorts that manage to keep the soul of skiing alive.
Skiing’s Lean Lap of Luxury
Perhaps it’s all those invigorating and calorie-consuming bump runs, but skiing’s lap of luxury is pretty slim. In fact, the idea of adding upscale amenities to a resort always triggers a dilemma for ski resort management. Add too many, and the young, adventure-loving crowd gets turned off. Keep the resort too basic, and the older crowd, also known as the ones with money, decide to go elsewhere.
Most of the world’s most luxurious resorts occupy the mountains of Europe. In the United States, the high-end ski resorts dot the high-altitude towns in Utah and Colorado. Expect high prices for lift tickets, lodging and dining, but mitigate the costs by traveling with a group and staying at a vacation rental instead of a luxury hotel.
Vail and Beaver Creek
Insider’s Tip: If you purchase a multi-day lift ticket for Breckenridge or Keystone resorts, some packages include one day of skiing at either Vail or Beaver Creek. The Vail Resorts company owns these high-end resorts, as well as Breckenridge and Keystone, and thus offer this deal. Vail and Beaver Creek are within a few miles from each other. Tickets purchased for either Vail or Beaver Creek are interchangeable with each other.
Vail
To prove the cliché “size matters,” Vail Mountain boasts 5,289 skiable acres, making it the largest single mountain ski resort in the United States. The area evokes images of Switzerland’s St. Moritz, which is actually considered a sister resort to Vail.
Personal Opinion Alert: I believe that Beaver Creek is far more luxurious than Vail. Some will argue, but hear me out. The luxury begins in the base area, with outdoor escalators, which eliminate the needed for the dreaded walk on ice in ski boots routine.
Beaver Creek
Some of the luxury hotels, such as the Ritz Carlton Beaver Creek, have take-out cafeterias in their lower lobbies. While luxury ski resorts always have upscale restaurants, they usually require reservations and formal wear. At Beaver Creek, you can avoid the dreaded ski resort cafeteria hamburger, and enjoy a gourmet lunch of items such as tomato, mozzarella with a basil and pesto sauce.
Speaking of ski resort cafeterias, here’s another Beaver Creek perk. If you do decide to eat in the resort cafeteria, when you enter, Greet and Seat Hosts, dressed in western gear and carrying radios will help you find your seat. Anyone who has ever stumbled around a ski resort cafeteria looking for a seat while juggling a tray knows that this is a valued service.
Luxury is not just about amenities, it’s about the staff’s attitude toward their guests, and the little things they do to show they care. The Greet and Seat Hosts are just one example. Beaver Creek also places guides at the top of each lift, who will help you select the best trail according to your terrain preferences. Beaver Creek management also realizes that people who have different terrain preferences of ten like to ski together. As such, they have a number of trails that are groomed on one side and filled with bumps on the other.
If you can´t afford to visit a luxury ski resort, at least travel in luxury. Let us ship your skis to your destination.