5 ways to bask in winter’s joys
From the US to Europe, these luxe hotels offer all sorts of experiences
Interested in skiing? Snowshoeing? Tubing? Birding in the snow? From central Oregon to Vermont, and across the Atlantic to the Alps, a crosssection of new and reimagined hotels in the United States and Europe offer travelers a stylish base for all kinds of cold-weather adventures. Here are some standouts.
Aspen Meadows Resort, Aspen, Colorado
Tucked into the grounds of the Aspen Institute, this Herbert Bayer-designed hotel has been a homage to Bauhaus utilitarianism since 1950. But even functionality can get fusty. The all-suite hotel is emerging from a multimillion-dollar revamp that suffused its 98 rooms with much-needed verve while remaining faithful to the less-is-more vision. The location itself is enchanting: There are 40 sculpture-studded acres to explore by snowshoe (complimentary to guests), and the outdoor deck (tricked out with dining igloos during the winter) offers views of all four of Aspen’s mountains.
In Aspen, skiing may be the recreational juggernaut, but it’s just one of many wintry activities. Hiking is a year-round endeavor. You can affix stabilizers to your snow boots and trek the Hunter Creek Trail from downtown Aspen. There are 80 miles of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails that connect the communities of Aspen, Snowmass and Basalt. Daredevils can whip through frosty meadows to the Maroon Bells or over to Independence Pass via snowmobile. Kids love the tubing areas at Elk Camp in Snowmass. Birders go gaga for nature walks through Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, a 22-acre wildlife preserve, to observe red-breasted nuthatches, black-billed magpies and other wildlife. Rates: from around $620
Piaule Catskill, Catskill, New York
In July 2021, Nolan McHugh and Trevor Briggs, the creatives behind the homewares brand Piaule, debuted their eco-friendly “landscape hotel” set on 50 acres in upstate New York, halfway between the town of Hudson and Hunter Mountain. Twenty-four modular cabins on stilts with floorto-ceiling windows invite guests to gorge themselves on wraparound views of the Catskill Mountains as they chill out in the treetops. Heated floors, waffle-weave towels and a spa-style waterfall shower underscore the luxe cabinin-the-woodlands vibe. The restaurant and lobby are in the main building, with a downstairs spa, complete with a cedar-lined sauna, cold plunge, heated pool and yoga studio.
You’ll need a car to get to the hotel and activities. Two of New York’s top ski areas, Hunter Mountain and Windham, are nearby, as is the Shawangunk Ridge for ice climbing. Guided snowshoeing and hiking are available through Catskill Outfitters. The lively shop and restaurant-filled town of Hudson is a 20-minute drive away. Rates: from around $400
Talta Lodge Bluebird, Stowe, Vermont
If you associate lodging in northern Vermont with 1960s shag carpeting and musty bedspreads, you’re not alone. This perception is precisely why a timeworn motel recast as a modernist “mountain-base camp” in Stowe was roundly applauded by tourists. The 51-room property, which opened in October 2021, is functional yet cozy; think modular wall racks for skis and bikes set against white walls and minimalist Scandi-style furnishings — with throw blankets, whimsical eco-friendly bedding and retro lighting. Amenities include an indoor pool, sauna, hot tub and boot-drying rooms. There is no restaurant on site.
Its prime location at the foot of Mount Mansfield offers easy access to skiing, as well as dog-sledding, fat-biking along the Stowe Recreation Path, ice climbing, backcountry mountaineering and snowshoeing. For an evening romp, the hotel organizes a guided moonlight snowshoe tour (with headlights) through Cady Hill Forest. The reward afterward: a fondue feast.
Rates: from around $200
HOTEL de LEN, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Hand-hewed local timber — “da len” translates to “of wood” in Ladin, the dialect of the region
— is the primary material of this new hotel, both as a nod to tradition and a sustainability initiative, since wood produces lower carbon emissions than mineral-based construction materials. Wood, locals believe, can also impart a sense of tranquility; the 22 rooms are crafted with Swiss pine and fir. To further maximize well-being, filtration systems were installed to promote calm by minimizing electromagnetic pollution. There is a rooftop spa with saunas, a hammam, an outdoor Jacuzzi and a restaurant offering pasta, salads and roasted meats.
Spend your days skiing the famed peaks in the Dolomites. Other outdoor pursuits include snowshoeing, rock climbing, snowmobiling, dog-sledding and even remote moonlight dinners via snowcat. The hotel can organize all of these, and even offers cooking classes.
Rates: from around $350
Six Senses Crans-Montana, Crans-Montana, Switzerland
St. Moritz and Zermatt may be top-of-mind Swiss ski resorts, but CransMontana, which sits above the Rhone Valley in the French-speaking canton of Valais, serves up peak pistes and views that stretch from Mont Blanc in the west to the Matterhorn to the east. Relaxed, groomer-rich terrain and an abundance of facilities for kids, including Snow Island, a children’s zone with a magic carpet lift for beginners, make the resort a magnet for families. The 300 days of sunshine add to the allure. Beyond skiing, there is tubing and tobogganing; ice skating and curling at the Ycoor Centre; dog sledding on the Plaine-Morte glacier; and snowshoe excursions to the village of Aminona.
When the Thai hotel chain Six Senses opens its ski-in, ski-out hotel in February, a shiny, new brand of hospitality will descend upon this pocket of Switzerland. The luxury group, known for wellness programming and a threeto-one staff-to-guest ratio, aims to “bring the outside in” through design evocative of the alpine forest. The 78 rooms are elegant, with organic bedding, walls of rough timber and textured plasterwork, oak parquet floors and leather furniture designed by Reda Amalou. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of craggy, snowkissed vistas.
The spa is the heart of the building, with a statement-making sculptural ceiling fashioned of 15,000 wooden battens, which reflect in the swimming pool. There are So Sound lounger chairs; Finnish, rock and bio salt saunas; a stretching pod; and a Biohacking Recovery Lounge with treatments involving infrared heat and vibration.
Rates: from around $700