New season, new alpine digs.
From 70’s inspired A-Frame cabins, a “restaurant with rooms” concept in Colorado, top to bottom revamps in Mammoth, Wyoming, and Snowmass, and, at long last, the arrival of a hotel in Schweitzer, stylish, affordable lodging options abound at both popular and lesser-known mountains.
Here are the latest lodging updates in North America
Snowmass
Viewline Resort Snowmass:
Following a $40M renovation, the Westin, beloved for its mid-mountain location, has been reborn as the 254 room
Viewline Resort Snowmass, a ski-in/ski-out property under Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Twenty-six-foot-high double-story ceilings and expansive windows flood the public spaces with light and capitalize on killer views. Mid-century style furnishings in muted hues and eye-catching design elements like oversized chandeliers and monumental geometric cut-out artwork feel fresh and inviting with subtle references to the 1960s, the decade that Snowmass was founded by the Aspen Skiing Company. Hotel amenities include a private ski concierge to help with gear, a kids’ club, a heated pool, a spa
and apres offerings such as s’mores and a hot chocolate bar.
Starting rates from $ 445
Mammoth Mountain Resort
When it was opened by Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss in 1967, this property was a magnet for Hollywood types like John Wayne and Jerry Lewis looking to chill out in the mountains.
Now, the historic hotel smack in the heart of town (five minutes from the chairlift) is getting a facelift, its 179 rooms refreshed
with nods to Mammoth’s wild west spirit through vintage art and maps as well as western patterns in the carpet, curtains, and throw blankets. The Americana vibe extends to the lobby with time-worn leather chairs and rawhide stools set around the hearth. Upgrades will also include a new wine bar, a heated, natural-edge pool overlooking the Sierra slopes, redwood hot tubs placed throughout the property, and an outdoor area with food trucks for on-the-go meals.
Starting rates from $199
Sun Valley may get the buzz, but Schweitzer, tucked into northern Idaho near the Washington border, clocks in as the state’s largest ski resort and one of the fifteen largest ski mountains in the country by skiable acreage (2900). When the resort opens its first hotel this winter, it will be a game changer for the under-the-radar powder playground. Named for the Humbird Lumber Company, which was the cornerstone of Sandpoint’s economy in the early 1900s, the ski-in/ski-out property just above the village of Sandpoint pays homage to the logging industry and surrounding nature with timber-heavy design and oversized windows to maximize views that stretch across multiple states. Reinforcing the property’s sense of place are custom wall coverings; one mirrors the look of water reflecting on nearby Lake Pend Oreille, and another of light filtering through a canopy of native trees. The 31 rooms are comfortable and streamlined with warm wood and carpeting that resembles ski tracks in the snow. Additionally, there is a rooftop deck with a hot tub, a 50-seat restaurant, and a spa.
Starting rates from $361.
Jackson Hole
Mountain Modern
Cheap and cheery Mountain Modern Motel is doubling in size-its footprint and will now be an entire city block- adding fifty-nine new rooms designed to bring the Grand Teton landscape inside. To wit: King rooms, studios with a full kitchen, suites, and two-bedroom, two-story residential-style suites (that can sleep up to eight people) are decked out with
custom wall coverings depicting wildlife and backcountry scenes, gear walls, fireplaces (in suites only), and unfussy furniture accented with the property’s signature red buffalo plaid. A lounge-and increased outdoor space will serve as communal areas with fire pits, classic board games, and live music. The original 135 rooms will not be updated.
Starting rates from $300
Breckinridge
Inspired by the charm of teeny, hygge-forward, food-focused inns sprinkled throughout the European Alps, Destination Hospitality Group, an outfit with eateries in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, will introduce The Carlin, a “restaurant with rooms” concept featuring four hotel suites, an 80-seat restaurant and a cocktail bar in the basement. While the Pacific Northwest veering restaurant is the beating heart of the building (a nightly tasting menu and a la carte options will be offered), the moody wood and hunter-green leather Underground Tavern will also be a sophisticated addition to Main Street’s bar scene. And the rooms? High vaulted ceilings, timber-heavy interiors set off by gold and jewel tones, sheepskin pelts, and cozy window benches deliver a “Swiss chalet” feel.
Starting rates from $325
Winter Park
Proximity to Denver (a 1.5-hour drive) and 3000 acres of diverse terrain have always been draws, but standout lodging has never been a feather in Winter Park’s cap. The spanking new A-Frame Club injects spice into the lodging landscape with 31 cabins oozing with cool-kid 1970s ski culture. Tucked into woodlands overlooking the Fraser River, each 475-foot structure features a lofted bedroom, a kitchenette, and a soaking tub. Design elements like retro Malm fireplaces, vintage furnishings, Noguchi lights, and lively color-blocked Maharam rugs are nostalgic yet modern, offset by light birch walls and groovy artwork. The Lodge, home to both the bar and a restaurant focused on classic alpine fare, is steps away as is a large deck for DJ-fueled apres sessions.
Starting rates from $500
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