Skiing continues to be the most enjoyable outdoor winter sports for those who love the magnificent mountains of North America. The United States and Canada boast some of the most luxurious ski resorts in the world, but not all of them have valet services for intrepid skiers. Only the most exclusive hotels offer this service, which makes it easier to carry up the mountain the cumbersome, heavy equipment needed for this sport.
New England’s Stowe Mountain Lodge, located in the quaint village of Stowe, includes among its most special initiatives: Alpine Concierge, a costumer service program of personalized attention that features ski valet. It allows guests the convenience of sending their equipment to the slopes in advance, where the staff will make sure everything is ready, including heating your boots. This charming mountain retreat of 312 rooms, also has direct access to cycling and hiking paths, great attractions during the summer months.
Mont Tremblant, Quebec.
Just one hour from Montreal, Quebec’s Mont Tremblant, in one of North America’s oldest mountain ranges: the Laurentians, has more than 1500 acres of skiable terrain. Mont Tremblant, French for “the mountain that trembles” is 2870 feet high, and with 95 tracks, it has the capacity to carry more than 27,000 skiers every hour through 14 ski lifts. The ski valet service also includes a visit to a European style villa, the perfect place to enjoy the wonderful Quebecois gastronomy and the beauty of Southern Quebec.
Stowe Mountain Resort.
We cannot talk about skiing in North America without mentioning Vail, a small town in Colorado that has been a winter sport paradise for five decades. When Vail opened its doors in the winter of 1962-1963, each ticket cost $5, and only about 12 people a day were able to use the tracks. For the upcoming winter season, it is expected that the number of visitors will exceed 1.8 million skiers, who will be privy to the new Gondola One, the fastest way of transporting skiers to the slopes; each cabin has capacity for 10 persons and is equipped with heated seats and wi-fi. The Ritz Carlton Vail and The Four Seasons Residence Club will also arrange the equipment transfer at the beginning of your day, and will make sure the equipment is clean and dry before it is returned to the guests.
1. Vail Ritz-Carlton.
2. Vail, Colorado
3. The Four Seasons Residence Club. Vail, Colorado
In our list of the best places to ski in North America, Aspen is perhaps the most celebrated. Every year the luxurious ski village, also in Colorado, is a frequented by athletes and tourists from around the world. In keeping with its traditional excellent services, the Ritz Carlton Club in Aspen led the way for other hotels and residences to include ski valet as one of their amenities.
We should mention that other winter resorts in the United States and Canada have offered this service to their guests for many years now. One example is the Stein Eriksen Lodge, located in Deer Valley, Utah, just 45 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport. Stein Eriksen Lodge was one of the first to include ski valet as an added benefit to its guests more than 30 years ago. Park City, also in Deer Valley is another magnificent location, where ski valet is the norm, rather than a novelty. If this trend continues, and skiers get used to the comfort of having their gear prepared and ready by professionals, pretty soon it will become a service impossible to forgo. ■
