Text and Photos Courtesy of colorado tourism office

Colorado is known as a winter playground. Vail is the skier's Disneyland, with 5,289 acres of incredibly vast terrain spread over 11.3 kilometers in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  Vail is consistently rated as the top ski resort with a world-renowned reputation as the best and largest single ski resort in all of North America. If Vail routinely tops the polls, it's because it's the one place in the United States that has it all in one place: terrain, nightlife, and a true skier's vibe.

Seven pure-white Back Bowls stretch as far as the eye can see across the horizon. Enormous. Varied. Forever. The Front Side offers sweeping groomed runs and multiple terrain parks. In the distance, the glades of Blue Sky Basin call to the adventurous, beckoning you to the top of the mountains.

Vail is full of the most precious commodity in the world today: The rare feeling of simply living in the moment. The climate here produces over 30 feet (nine meters) of soft powder snow in any given year and 300 days of incredibly blue Colorado sky. 

Renaissance redefines luxury 

But like many who've reached middle age, 43-year-old Vail is in the midst of a face-lift. This US$1-billion, multiyear expansion and upgrade includes a new Four Seasons and essentially tearing down anything that isn't up to five-star standards and rebuilding it. The experience in Vail today redefines luxury in the travel industry. January 2008 marked the grand opening of the Arrabelle at Vail Square in Lionshead; the luxury boutique hotel caters to a winter lover’s every whim and sets the new service standard for Vail with a ski valet and personal concierge attention.

The newly developed Vail Square is complemented by a variety of innovative restaurants and shops. Signature dining at Arrabelle’s Centre V, a French-brasserie inspired mountainside restaurant, features simple, decadent dishes to please the palate. Vail Chophouse offers hearty surf and turf just steps from the base of the lifts. Rimini, the high-end chocolate shop, whisks you to the streets of Italy with its wickedly delicious gelatos and hot chocolate. Anchored by the largest slopeside Burton Store in the world, professional or leisure shoppers can’t help but adorn themselves in the latest in resort fashions from Patagonia, North Face, and Quicksilver attire.

Throughout Vail, work continues on the Four Seasons Residence Club scheduled to open late 2009 and the Ritz Carlton Residences in 2010. Manor Vail, located at Golden Peak, has completed a state-of-the-art renovation.  The project includes the addition of 17 luxury condominiums, complete interior remodeling and upgrades, and a new façade.

The superior service message also carries well beyond the bricks and directly onto the snow. Guest feedback of the on-mountain staff, programs, facilities, and especially service continues to receive top scores among the industry and is an important focus year round.

SKImmersion: learning on the slopes

The Vail Snowsports School is recognized as the largest and one of the best schools in the ski industry. Its diverse offerings reach far beyond the traditional group and private adult and kids lessons, and include developing a series of specialty programs designed for all skier levels. SKImmersion, the newest Focused Learning Program offered by the school’s specially trained coaching staff, applies the methods that top athletes and sports psychologists use to develop skiing skills and tactics. Over the course of the program, participants consult with a boot fitting and alignment specialist, learn from daily video sessions and in-depth reviews, and participate in both specialized indoor and outdoor training on Vail Mountain. After six days, attendees should expect to be mentally and physically stronger, tactically smarter, and able to ski longer through life.

There's a whole other world of outdoors that doesn't require skis or boards – just an adventurous spirit. From a five-star meal atop Vail Mountain to dog-sledding, live concerts to hut trips, it's the perfect place for anyone looking for some unique activities off the skis!

Spa-tacular

Vail’s renowned spa collection continues to grow with the addition of three more luxury spas, each featuring unique, luxurious treatment menus. The Arrabelle at Vail Square recently opened a luxurious 10,000-square-foot RockResorts Spa complete with 11 pampering treatment rooms to accommodate individuals, couples, groups, and families. Included is a top-notch fitness center, full-service nail salon, relaxation lounges, saunas, whirlpools, and more – all designed to soothe and rejuvenate after a full day of skiing on the slopes.

On the horizon, a new 11,600-square-foot RockResorts Spa has opened at the Lodge at Vail this summer. This newly built space features 11 treatment rooms including a luxurious couples’ room with a fireside soaking tub for two, a wet treatment room, two facial rooms, and seven massage rooms. It also offers a separate women’s relaxation lounge, a large co-ed relaxation lounge, as well as a fitness complex with top-of-the-line LifeFitness equipment and a movement studio for yoga, stretch, and Pilates. The spa features the organic Pevonia Botanica product line, and offers such treatments as caviar facials, wildflower aromatherapy, and green tea and chamomile body treatments. For details visit www.rockresorts.com.

The Sorrento spa at the Vail Plaza Hotel also debuted this season featuring Vinotherapy. Using the powerful antioxidants found in wine grapes, treatments such as the Red Wine Vine Bath, the Honey and Wine Wrap, or Crushed Cabernet Scrub provide superior anti-aging and skin balancing effects.

Events on a grand scale

Vail’s seasonal celebrations have brought the perception of ski-town events to a new level. The resort offers some of the largest and best attended celebrations in the industry, highlighted by multiple big-name acts and on-mountain contests. Kicking off the ski season, Vail Snow Daze provides the perfect reason to play hooky from work and head to the slopes. Held in early December, this weeklong festival includes bar parties, on-mountain activities such as the Dummy Gelunde contest, and headliner concerts. CarniVail is a true Mardi Gras celebration mountain-style, with the largest high-country crawfish boil, a town parade, and the crowning of the resort’s King and Queen.

To Be Seen

• The Back Bowls. Fanning across 3,017 acres, these steeps are a siren song to powder hounds eager to make tracks on vast swaths of open terrain.
• Beano's Cabin. Venture 10 miles up valley for a snowcat ride to dinner at this cabin on Beaver Creek, Vail's sister mountain.
• Colorado Ski Museum and Ski Hall of Fame. The history of the sport is raised to an art at this museum.

EVENTS

• November 20, 2009 / Opening Day
• December 7–13, 2009 / Vail Snow Daze—Kick-off the winter ski season at Vail Snow Daze, a week-long event with on-mountain activities, village parties, and free big name concerts in the heart of Vail Village.
• December 31, 2009 / New Year’s Eve Extravaganza
• February 14–16, 2010 / CarniVail—Celebrate Mardi Gras in the mountains with three days of festivities including street parties, parades and the World’s Highest Low-Country Crawfish Boil.

IF YOU GO

Vail is located in the central Rocky Mountains of Colorado, 100 miles west of Denver and 30 miles east of Eagle. I-70 is a scenic and direct route into Vail from about anywhere!

Denver International Airport is located just outside of Denver, 120 miles east of Vail. DIA is the most efficient cold-weather airport in the country and often runs at 100% capacity even during the most inclement winter weather.

Vail/Eagle County Airport is located just 30 miles west of Vail. New this season: Fly in, Ski Free at Vail and Beaver Creek. Free skiing or riding on the day you arrive with your boarding pass and lodging confirmation.

Colorado Mountain Express provides private chauffer service and door-to-door shuttles between the airport and your lodging property. For reservations, call (800) 525-6363.

Vail Resorts Express provides shuttle service to Breckenridge and Keystone from Vail. For reservations or more information, please call (970) 496-4FUN.

Hertz is the official car rental company of Vail Resort. For more information, including great deals on car rentals, please call (800) 355-3452.

Visitor Information: www.snowusa.com