Overview: If $500 powder skis are your idea of an extravagant purchase, this is the place for you. Call Charley, the resident innkeeper, and reserve a room before Colorado Front Range visitors take it. The Inn feels like an Old World–Far East hybrid: Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets the Trapp Family Lodge. Inside, there's reclaimed barn board, rock walls, and mountain views. The outside courtyard features a waterfall, koi pond, and stream garden.
Notable: All rooms face the courtyard, creating an inclusive feel—no airport terminal hallways here. The welcoming vibe goes even further this winter: From 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. each day, the Inn dishes out a complimentary après-ski spread featuring hot soup, stew, hors d'oeuvres, craft beers, and wine.
Our Take: What's not to love? Buffet breakfast, après-ski, ski lockers, and shuttle service to the mountains and Aspen Airport are all part of the package. Plus, you're within walking distance to restaurants, the Wheeler Opera House, coffee shops, and the bookstore.
Information: Rooms from $199 to $309. If you arrive on a Sunday or Monday, stay three nights and get the fourth night free (excluding peak holidays). annabelleinn.com
—Sarah Peruzzi
From the Winter 2012 issue
