Telluride, Colorado
Lumiere Hotel
Rocky Mountain High
What it is
A newly revamped, ski-in, ski-out hotel with 18 luxury residences and myriad outdoor plunge pools and hot tubs by the fire.
What it isn't
Hands-off. The service here is legendary, from the black-tie ski valet to the daily housekeeping and turndown.
What we think
When you get off the slopes, Lumière staffers will be there: not only to help you pull off your ski boots, but to hand you a gratis warm cookie. Feel like an in-room spa treatment? Perhaps an apres-ski massage or acupuncture with martial arts hall of fame GrandMaster Thomas Forman? Your wish is their command. Rooms here are just as pampering; the starter 1-bedroom residence is a whopping 1,050 square feet, with exposed beam ceilings, a flickering gas fireplace, Egyptian-cotton linens on the king bed and an upmarket kitchen with a Subzero fridge and Wolf range, should you feel like practicing your Julia Child moves. Plus, the ultimate perk: an in-suite washer and dryer for freshening up your ski togs before the next morning’s runs through sparkling fresh powder. To really spread out, the 5-bedroom Penthouse is well worth it, with 3,715 square feet, hardwood hickory floors and jaw-dropping views of the mountainscape from the arched windows.
You're here because
When they say the hotel is pet friendly, they actually mean it. Your dog ruvvs it here, thanks to abundant treats from Colorado’s Enchanted Biscuit company and a cozy bed and bowls waiting for them upon arrival. Bonus: a hiking map to all pawfect trails.
The Moment
Hotels typically provide coffee, but it’s nothing like this: in-room, from Steaming Bean, roasted right here in town. Your eyes don’t seem to want to open after a night of stargazing in the hot tubs, so you take your mug and the local paper out on your veranda and sip, sip, sip until they do. Combined with the freshest possible alpine air, you feel a jolt of renewed energy that sends your mood soaring. So close to heaven, at 10,000 feet.
Location
At the base of the lifts and just a mile from Mountain Village, where you can hop on the free gondola to Telluride, a former Victorian mining town that’s now every bit as beloved as Aspen (everyone from Oprah to Jerry Seinfeld reportedly own or have owned homes here).