The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

Time was, the Ritz-Carlton hotels were among the most stylistically conservative of luxury hotels. But the brand has moved on, and while the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch may not be an ultra-edgy design hotel, it’s certainly not old-fashioned. In its timber-and-stone exteriors you’ll find echoes of national park lodges and Alpine inns; inside, however, the work of the Mexico City-based designer Simon Hamui is everywhere evident, and the result is a hotel where classic luxury and contemporary style go hand in hand.

The location is a unique one, in some ways ultra-convenient — ski-in ski-out access to the Beaver Creek ski area is a great asset — and in some ways rather more secluded than the luxury hotels in neighboring Vail. The accommodations range from rooms that are merely luxurious to suites that are downright extravagant, many of them equipped with residential-style comforts like full kitchens.

In addition to the ski concierge service, the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch offers a 21,000-square-foot spa, a heated outdoor pool, and access to all manner of outdoor sports, from snowshoeing to fly-fishing to golf. And while its restaurants include some straight-ahead comfort food, including the Great Room menu and the Buffalos gastropub, the hotel is also home to a pair of upscale venues: Wyld, with a focus on seasonal modern Coloradan fare, and Sakaba, an ultra-stylish sushi lounge.