In a prime Mountain Village spot steps from the gondola into Telluride town, this 100-room stone-and-stucco resort feels pleasingly intimate despite its large scale. The polished staff—which includes a personal assistant stationed in the cozy Living Room (stocked around the clock with coffee and snacks)—are as courteous as they are good-looking, from waitstaff who remember special requests from the day before to ski valets who wipe down and warm up your gear. The guest rooms, coated in neutral tones that lend it a somewhat generic mountain lodge-style, are nonetheless bright and generously proportioned, with extra drawer space under an obscenely restful bed, a sofa and an armchair with a tufted leather ottomon, complimentary soft drinks, a soaking tub, and a powerful shower with a seating area. The Onyx restaurant, which overlooks the new ice rink, serves waist-widening breakfasts and a more formal meat-and-potatoes menu at night, while Suede Bar is a low-key après-ski choice. Flexible check-out times, a small but inviting indoor pool with bench seating (retractable glass doors open in good weather), and a spa with a relaxation lounge complete with a fireplace round out the amenities.

Hotel Telluride, which opened in 2001, strives to meld the Old West with the comfort of an old Europe lodge. The hotel pulls it off with overstuffed couches, antler chandeliers, and 19th-century Edward S. Curtis photos of Native Americans in the lobby. While your room might be decorated with vintage wooden snowshoes, the amenities are very much modern: 250-thread-count sheets, Aveda products, and oversize showerheads. With 59 rooms, the property sits on the quieter, western edge of town, drawing visitors who want in-town convenience without the loud inevitability of Telluride's nightlife.

Don't let the rustic design of native stone, weathered timber, and copper accents mislead you. The Inn's mandate is luxury. The service is Telluride's finest, exemplified by valet parkers who stock your rental car with bottled water and granola bars for the return drive to the Montrose airport. In fact, with only 32 rooms to look after, the ski valet, bellman, and concierge are usually free and eager to help with even the tiniest details. ("Sure, we can round up some waterproof gloves for you, miss.") Because it's located inside the Mountain Village, that ski valet gets used—ski-in, ski-out service is the real deal. The spa's rooftop area can be reserved for total privacy, the ultimate province for honeymooners and romantics. But the finest touch here may be the fireplace in each suite, which is no small achievement: Burning permits here are rare and expensive.

The New Sheridan was built in 1891, when Telluride was flush with the spoils of the gold mines (some $360 million by 1904). The three-story redbrick hotel has 32 rooms and remains a favorite among a certain old-school set who relish its old-fashioned authenticity. (Sometimes it can be alarmingly old-fashioned: The "Aspen" rooms still have shared bathrooms, one for gentlemen and one for ladies, rather than private en-suite facilities.) Nonetheless, highlights of its heritage include the Victorian decor, the archival photos of silver and gold miners, and the location, in the vibrant, funky heart of town. Guests might pull their lace curtains closed for an après-ski nap only to find that hippies have assembled below on the sidewalk for a tribal drum circle.

Towering over the ski area's base village, the modern-looking Peaks seems somewhat out of place among the area's other hotels. The expansive lobby (pretentiously but not inaccurately called the Great Room), has 30-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling windows with a view that seems to extend to Utah. With a number of yearly conventions and corporate get-togethers, the clientele is at times more likely to be packing a Blackberry than a Burton board. But that doesn't interfere with the skiing: Not only is The Peaks ski-in, ski-out, but it's also home to the Golden Door Spa. This outpost of the Escondido, California, center is known for its "skier's salvation" treatment, which targets the lower back and leg muscles. Of the 174 rooms, try for number 332, whose small deck overlooks both the swimming pool (and its two-story waterslide) and the magnificent San Juan Mountains.