Concierge.com's insider take:

For those who prefer the exclusivity of Beaver Creek to the crowds at Vail, the ski-in, ski-out Ritz-Carlton is the best place to stay. Tucked into the gated community of Bachelor Gulch, it's a timber-and-stone pile with 180 rooms, all with balconies and/or fireplaces, flat-screen TV's, Wi-Fi (for a fee), Frette linens, and feather beds so thick you practically need a stepladder. Mountainside Suites have up to three bedrooms. Book a room on the Club Level, which serves seemingly nonstop complimentary food and drinks in the lounge, including smoked salmon at breakfast and Champagne at cocktail hour (guests claim they gain weight when they stay here). For skiers, a stay here is seamless and worry-free: The Bachelor Gulch high-speed quad lift practically lands in the lobby, and there's also a ski shop, an in-house lift ticket outlet, and a ski concierge to take care of your gear. At the end of the day, before cocktails around the towering fireplace in the Great Room (reminiscent of a National Park lodge) and dinner at Spago, head down to the resort's crowning glory: The 21,000-square-foot spa and fitness center. It has a rock-lined stone "grotto," separate men's and women's steam, sauna, and Jacuzzi areas, a heated outdoor pool, and hot tubs with views of the slopes.

Closed mid-April to late May