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Article
Ski Lodges: The Innkeepers of the Tradition
New York Times, Journeys Section
By AMY VIRSHUP
Published: February 1, 2009
Printed by permission
ONCE, going on a skiing vacation meant checking into an all-inclusive lodge where, in addition to sharing a bathroom down the hall, you shared all your meals in the dining hall as well as fireside tales about your daily adventures, often over a game of Scrabble. Lodges thrived in the days when ski resorts were hard to get to and dining options were limited. But between the advent of the ski condominium and the explosion in high-end restaurants in the mountains, the all-inclusive option has waned. Todd Waldron, whose family has owned the TimberHouse Ski Lodge near Winter Park, Colo., for 42 years, remembers when there were more than a half-dozen inns like his in the area. Today, he can count just two: his and the Woodspur Lodge. At Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico, where three all-inclusive lodges once thrived, now there’s just one, the Hotel St. Bernard.
“It’s very expensive to operate as a small pensione,” Jean Mayer, the St. Bernard’s founder, said in a telephone interview. “But I’ve been doing this for so long, and it’s not for the money. It’s more the lifestyle.”
To fight off the whiff of shag carpeting and fondue associated with old-fashioned lodges, many of them have upgraded and added amenities associated with luxury hotels — outdoor heated swimming pools, spa centers, wireless Internet access — and customized the all-inclusive experience.
At the Twin Farms resort in Barnard, Vt., there are no menus at meals. Instead, before guests arrive they are asked about any food allergies and special diets, as well as their likes and dislikes. Then the executive chef, Ted Ask, builds his offerings around their preferences.
A condo, of course, lets you lounge around in your pajamas at breakfast time and relax after skiing on your own time. But when you think about it, what, really, is so convenient about having to shop as soon as you hit town and then cook every meal during your stay? Staying in a hotel, meanwhile, requires worrying about dinner reservations, and, often, keeping restless children from bouncing off the walls — or crawling under the table. Many all-inclusive lodges offer special children’s tables at dinner, actually leaving the adults free to enjoy the meal. Which may help explain why the best of them attract a loyal following.
At Alta’s Rustler Lodge in Utah, about 75 percent of guests are returnees, said Kate Pollard, the office manager. “I’ll have people say they’ve been coming here a long time,” she said in a phone interview. “I’ll ask ‘How long?’ They’ll say, four years, and I’ll be, ‘Sorry, you’re not there yet.”
If you crave variety, an all-inclusive lodge is not for you. But if you want to enjoy winter activities with a minimum of distracting responsibilities, one may be worth a try. Here, a sampling of all-inclusive lodges around the country, from family-oriented to luxurious, with prices to match.
You can ski in to the TimberHouse near Winter Park, but you can’t ski out. To get home at night guests can take an unmarked run called the Billy Woods trail off of Winter Park’s Turnpike trail and ski almost to the door of this lodge just a few hundred yards north of the base area. (Todd Waldron also takes guests back and forth to the mountain in the lodge van.) The TimberHouse caters to families and to groups, and it has an old-fashioned, antiglam approach — it’s the kind of place where people still do puzzles and play board games in front of the fireplace. There are two outdoor hot tubs, a recreation room with table tennis and a pool table, but no TVs. Mr. Waldron says his guests don’t want them. “They tell me this is the only time they get away from the TV,” he says. For entertainment the lodge shows nightly Warren Miller ski movies.
The décor is rustic (some of the furnishings have been there almost since the lodge opened, in 1939). And all the meals are served at communal tables in the dining room — eggs and bacon or pancakes in the morning; salmon, prime rib or chicken Parmesan for dinner. There’s also afternoon tea.
Rates range from $65 a person a night (for a dorm-style room with a shared bath) to $98 a person a night for a room with a private bath in the lodge’s newer wing. Children staying in their parents’ room are discounted.
TimberHouse Ski Lodge, 196 TimberHouse Road, Winter Park, Colo.; (866) 726-3050; www.timberhouseskilodge.com.
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