Park Hyatt Beaver Creek

This large, full-service luxury hotel fills the entire left side of the base area and offers everything from a first-rate kids’ program to a big swimming pool and Beaver Creek’s most alluring spa.

• Top-flight resort amenities, including ski valets and a kids’ program
• Aqua sanitas: a self-guided water ritual inside Allegria spa
• Friendly, well-trained staff

The Park Hyatt created quite a stir when it debuted, combining sort-of-Bavarian architecture with a full roster of modern ski resort amenities, from ski valets who’ll help you adjust your boots to fire pits on the terrace. Over the years it has fared pretty well; even the enormous elk antler chandelier in the lobby seems to avoid cliché status. Significantly, though, the 190 rooms and suites underwent renovations in preparation for the 2013-14 ski season, and they were sorely needed if one expected top-tier Park Hyatt luxury. Even after the soft-goods update, it’s important to note that rooms facing the mountain can be noisy, what with the pool, hot tubs, fire pits, and lots of kid activity downstairs.

One amenity that started out spectacular and has only improved is the Allegria spa, a delightful place to get rubbed, buffed, soaked, wrapped, polished, or just generally pampered. A whopping 30,000 square feet, it’s one of the few ski country spas set above ground, meaning it’s flooded with light. Don’t miss the Ashiatsu barefoot massage (yes, she walks on your back), something rarely found outside Asia. The fitness center is one of the best in Beaver Creek and offers a variety of classes including Barre. 8100 Mountainside Grill is the hotel’s all-day dining room, which serves a great breakfast buffet that is a highlight, especially for those with kids. Also not-to-miss is the hotel's s'mores happy hour, an end-of-day ritual when guests can enjoy complimentary s'mores fireside.

Those who are more attracted to boutique hotels may be overwhelmed by the size of the resort, but overall the Park Hyatt offers something for everyone, with its ideal location, amazing spa and fitness center, fresh room décor and ski-in/ski-out location.

Spa addicts, families and avid skiers looking for a ski-in/ski-out experience. Those who don’t believe that bigger is always better should try one of the more boutique properties.