This charming hotel, which reopened in 2009 after an extensive face-lift, is conveniently located across the street from the main gondola in Telluride. The light and airy reception has iced lemon water and Illy coffee on offer and displays pieces by local artists from the Telluride Gallery. The twenty-one rooms and suites are comfortable and smart, decorated in muted grays and browns; some of them have roof decks with hot tubs or spacious living areas with gas fireplaces. Many have small kitchenettes, and several have full kitchens. Those who would prefer to leave the cooking to someone else will be pleased to have the Cosmopolitan restaurant in such close proximity. Located on the ground floor, it serves a lovely breakfast exclusively for guests of the hotel, with homemade granola and baked goods prepared from scratch by the restaurant’s pastry chef.

Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection is a full-service resort in Mountain Village with a relaxed home-away-from-home atmosphere. Its 86 rooms and 46 suites are all uniformly decked out in rustic stone and dark wood furnishings, while common spaces are warmed by an ever-evolving collection of art from the American southwest. Accommodations may not break any design boundaries, but they are modern and cozy. The enormous, uber-cozy beds have deep mattresses and layers of Egyptian cotton bedding. Bathrooms are large with separate tubs and walk-in showers but frustratingly dark when you’re rooting in your toiletries bag for a toothbrush. Wireless internet is complimentary in every room, and there are well-stocked mini bars with complimentary water (small details that can be the bugbears for many travelers). Views either look onto Heritage Plaza and the neighboring ice rink or across Mountain Village to the ridge beyond. The three- and four-bedroom residences are some of the best accommodations, boasting large bay windows, spacious bedrooms and full kitchens (with the option of having a private chef).

For multitasking families, the kind of infrastructure Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection provides is nearly irresistible. Exercise fiends have access to a 24-hour fitness facility, while the altitude-weary can head to the spa for oxygen therapy.  An indoor pool framed by retractable glass panes allows swimmers to watch snowdrifts accumulate from the comfort of a climate-controlled pool deck – or make the most of the fresh summer breeze. There are two dining options on-property, the upscale Black Iron Kitchen & Bar, which has a buzzing après-ski scene and winter, and the more casual M Club, which serves class American fare. Also on-property are a Dylan's Candy Shop and Starbucks.

From skiing to snowboarding, the off-property pursuits abound at Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection. The concierge can arrange heli-skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing tours, hiking, fly-fishing, and much more.

The Inn at Lost Creek, located next to the gondola overlooking Sunset Plaza, maintains the rustic charm it’s had since opening in 1998. Nearly all the thirty-two accommodations offer separate bedrooms, living areas and fireplaces. All of them have laundry facilities and either full kitchens or small kitchenettes. The property has a romantic European chalet feel, with lots of wood and stone, wrought-iron beds and patchwork quilts. Rooms on the Sunset Plaza side of the hotel have the best views of the mountain peaks. Though spa junkies and lap-swimmers will be happier at Hotel Madeline or The Peaks, the inn is a great choice for summer golfers, who receive preferred tee times and special discounts at the Telluride Golf Club. There is a small fitness room on property, and the hot tubs on the roof deck, strategically positioned on both the sunset and sunrise sides of the building, can be privately reserved. Breakfast is served at the inn’s restaurant, Siam’s Talay Grille, which features Asian seafood and tapas by the team behind local favorite Siam in Telluride. However, for children craving more predictable American fare, Crazy Elk Pizza and Tomboy Tavern are also right downstairs.

The small and stylish Lumière, which opened in 2008 at the bottom of the Lower Boomerang ski run, has proven popular with couples and groups of friends who take advantage of the stunning penthouse ‘Wilson’ suite, which sleeps eleven. Yet all twenty-nine rooms and residences are comfortable and spacious, with sleek, modern furniture that would not be out of place in New York or London. Lovely touches like L'Occitane bath products and full kitchens in all the rooms contribute to an overall impression of quiet luxury, while oversized windows and balconies make the most of the stunning scenery (of all the hotels in Mountain Village, Lumière enjoys the highest perch).

A large log fire and rough stone walls give the fourth-floor common area a clubby feel, along with comfy sofas and a well-stocked library of DVDs and board games. Its outdoor deck is popular for cocktails and dips in the various soaking tubs. At snug hangout Little Bar, a chic crowd snacks on sushi and, in the wintertime, the hotel's signature après-ski raclette.

Another boon for serious skiers is Lumière's partnership with luxury ski concierge Black Tie, a game-changer for those who dread the ritual headache of lining up for skis, boots and poles. Not only can guests arrange to rent all equipment from the privacy of their rooms; they also wake up to warmed boots and route recommendations based on the day’s conditions.

Having made its debut in 1895, the New Sheridan is in fact Telluride’s oldest hotel, and it is long on historic charm. It reopened in December 2008 after a complete renovation and now boasts twenty-six rooms and suites, rooftop hot tubs, ski storage, a buzzy restaurant, a café and a bar. Thoughtful design touches abound: Old black-and-white photographs line the stairways, an age-worn abacus sits on the landing, the walls are hung with huge tapestries, and the bathrooms are clad in interior designer favorite square white tiles. The dark-wood king-sized beds and patchwork quilts give the bedrooms an air of romance, although many of them now connect to accommodate families with young children.

With 161 rooms and 30 freestanding private residences, the Peaks is the largest resort in Mountain Village and a favorite with families. It was taken over by the Telluride Ski and Golf Resort in 2015, who hopes to re-invigorate the somewhat tired property with a fresh look. As it is now, the main lobby, which is studded with real estate offices, feels large and corporate. The Sunset Vista rooms, which provide valley panoramas, are among the nicest accommodations, but all are commodious, and many come with connecting doors, a plus for families. On the ground floor is the upscale Palmyra Restaurant, whose enormous picture windows afford stunning mountain views, plus a bar and an expensive spa boutique. The ground-floor also boasts a charming outdoor deck outfitted with fire pits that is perfect for escaping the crowds in Mountain Village.

The Spa at the Peaks, is a destination in itself and perhaps the hotel's most compelling feature. At 42,000 square feet, it is the largest spa in Colorado, with Roman baths, eucalyptus steam rooms, a dry sauna, full hair salon, Pilates and yoga studio, weight room, cardio room, rock-climbing wall and indoor lap pool. There is also a fantastic outdoor pool with a large deck, cocktail bar and grill area. On balmy summer weekends, non-hotel guests have been known to book treatments at the spa for the sole purpose of gaining access to a chaise in the sun.