The Arrabelle at Vail Square

This luxurious full-service resort, directly on the slopes at Lionshead, is designed to evoke an Alpine castle from the outside, with all the modern amenities a 21^st-century skier could hope for inside.

• Elaborate wrought-iron chandeliers in the lobby, instead of the usual elk antler lights
• Friendly valets, and free round-the-clock shuttle van around town
• Lunch on the sunny patio, a perfect place to escape the on-mountain meal-time crowds

Opened in early 2008, the Arrabelle at Vail Square is owned by Vail Resorts and managed by its subsidiary, RockResorts. The hotel is the centerpiece of the extensive redevelopment at Lionshead, the self-contained enclave of what was once moderately priced, family-oriented lodges and condos on Vail’s western end, and now contains the Ritz-Carlton Club and several recently upgraded properties. The 36 spacious guestrooms and 65 condo units, ranging from one to five-bedrooms, are arrayed in four interconnected buildings surrounding an open square. There’s a skating rink, a Vail Square glockenspiel and carillon bell tower, and a European-style café to continue Vail’s characteristic Old World feeling. Inside, the lobby has a rather eclectic, if not exactly authentic baronial feel, with the sprawling Tavern on the Square three-meal restaurant in the far corner. A typical Premier Executive suite is big enough for three sitting chairs and a sleeper sofa, plus a king bed with ceiling drapery that looks like a velvet cape issuing from the crown molding. Bathrooms are equally vast, with glassed-in shower stalls running the full length of the room.

Anyone seeking modern luxury on a grand scale, directly on the slopes. Families in need of acres of space and easy access to ski school.