Hotel Terra

Situated slopeside, Hotel Terra is Jackson Hole’s first eco-property and a LEED-certified hotel with a great sense of design.

• The design-conscious interiors (a rarity in Jackson Hole)
• Dinner at Il Villaggio Osteria, Hotel Terra’s buzzing restaurant on the ground floor
• The small, but sweet spa on the top floor

This debut property of the Terra Resort Group, a hotel-management company that is headed by a former Four Seasons exec, opened to much acclaim in 2008. Situated slopeside, Hotel Terra is Jackson Hole’s first eco-property and LEED-certified. Its minimally-designed interiors and cool ambiance are proof that you don’t have to sacrifice style to go green.

The 132 rooms, spread across five floors, are cozy yet modern, a far cry from the Wild West motif characterizing most places in the village. The accommodations boast the usual luxuries: spacious bathrooms, flat-screen televisions, Bose surround sound and iHome iPod docking stations, as well as a subdued color scheme of deep greens, chocolates and beiges. Reading the in-room guide you learn that, in addition, the windows are energy-efficient, keeping the heat out in the summer and in, in the winter; you’re sleeping on a custom mattress made from organic cotton; that your room is cleaned with chemical-free products; and that the coffee you sip in the morning is organic and fair trade. There’s a director of sustainability on the premises, so a lot of green thought informs even smallest details, such as the recycling bins in the closets and separate thermostats for the bath- and bedrooms.

The hotel doesn’t pretend to have the white-glove service of the neighboring Four Seasons. You bus your own breakfast at the in-house Terra Café, ordering delicious organic fare at the counter, then bringing it to one of the small tables, where you pull up a chair made of recycled seat belts. And you may store your skis only in the ski cellar, taking your boots up to your room (there are boot dryers in the rooms). But the tiny Chill Spa, on the top floor, lives up to its name, with a relaxation room designed in poppy, turquoise and blue and a rooftop hot tub offering a view of the mountain. Guests are mostly young families and stylish couples, many of whom eat breakfast dressed in ski gear (the aerial tram is right outside Hotel Terra’s back door).

Couples, families and friends traveling together who want to be right near the mountain and who understand the green approach behind Terra and appreciate the hotel’s efforts to create a healthier, restorative environment through its design. Travelers who need 24-hour room service will be happier at the Four Seasons.