Best Hotels For Fall Foliage Sightseeing

Fall is one of my favorite times to travel.  Getting outdoors doesn’t require a first-aid kit stocked with water and Benadryl and the scenery can be breathtaking.

Looking for a little fall travel inspiration?  Book a weekend at one of these hotels for a fall getaway and enjoy some of the greatest views of fall foliage.

3 Hotels For A Fall Vacation

Castlemaine Inn

Castlemaine Inn – Bar Harbor, Maine

Wake up on a crisp autumn morning in a New England bed and breakfast, spend the day driving through Arcadia National Park, and end with a quiet evening in front of your suite’s fireplace.  Add a knit scarf and leather boots and you have the perfect building blocks for a fall getaway at Castlemaine Inn in Bar Harbor.

St. Regis Aspen Resort – Aspen, Colorado

If you prefer decadent luxury over comfortable charm, the St. Regis may be provide a better backdrop to your fall fantasies.  Be pampered with butler services and spa treatments.  Listed on the 2010 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List, the St. Regis sits at the foot of the Aspen Mountain.  Bring your camera and your favorite book.

Glacier Park Lodge – East Glacier Park, Montana

Want to get away from it all this fall?  You can’t get much more away than the Glacier Park Lodge.  Built in 1912, this hotel provides easy access to Glacier National Park, and not much else.  But what the Lodge is (purposefully) lacking in modern technology, it makes up for with rustic charm and sweeping views.  Leave the blackberry at home and let yourself get back to basics for a weekend in this over-sized log cabin.

Photos courtesy of banspy on Flickr, Castlemaine Inn

Colorado's fresh powder and special ski packages beckon

With 26 unique ski areas and resorts offering more than 2,000 trails and 40,000 acres of mountain terrain, Colorado is the world’s premier ski and snowboard destination. The State also provides visitors with a variety of off-the-slopes winter activities including dog sledding, ice jeeping, snowshoeing and ice climbing. Now, with fresh powder from winter storms adding to the snowpack over the past ten days, resorts across the state are offering great values on airfare, lodging, lift tickets and more. The following are ten of the best offers:

Winter Park: Rates from $45 Per Person, Per Night. Save 50% off your 2nd night when you book one night. Restrictions may apply.

Aspen/SnowmassBuy 4 and Get More with the Perfect Storm Package. Buy a minimum four night/four day lift and lodging package and get a fifth night of lodging and a fifth day of lifts for free. Plus, get a Perfect Storm Card good for discounts on goods and services throughout the resort including in-resort discounts including, 15% off up to two adult group ski school lessons  and Read More »

The Top 10 Green Ski Resorts Hotel Report is a look at where to stay if you visit one of the top 10 green ski resorts selected by the non-profit group Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition,

Number two on the list is Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort, known as the “easy” mountain in Aspen. This is where you come to learn to ski, hang out with the kids, or take a run or two before retiring to the lodge with a hot toddy and that cute hottie from the lift line.

In the spirit of indulgence, and since it helps to be rich if you want to go on a ski vacation to Aspen in the first place, here are three fabulous luxury hotels to make your stay in Aspen pampered and cozy.

The Library at the Hotel Jerome

The Jerome Hotel, Aspen, Colorado

Built in 1889, Hotel Jerome started out as an old school grand hotel. Through several renovations they’ve kept the charm and added luxury boutique hotel amenities like a fitness center, heated outdoor pool and in-room massage services. You can even get a ride to the slopes in a chauffeur-driven luxury SUV! (Yes, I know it’s not green, but it does sound nice!)

Jerome Hotel King Size Room

A favorite of celebrities, rates for the 94 rooms and suites start at $500/night and go up … way up!

Sky Hotel

Part of the Kimpton Chain, the Sky Hotel is a green hotel option in Aspen. It’s also a cool, hip, modern hotel where you can bring your dog, drink by the heated pool and hot tub, and oh, yeah, ski if you feel like it.

Sky Hotel, Aspen, Colorado

The rooms are pretty swank, too, with down duvets, L’Occitane bath products and iPod docks by the fireplace.

Sky Hotel Room

Depending on how flexible your dates are, you can find rooms as “low” as $350, but in general figure you’ll be paying around $500/night.

Hearthstone House

For a smaller, more intimate experience (“Please, no paparazzi!”) there is Hearthstone House. Just two blocks from the center of Aspen, this pretty, little Frank Llyod Wright-inspired building has an air of privacy and serenity.

Hearthstone House, Aspen, Colorado

Guests enjoy a continental breakfast in the morning, wine and cheese in the afternoon, the ubiquitous outdoor hot tub and an herbal steam room. Back in your room, you can play with nice smelling Aveda products in your whirlpool spa tub.

Hearthstone House Room

Rates during the winter season range from $250-$430.

The Top Ten Green Ski Resorts

Aspen Mountain Ski Resort – Colorado
Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort – Colorado
Sundance Resort – Utah
Park City Mountain Resort – Utah
Squaw Valley USA – California
Alpine Meadows Ski Area – California
Aspen Highlands Ski Resort – Colorado
Bogus Basin Mountain Resort – Idaho
Mount Bachelor Ski Area – Oregon
Telluride Ski Resort – Colorado

Photos: courtesy of Hotel Jermone, Sky Hotel and Hearthstone House

Winter is definitely upon us, and many parts of the country have been blanketed in snow over the past few weeks, even cities like Las Vegas which rarely see as much snow as they got! If you’re a fan of snow and skiing, this is the perfect time of year for you. The U.S. has plenty of fantastic ski resorts – check out some of these cities, ski resorts and hotels when planning your next ski vacation:

Stowe Mountain Lodge

The Stowe Mountain Lodge

The Stowe Mountain Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, is practically brand-new, and it’s gorgeous. Stowe, Vermont is one of those perfectly picturesque towns to visit, no matter what time of year you go, including the magical winter season. All rooms have a view of either Mt. Mansfield or Spruce Peak, and you can book 1,2 or 3-bedroom suites. Most rooms have fireplaces to cozy up next to as well as balconies. There are plenty of winter activities to check out including snowboarding and dog sledding, too!

Lion Square Lodge

Lion Square Lodge

The Lion Square Lodge is located in beautiful Vail, Colorado. You can enjoy either hotel rooms or large, 1-5 bedroom condominiums. There are three outdoor hot tubs, saunas and a well-equipped fitness room. Although, after a day on the nearby slopes you probably won’t have to work out at all. You’ll be close to lots of shops, restaurants and nightlife as well.

Aspen, Colorado

Sky Hotel

The Sky Hotel, located in Aspen, Colorado, offers 90 luxurious rooms perfect for every snow bunny. The decor is hip and welcoming, and you can choose to relax in the outdoor heated pool or hit the slopes as soon as you arrive. This resort is pet-friendly, too! Aspen has a great nightlife scene, and you’ll be close to that as well.

Stay warm, have fun and enjoy an amazing ski season at these picturesque ski resorts.

Photo Credits: Lion Square Lodge website, Stowe Mountain Lodge website, Mcclave