Sometimes, the great outdoors calls and we feel compelled to answer. Other times, we like to admire nature from afar, preferably from an antique velvet-upholstered chaise lounge. Here, 9 rustic-luxe hotels where it's all about the mountain-meets-modern interiors and farm-style gourmet meals.
By Chelsea Stuart
The Ranch at Rock Creek, Philipsburg, Montana
The accommodations at the all-inclusive Ranch at Rock Creek come in a couple of different (but nonetheless luxurious) forms. There's the nine-room Granite Lodge, a three-room 19th-century barn, and an array of homes and glamping cabins all for the taking. The Western-style rooms are done up in neutral palettes accented by desert reds, burnt oranges, and touches of teal; woven textiles mingle with frontier antiques, upholstered rocking chairs, and, in some rooms, towering Birch canopy beds. When you're ready to peel your eyes away from your room, you can saddle up to the Silver Dollar Saloon (the bar stools are literally saddles), hit the Mercantile for some Great West getup, or try your hand at ranching activities like horseback riding and fly-fishing. At night, refuel with wild salmon kale salads, bison burgers, and blueberry cobbler.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek, Colorado
Need a change of scenery? How about waking up in a plush feather bed, unwrapping yourself from a cocoon of 400-count Egyptian cotton sheets, and strolling out to your private balcony to take in the views of Beaver Creek Mountain? At the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, you're smack dab in the middle of the commanding Colorado Rockies and just a quick ride away from Beaver Creek ski village. Following the end of Wolfgang Puck's onsite Spago residency this past spring, the Ritz was quick to introduce a summer pop-up concept where, each weekend, a revolving roster of guest chefs offer their own three- to four-course prix fixe menu. If you're looking to get out for dinner, you can always venture to Mirabelle, a cozy, romantic farmhouse serving hearty plates like roasted elk filet with rosemary-infused couscous.
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The Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid, NY
If your rustic-luxe tastes lean a little more towards the man cave, consider the Whiteface Lodge in two-time winter Olympics host city Lake Placid. The mountainside resort - built from hand-milled onsite timber - sits on six million acres of wilderness (that's more land than the state of Vermont!) just a five-minute drive from Lake Placid village and 30 minutes from Whiteface Mountain. Inside, it's all about the deep leather chairs, cast-iron fireplaces, cigars, cognac, and restaurant KANU, with a standout menu of North American fish and game.
Waldorf Astoria Park City, Park City, Utah
Walk into the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria Park City and your Utah escape will begin with a gentle, earthy, leatherwood aroma. Second to the scent, you'll likely note the bronze stag statues, crystal baccarat chandeliers, and leather and velvet antique furniture - just some aspects of interior designer Stephen Brady's elegant mountain-meets-modern scheme. PC pastimes include hiking, biking, horseback riding, and golfing (plus, you'll probably want to head back in January for this little thing called Sundance). Park City knows how to do lowbrow and highbrow dining right, so once you choose what kind of night you'll be having, hightail it to Riverhorse on Main for a seasonal menu of imaginative dishes like pistachio-crusted local red trout and crispy guinea hen with boursin, or, grab a classic burger and enjoy a live acoustic show at the Silver Star Cafe.
Read the rest of 8 Rustic-Luxe Getaways We're Crazy About by Chelsea Stuart on Jetsetter
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