:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48740115/curbed_placeholder.54.0.jpg)
It's not really a ski vacation unless you have a hot tub to hop into after a day in the steep and deep. From secluded and scenic to wild and crazy, many of our Essential 38 ski town hotels, along with a few key others, take tubbing to the next level, whether it's secluded and scenic, cozy and cavernous or wild and crazy. Here are our ten favorites to get your soak and/or freak on:
-with help from Katie Shapiro
Whatever your feelings are about one of New England's most hard-core ski areas building a 50,000 square foot indoor water park that sucks down gobs of energy to heat a lazy river in one of the coldest nether regions of America, Jay Peak's new Pump House is pretty damn fun... once all the kids have left. While there's a sizable 20-person outdoor hot tub, the amenities for adrenalin-seeking adults don't stop once Jay's Tram stops running for the day. There's an artificial wave you can rip on a mini surfboard and four different water slides including La Chute, a vertical tube that drops guests with hearts pounding for 65 feet, accelerating them to 45 mph before throwing them into a half-inverted 360-degree loop that spits them out into the flats, all in 6 seconds. Make sure to hit it at the end of the night though, as going any earlier will result in being surrounded by so many screaming kids you'll think you're Schwarzenegger's character from Kindergarten Cop. And oh yeah, there's a bar.
Book the Owl Cabin here for a jetted tub for two overlooking the lake. The heated towel rack, champagne on demand and picture window make-up for the fact that it’s inside and not out. But, with its hewn-log surroundings you won’t even notice.
Tucked inside the 21,000 square-foot Bachelor Gulch Spa, the cavernous stone and wood room with rushing waterfalls is the ultimate ski-town soaker. It’s officially known as “The Grotto” and aptly so. There are also three outdoor whirlpools next to the outdoor pool to dip into if you want to kiss that mountain air we breathe.
This quintessential après ski party scene not only happens in the Sky Hotel’s trendy 39 Degrees lounge, but also in the water at the base of Ajax. Known for its epic pool parties, the hot tub is usually overflowing with eye candy. And that’s the fun part.
This breathtaking property has a name for a reason. You’ll have free reign of the natural and secluded hot springs scattered throughout the grounds. There’s also a freestanding bathhouse – an original building from the 19th century that has since been restored. The waters range from 85°F to 106°F and carry above average mineral content known to improve circulation and promote healthy skin.
Part of a 15,000 square foot five-story spa, the Snake River's pool complex is giant, featuring a swim-through indoor/outdoor pool and indoor and outdoor hot tubs sunk into grottos. It's best to come in late February or early March, when Powder Magazine takes over the hotel for ski testing at Jackson Hole and you can rub elbows in the outdoor pool with industry big wigs, as they're out there ordering beers as soon as the lifts close.
Elevated on the second story and overlooking the Jackson Hole base village, Hotel Terra's oversized infiniti hot tub is an unreal spot to watch the day gradually fade over the Tetons with a tallboy after a long day pounding vert and powder on the hill. Once your skin is pruned into a ripply mess, you're only steps away from either Terra's in-house restaurant, Osteria, or the base village's anchor aprés spot, the Mangy Moose.
The 113- square foot slate whirlpool is probably the best spot on the property to take in magnificent views of the snow capped Tetons – especially at sunset. Even at a toasty 103 degrees, the attentive staff makes sure heads are kept warm too by hand delivering wool beanies when the wind picks up.
If the idea of being elbow-to-elbow in hot chlorinated water with a bunch of gross skiers stuffed in a hot tub is not your idea of relaxing aprés, then the Sun Valley Lodge's two 50-foot wide hot tubs are for you. There's enough space for two jazzercise classes to work out simultaneously, and its circular shape has been known to inspire human-powered whirpool attempts on occasion.
While not at a hotel, any ski town hot tub roundup would not be doing itself justice by leaving out Squaw Valley's High Camp, which sports a heated pool and huge hot tub mid-mountain at 8200' feet accesible by its own tram. Starting around St. Patty's Day and running all the way through the spring ski season and into the summer, the High Camp scene gets rocking most afternoons and Squaw hosts a variety of parties, including a full-moon summer rager running until 2 AM. This is aprés California-style.
Whatever your feelings are about one of New England's most hard-core ski areas building a 50,000 square foot indoor water park that sucks down gobs of energy to heat a lazy river in one of the coldest nether regions of America, Jay Peak's new Pump House is pretty damn fun... once all the kids have left. While there's a sizable 20-person outdoor hot tub, the amenities for adrenalin-seeking adults don't stop once Jay's Tram stops running for the day. There's an artificial wave you can rip on a mini surfboard and four different water slides including La Chute, a vertical tube that drops guests with hearts pounding for 65 feet, accelerating them to 45 mph before throwing them into a half-inverted 360-degree loop that spits them out into the flats, all in 6 seconds. Make sure to hit it at the end of the night though, as going any earlier will result in being surrounded by so many screaming kids you'll think you're Schwarzenegger's character from Kindergarten Cop. And oh yeah, there's a bar.
Book the Owl Cabin here for a jetted tub for two overlooking the lake. The heated towel rack, champagne on demand and picture window make-up for the fact that it’s inside and not out. But, with its hewn-log surroundings you won’t even notice.
Tucked inside the 21,000 square-foot Bachelor Gulch Spa, the cavernous stone and wood room with rushing waterfalls is the ultimate ski-town soaker. It’s officially known as “The Grotto” and aptly so. There are also three outdoor whirlpools next to the outdoor pool to dip into if you want to kiss that mountain air we breathe.
This quintessential après ski party scene not only happens in the Sky Hotel’s trendy 39 Degrees lounge, but also in the water at the base of Ajax. Known for its epic pool parties, the hot tub is usually overflowing with eye candy. And that’s the fun part.
This breathtaking property has a name for a reason. You’ll have free reign of the natural and secluded hot springs scattered throughout the grounds. There’s also a freestanding bathhouse – an original building from the 19th century that has since been restored. The waters range from 85°F to 106°F and carry above average mineral content known to improve circulation and promote healthy skin.
Part of a 15,000 square foot five-story spa, the Snake River's pool complex is giant, featuring a swim-through indoor/outdoor pool and indoor and outdoor hot tubs sunk into grottos. It's best to come in late February or early March, when Powder Magazine takes over the hotel for ski testing at Jackson Hole and you can rub elbows in the outdoor pool with industry big wigs, as they're out there ordering beers as soon as the lifts close.
Elevated on the second story and overlooking the Jackson Hole base village, Hotel Terra's oversized infiniti hot tub is an unreal spot to watch the day gradually fade over the Tetons with a tallboy after a long day pounding vert and powder on the hill. Once your skin is pruned into a ripply mess, you're only steps away from either Terra's in-house restaurant, Osteria, or the base village's anchor aprés spot, the Mangy Moose.
The 113- square foot slate whirlpool is probably the best spot on the property to take in magnificent views of the snow capped Tetons – especially at sunset. Even at a toasty 103 degrees, the attentive staff makes sure heads are kept warm too by hand delivering wool beanies when the wind picks up.
If the idea of being elbow-to-elbow in hot chlorinated water with a bunch of gross skiers stuffed in a hot tub is not your idea of relaxing aprés, then the Sun Valley Lodge's two 50-foot wide hot tubs are for you. There's enough space for two jazzercise classes to work out simultaneously, and its circular shape has been known to inspire human-powered whirpool attempts on occasion.
While not at a hotel, any ski town hot tub roundup would not be doing itself justice by leaving out Squaw Valley's High Camp, which sports a heated pool and huge hot tub mid-mountain at 8200' feet accesible by its own tram. Starting around St. Patty's Day and running all the way through the spring ski season and into the summer, the High Camp scene gets rocking most afternoons and Squaw hosts a variety of parties, including a full-moon summer rager running until 2 AM. This is aprés California-style.
Loading comments...