Telluride? Where on earth is Telluride?
If you don’t know, you really need to Google it and gather all of the information you can because this is truly the gem of the USA and, perhaps, the most unique and scenic ski resort in all of America.
Alan Palmer from The Peaks Resort and Spa in Telluride tells us all about this unique ski resort which started life like so many other Colorado ski towns - during the 19th Century Gold Rush:
Telluride in Colorado[/caption]
The glory days of the old west came and went but this tiny burg lingered on until, in 1972, the new boom of chasing ‘white gold’ entered the canyon. Telluride Ski Resort remained quiet and unnoticed until the early 80’s when the owners of the resort began to develop the adjacent on-mountain village of, cleverly enough, Mountain Village. Anchored by the luxurious 5-star Doral Hotel, this new development quickly came to the attention of millionaires and movie stars alike (including Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Daryl Hannah and Oliver Stone).
[caption id="attachment_4111" align="aligncenter" width="262"]
The Peaks Resort & Spa, Telluride's premier hotel[/caption]
The beautiful Doral hotel soon changed its name to The Peaks Resort and Spa and it is from my lofty perch on top of The Peaks’ mountainous view where I’m writing to you now. This storied hotel looks huge from the outside but houses just 161 beautiful hotel rooms and suites, all featuring amazing views of the surrounding 14,000 ft. peaks of the San Juan mountain range in the Rockies. Why so big, then? Because never, never will you find another hotel so rich in amenities and activities right on sight. The Peaks houses the famous (ranked #15 in all of the USA) Spa at the Peaks, the largest spa facility in all of the state of Colorado, four different restaurants, two bars, 19,000 square feet of meeting and banqueting facilities, an on-site day-care facility and evening baby-sitting service, a full service concierge and a brand new state-of-the-art game room.
[caption id="attachment_4110" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Wide open bowls[/caption]
Okay . . . so if you are still reading then I need to tell you one more thing . . . our ski valet! I’ve skied all over the world and have yet to see a better ski in/ski out location than we have here at The Peaks. Early in the winter of 2011, when I had first started working here, I left my skis and boots down with our ski valet, safely and securely stored and keeping toasty warm. One bright and powdery morning our ski valet greeted me downstairs and handed me my boots and, unbeknownst to me, spoke on the radio to his counterpart just outside the door by the ski storage. I donned my boots and headed out to find that the ski valet was busy helping another guest. Well, no bother, I work here and am happy to get my own skis . . . but, what-ho? My skis were not anywhere to be found in the ski locker. A light pat on my shoulder alerted me to someone close behind and I turned to be greeted with “Mr. Palmer, your skis are already here on the snow. Just step in and you are ready to go.”
You see, we are located mid-mountain so you truly do ski right up to the back door of the hotel and in the morning ski or ride away to one of two lifts taking you right to mid mountain and runs for every ability. We truly are an elevator ride away from your first and last ski run of the day at The Peaks Resort and Spa.
Alan Palmer
Fancy taking a trip to Telluride in winter 2012/2013? Look no further! Speak to one of our knowledgeable team here at Ski Independence, call us on 0131 243 8097 or request an email quote.
- Founded in 1868 after the gold miners struck rich in the surrounding hills, Telluride exploded onto the scene as one of the richest new communities in the fledgling Colorado territory. Gold brought fortune seekers and laborers alike. Entrepreneurs swarmed into this tiny box canyon opening business such as shops, hotels, saloons and the famous female ‘boarding houses’ on Pacific Street.
- Telluridewas the first town in the world to have a working alternating-current power plant to feed light to the mines and homes in the area. We locals, along with part-time residents George Westinghouse and Nicolas Tesla, were generous enough to send this technology to the rest of the world.
- Famous bank robber, Butch Cassidy – the Gentleman Bandit – gave up his cattle rustling career and moved on to fame, fortune and perhaps his ultimate demise, by robbing his first bank right on the main street in Telluride, escaping on horseback down the narrow exit from the canyon.
Telluride in Colorado[/caption]
The glory days of the old west came and went but this tiny burg lingered on until, in 1972, the new boom of chasing ‘white gold’ entered the canyon. Telluride Ski Resort remained quiet and unnoticed until the early 80’s when the owners of the resort began to develop the adjacent on-mountain village of, cleverly enough, Mountain Village. Anchored by the luxurious 5-star Doral Hotel, this new development quickly came to the attention of millionaires and movie stars alike (including Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Daryl Hannah and Oliver Stone).
[caption id="attachment_4111" align="aligncenter" width="262"]
The Peaks Resort & Spa, Telluride's premier hotel[/caption]
The beautiful Doral hotel soon changed its name to The Peaks Resort and Spa and it is from my lofty perch on top of The Peaks’ mountainous view where I’m writing to you now. This storied hotel looks huge from the outside but houses just 161 beautiful hotel rooms and suites, all featuring amazing views of the surrounding 14,000 ft. peaks of the San Juan mountain range in the Rockies. Why so big, then? Because never, never will you find another hotel so rich in amenities and activities right on sight. The Peaks houses the famous (ranked #15 in all of the USA) Spa at the Peaks, the largest spa facility in all of the state of Colorado, four different restaurants, two bars, 19,000 square feet of meeting and banqueting facilities, an on-site day-care facility and evening baby-sitting service, a full service concierge and a brand new state-of-the-art game room.
[caption id="attachment_4110" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Wide open bowls[/caption]
Okay . . . so if you are still reading then I need to tell you one more thing . . . our ski valet! I’ve skied all over the world and have yet to see a better ski in/ski out location than we have here at The Peaks. Early in the winter of 2011, when I had first started working here, I left my skis and boots down with our ski valet, safely and securely stored and keeping toasty warm. One bright and powdery morning our ski valet greeted me downstairs and handed me my boots and, unbeknownst to me, spoke on the radio to his counterpart just outside the door by the ski storage. I donned my boots and headed out to find that the ski valet was busy helping another guest. Well, no bother, I work here and am happy to get my own skis . . . but, what-ho? My skis were not anywhere to be found in the ski locker. A light pat on my shoulder alerted me to someone close behind and I turned to be greeted with “Mr. Palmer, your skis are already here on the snow. Just step in and you are ready to go.”
You see, we are located mid-mountain so you truly do ski right up to the back door of the hotel and in the morning ski or ride away to one of two lifts taking you right to mid mountain and runs for every ability. We truly are an elevator ride away from your first and last ski run of the day at The Peaks Resort and Spa.
Alan Palmer
Fancy taking a trip to Telluride in winter 2012/2013? Look no further! Speak to one of our knowledgeable team here at Ski Independence, call us on 0131 243 8097 or request an email quote.