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How to ski for less at the most exclusive U.S. resorts

 

ASPEN, COLO.

Lay of the land:  The historic mining town turned tony resort enclave sits at the base of Aspen Mountain, one of four ski areas owned by Aspen Skiing Co. The others, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass, are nearby and, with Aspen, accessible via a single lift ticket.

Back story: Aspen's roots as a 19th-century boom-and-bust silver-mining town were supplanted in the late 1940s and '50s when the ski resorts took shape. The stars soon followed. Homeowners include Lance Armstrong, Jack Nicholson, and Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. But as site of the Aspen Institute and Aspen Music Festival, the town has cultural roots that run deep. Beyond the chichi shops (Prada, Gucci, Dior) and stratospheric real-estate values, long-timers maintain that at its heart, Aspen remains a classic mountain town.

 

The deal: Book four nights and get the fifth night free with the Perfect Storm package, good at various lodgings (valid March 26-April 4; book by Monday). Sample cost: five nights at the Annabelle Inn with breakfast and après-ski wine reception is $523.60 per room, with tax. The deal also includes a fifth day of free skiing when purchasing a four-day lift ticket, plus other discounts. 800-262-7736; stayaspensnowmass.com.

Getting around: Free shuttles ferry passengers between town and the four mountain resorts.

Après ski: Longtime favorite Little Annie's Eating House draws raves for its burgers ($8.95 with fries). The Double Dog Pub serves inexpensive fare with live music Tuesday and Thursday nights. The colorful J-Bar at the historic Hotel Jerome features Prohibition-era drinks such as the Aspen crud (a bourbon-spiked milkshake).

Budget tip: Many fine-dining restaurants have bar menus with smaller portions at lower prices.

For free: The First Tracks program on Aspen Mountain and Snowmass puts guests on the slopes with ski school pros before lifts open to the public. (Sign up the night before.) Admission to the Aspen Art Museum is gratis.

Information: 888-290-1324; aspenchamber.org.

DEER VALLEY, UTAH

Lay of the land: The upscale ski resort is about 40 miles from the Salt Lake City airport, 1 mile from Park City and close to Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons ski areas.

Back story: Television and hotel magnate Edgar Stern (who owned San Francisco's Stanford Court) envisioned a ski resort that would operate like a five-star lodging. In 1981, he opened Deer Valley, featuring amenities such as ski valets. Besides the perennial five-star/diamond Stein Eriksen Lodge, on-site digs include a new St. Regis resort and, opening next winter, a luxury Montage resort. Deer Valley is one of only three U.S. ski areas that ban snowboarding.

The deal: Late-season packages knock 25% off lodging and lift tickets (800-558-3337; deervalley.com), but staying in Park City is a better bet for skiers on a budget. Sample deal: The Yarrow Resort Hotel has a four-night package (valid through March 20) that includes three-day lift tickets for Deer Valley and breakfast, from $585 per person, double. 800-908-5000; ski.com.

Getting around: Free bus service runs between Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons.

Après ski: Park City's lively Main Street boasts a range of reasonably priced eateries. Locals line up for the $11.75 buffalo burgers at the No Name Saloon. At the no-frills El Chubasco, diners fill up on heaping $7.95 bowls of posole, a spicy corn stew, and other hearty Mexican fare. Squatters, Red Rock and Wasatch pubs serve local brews. At Deer Valley Resort, the Royal Street Cafe at the Silver Lake Lodge offers an array of appetizers for $6-$16; a bowl of the resort's signature turkey chili is $8.50.

Budget tip: March 28 to the end of ski season, redeem your airline boarding pass for a free lift ticket at any of the three area resorts (parkcityinfo.com/quickstart).

For free: Watch the pros train on the ski jump and luge, bobsled and skeleton tracks at the Utah Olympic Park. The Kimball Art Center has free admission.

Information: 800-453-1360; parkcityinfo.com.

SUN VALLEY, IDAHO

Lay of the land: The name refers to an area consisting of Sun Valley Resort with its two ski mountains and Austrian-style village, the neighboring historic mining town of Ketchum, and the valley stretching south to Bellevue.

Back story: In the mid-1930s, railroad tycoon Averell Harriman, seeking to beef up passenger business on his Union Pacific trains, created the USA's first destination winter resort. He built buzz by inviting celebrities such as Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball and Ernest Hemingway (who completed For Whom the Bell Tolls in suite 206 of the Sun Valley Lodge). The area remains a hangout for A-list regulars including Tom Hanks, Jamie Lee Curtis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Springsteen.

The deal: Get a free lift ticket (regular price is $82) for every night booked at the Sun Valley Lodge or Sun Valley Inn though March 25 for $109.50 per person, double. (Blackout dates apply.) Additionally, from Feb. 22 through the ski season, one child 15 and under stays and skis free for every adult booked at participating lodgings at Sun Valley Resort. Not in the mood for skiing? Multi-day lift tickets of three days or more can be exchanged for other resort activities, spa and meal credits. 800-786-8259; sunvalley.com.

Getting around: Mountain Rides buses, equipped with ski and bike racks, operate freebetween the ski area and Ketchum.

Après ski: Grumpy's is a favorite for burgers and beer (a 32-ounce schooner costs just $5). Try Apples Bar & Grill near the Warm Springs Lodge for casual, tasty fare. Most menu items are less than $10.

Budget tip: Local cognoscenti scour the racks at Ketchum's Gold Mine Thrift Shop for deals on high-end designer labels.

For free: A winter concert series in the Ketchum town plaza runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursdays through March 25.

Information: 866-305-0408; visitsunvalley.com.

#Vegas Rolls Dice on City Center‎

When it comes to celebrating the holidays, images of Las Vegas don't exactly come to mind. But this season, Sin City is hoping to boost its fortunes with the opening of the new City Center -- an $8.5 billion dollar gamble.

City Center officially opens Wednesday, unwrapping its luxury spas, casino and new Elvis Presley tribute.

While it's a huge risk, many are hoping City Center is a gift that will keep on giving -- there hasn't been a lot to cheer about this yearin Vegas, which has been hit hard by the recession.

Still, Donny Osmond told CBS News, "Christmas in Vegas is so different than any other place. It's not about cuddling up next to the fireplace--this is about a neon party land."

But Vegas gifts can't be found anywhere else. Cirque de Soleil is opening "Viva Elvis" -- with 75 acrobats, a five-story stage, and rare home movies.

"Viva Elvis" opens in the new Aria Hotel, part of the $8.5 billion City Center. Its 67 acres include custom art, high-tech suites and high-end shopping. Eva Longoria Parker just opened her Beso Restaurant at City Center.

Bill McBeath, chief operating officer of Aria, gave "Early Show" national news correspondent Hattie Kauffman an exclusive look inside the Aria, including the high-ceiling coffee shop and poker room.

The City Center has set the bar pretty high this holiday season, Kauffman said, but added visitors shouldn't count out the rest of the Vegas strip.

Donny and Marie Osmond have added holiday music to their show. Marie, a mother-of-eight, even moved her family to Las Vegas.

According to Marie, "You can walk to see a great show, you can walk to a great restaurant. You can walk and see some of the best shopping in the world. You can have it all right here."

Donny added, "If you want an entertaining Christmas, this is the place to be."

At the Bellagio, thousands have discovered this winter wonderland in the desert. The Four Seasons Gingerbread Village features an edible carousel, and a quarter million cranberries fill the Palazzo's pool.

And do you MISS the cold? Mandalay Bay offers faux furs and cold drinks inside the minus five degree ice lounge -- and snow falls in the Qua Spa at Caesar's Palace.

Cher is also strutting her stuff at Caesar's Palace where Jerry Seinfeld will make a rare appearance. Also, Garth Brooks is out of retirement playing the Wynn. John Mayer will also appear at The Hard Rock Café, and the Black Eyed Peas will ring in the New Year in Vegas.

Kauffman added on the broadcast this holiday season is serious business for Las Vegas. City Center alone, she said, has opened up 12,000 new jobs for a city hit hard by the recession.

#Holiday #travel that won't bust the budget

I'm perched in a wooden treehouse lazing on a cushy double mattress atop a white sand beach along Mexico's Riviera Maya. Overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, I'm about as far away from holiday hoopla and craziness as I can get when the beach butler comes by to see if I need anything.

No one is bickering or complaining. In fact, it is that rare vacation moment when everyone is happy at the same time. I'm not dreaming. We're at the small Azul Beach Hotel, a short walk along the beach from the Azul Sensatori Hotel, where we've been spending the holiday week. Kids play happily on the beach and splash in the water and I don't have to do the dishes after a sumptuous holiday feast -- in this case a beach barbecue featuring freshly caught grouper and snapper.

We've spent Christmases hanging stockings in ski condos from Vermont to Colorado and sailed a chartered boat around the British Virgin Islands. We've watched baby sea turtles make their way to the ocean one Christmas Eve along Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula and swam with the sea lions another year in the Galapagos Islands.

As the kids got older, these trips became their holiday gifts -- the memories and experiences, I reasoned, would last a lot longer than a new sweater or video game and they agreed, though they finally made me stop buying holiday ornaments every place we went. "No more room on the tree!" they groused, at about the same time they gave up posing for those ubiquitous family vacation pictures.

If you're thinking holiday trips are guaranteed budget busters, think again. In this economy, hotels, resorts, adventure outfitters and ski areas need our business as much as we need a break. They understand that if they don't offer families great value for their vacation dollar, we'll stay home.

For the first time, the all-inclusive Azul Beach Hotel is offering 25 percent off at the holidays, for example, and throwing in a massage. And if you can beg off family commitments, it's not too late to snare a deal for Thanksgiving weekend.

"Historically, holiday travelers would have to abide by minimum-night stay requirements and also pay a premium to vacation during the holidays," said Dan Sherman from www.ski.com. "This year we're offering more sales, bigger discounts and we have them available earlier than we did last year."

The trick is scoring a decent airfare. You need to be as flexible as possible, shop around and be ready to book seats when you find a deal you can live with. If you can travel after January 2, for example, the FDR Resorts in Jamaica -- where you are assigned a dedicated vacation nanny -- is offering a $700 air credit.

All the better, of course, if you can drive. Look for resorts with hotel rooms as low as $100 a night (or less). Try Horseshoe Bay Resort in the Texas Hill Country, or the Omni San Diego where you get personalized holiday stockings. Even in tony Beverly Hills 11 hotels are offering "And to All a Free Night" packages (book two nights and receive a third night free www.lovebeverlyhills.org.) Or book three nights at a Loews Hotel and get 30 percent off the entire stay through the end of January with their "Home for the Holidays" offer.

Even during the holidays, you shouldn't have to pay rack rate, even at the ritziest places. For example, The Four Seasons Resort Lana'i is touting a second room at half-price, free baby-sitting and kids program and no resort fee -- a savings of more than $300 a night for those who can afford the freight. Or get a free night at Destination Resorts luxe Hawaii condos on Maui (www.drhmaui.com).

CoCo Key Indoor Water Resort in Ohio -- winner of this year's best of aquatics award -- sports a 50,000-square-foot indoor water park and a holiday deal starting at $149 a night, including four two-day water park passes, as well as goodie bags for the kids. Look for deals at other CoCo Key resorts and check out the Snowland festivities -- complete with indoor snow, a story-telling reindeer and Santa's workshop at the Great Wolf Lodge Resorts that also include free admission to their water parks and room discounts.

If you've got a favorite destination or hotel chain, follow them on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook and you might score an especially good deal, suggests Erik Torkells, editor of www.tripadvisor.com. "Don't get hung up on the hotel rate," he advises, but be ready to wheel and deal for extras that can add up to a lot more than a few dollars less on room-free nights, free food, free lift tickets, air credits and kids' activities.

If you want to head to ski country, for example, Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado promises a free plane ticket after you have purchased two, while Breckenridge, Colorado, is touting 20 percent off lodging. The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah, will throw in two adult lift tickets each night and credits you can use for the kids ski school. Book four nights or more at the small Treasure Mountain Inn in the heart of Park City and pay less than last year while the kids (12 and under) ski for free. Web sites like www.liftopia.com can save on lift ticket costs too.

Join the "Grinchmas" celebration at Universal Studios Orlando where there will be a nightly Christmas tree lighting, special holiday-themed shows and deals that give you four hotel nights for the price of three and unlimited theme park admission for under $1,000 for a family of four. Or book an entire house in Orlando from www.homeaway.com for less than $200 a night.

Check out The National Christmas Tree and National Menorah when you stay at The Fairmont Washington DC where you can snare a holiday deal for $142 a night. Check Web sites like www.getaroom.com for deals in cities across the country.

In Mexico, my daughters Mel, Reggie and I settle in for an afternoon in our treehouse. My husband Andy and son Matt are next door. For once, they don't have to rush off anywhere and are happy to hang with Mom and Dad. Thanks, Santa!