Kick Off the Ski Season with a Visit to Fairmont
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ renowned winter destinations are inviting all ski lovers, snowboard enthusiasts and plain old snow bunnies to take to the slopes this season with a distinctive selection of ski packages. Whether an ideal snow-filled getaway includes carving through the powder of the Canadian Rockies, scoping out the venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics or taking on the Swiss Alps, Fairmont’s exciting and unrivaled ski getaways will keep guests on the downward move from dusk till dawn.
· With the new Peak 2 Peak Gondola now open and the 2010 Winter Olympic Games on the horizon, Whistler’s upcoming winter season is bound to be an epic one. Guests of The Fairmont Chateau Whistler can experience world-renowned skiing with the resort’s Book Early & Save deal and Ski For Free package. Early birds can enjoy a four-night ski package including accommodation and two 3-day Whistler Blackcomb dual mountain lift passes, while the seven-night package includes accommodation and two 5-day lift passes. Available from November 26, 2009 to April 18, 2010, rates for the four-night and seven-night ski deal start from $327 CAD (~$308 USD) and $272 CAD (~$256 USD) respectively per night. The Book Early & Save deal is a limited time offer that must be booked by November 15, 2009.
For those who can’t get enough powder, The Fairmont Chateau Whistler also offers its Ski for Free package. Guests receive nightly accommodation plus a one-day lift pass per person. Offering more than 8,100 skiable acres, three glaciers and twelve alpine bowls all within skiers’ reach, as well as zip trekking, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, horse drawn sleigh rides and fondue dinners, visitors will see why The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is the ultimate escape in the mountains. Available between November 26, 2009 and April 18, 2010, rates start from $359 CAD (~$338 USD) (early season) and $459 CAD (~$432 USD) (regular season) respectively per night. A minimum two-night stay is required.
· Situated in the magnificent Canadian Rockies, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is the ultimate ski destination. Only twenty minutes away, Marmot Basin beckons with the resort’s Ski for Free package. In addition, other winter activities abound at the Lodge, like skating on Lake Mildred, tobogganing, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, an outdoor heated pool and more. Package includes nightly accommodation and two lift passes/two-night stay or four lift passes/three-night stay. Available from ski hill opening (mid-November) until the end of the ski season, rates start from $229 CAD (~$215 USD) per night. A minimum two-night stay is required.
· The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise becomes a winter wonderland every ski season, and this year, guests can partake in cross-country skiing with Mountain Heritage Guides or world-class skiing for the whole family with the hotel’s Winter Escape Package. Guests of this offer can stay five nights and pay for four and receive a $200 resort credit, stay seven nights and pay for five and receive a $350 resort credit, or stay ten nights and pay for seven and receive a $600 resort credit. Resort credits can be used towards lift tickets at the nearby Lake Louise Ski Area, the hotel’s Mountain Heritage Guide program, or dining outlets within the hotel. Available from November 11, 2009 to April 30, 2010, rates start from $299 CAD (~$281 USD) per night.
· Experience staying at Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies” and ski incredible powder-drenched mountains this season at The Fairmont Banff Springs. Few hotels can rival the majesty and scenery of The Banff Springs, and with the hotel’s Ski for Free package, guests can enjoy unparalleled skiing at a world-class destination. Package includes nightly accommodation, two lift passes for two nights stayed or four lift passes for three nights stayed and bus transportation to the ski hill. Available from November 15, 2009 to April 30, 2010, rates start from $299 CAD (~$281 USD) per night with a minimum two-night stay required.
· Sitting at the foot of the majestic Laurentian peaks and offering ski-in, ski-out access is Fairmont Tremblant, a modern chateau-styled resort that consistently ranks as one of the foremost ski locales in the world. With 94 runs serviced by 13 state-of-the-art lifts, the mountain dominates a stunningly beautiful countryside and offers a great array of activities such as snowmobiling, dog-sledding, cross-country skiing, tubing, skating, snowshoeing and much more. Fairmont Tremblant’s Ski Package includes nightly accommodation and two ski lift tickets. Available from December 11, 2009 to April 12, 2010, rates start from $351 CAD (~$330 USD) per night.
· Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, located in Quebec City, the snow capital of the world, is gearing up for another snowy ski season with its Ski Package. Conveniently located near 120 ski and snowboarding slopes, the package includes nightly accommodation, buffet breakfast and lift tickets to Mont-Sainte-Anne or Stoneham ski centers. Guests may also take advantage of the hotel’s indoor pool, health club, exceptional restaurants, or explore the many sites and experiences that old Quebec has to offer. Available from December 15, 2009 to March 31, 2010, rates start from $349 CAD (~$328 USD) per night.
· Quebec’s Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu offers fabulous skiing and a guarantee of snow for all winter worshippers. However, for those less keen on skiing, the resort is proud to offer a Snowmobiling package. Guests can take in the wintry views while riding through exciting trails and mountains. Offer includes nightly accommodation, parking, locker for outdoor snowmobiling attire, and free access to the resort’s multi-sport facility and outdoor heated salt-water pool. Available from January 1 to March 31, 2010, rates start from $179 CAD (~$168 USD) per night.
· Take on the magnificent San Juan Mountains this winter with Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge’s Ski and Stay, 6th Night Free package. Offer includes nightly accommodation in a two or three-bedroom residence, complimentary sixth night with any five night booking, two adult lift tickets per day, complimentary transportation from Telluride and Montrose airports, complimentary valet parking, daily housekeeping and complimentary slope-slide ski valet service. Available through March 30, 2010, rates start from $750 USD per night for a two-bedroom residence, and from $950 per night for a three-bedroom residence.
· Fairmont Le Montreux Palace offers serious skiers the definitive ski experience - The Swiss Alps. Situated on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, this destination presents guests with some of the best slopes in Europe, including Les Portes du Soleil, Villars, Leysin, Verbier and Gstaad. Fairmont Le Montreux Palace’s Energy Flakes Package is the ideal offer to revive skiers for the next day on the mountain. With treatments like Après Ski 90, providing a hot hydro alpine bath followed by a relaxation massage with warm alpine oils and foot reflexology, guests’ aches and pains will be soothed after an action-filled day on the slopes. Offer includes nightly accommodation, spa treatment and coffee, tea or hot chocolate at the Willow Stream Café. Available from November 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, rates start from € 260 (~$383 USD) per night.
· For skiers who want to combat the arduous effects of a day on the slopes, Willow Stream and Fairmont Spas have plenty of options. Therapists will take guests through their respective spa’s most relaxing and rejuvenating experiences to make sure the mind and body of each guest are no worse for the wear after a day in the great outdoors. To name a few, The Fairmont Banff Springs’ Après-Ski Performance Massage (60 minutes) helps improve ski performance and avoid injury with a combination of massage and stretching, while Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello’s Après-Ski Facial Repair (60 minutes) mends and protects skin from the harsh winter elements.
All packages unless noted otherwise are subject to availability, priced per room, per night, exclude taxes and are based on double occupancy. Prices quoted are in local currency. For reservations, please visit http://www.fairmont.com, call 1-800 441 1414 or contact your local travel professional.
ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS
A leader in the global hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a celebrated collection of distinctive hotels, which includes iconic landmarks like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City, Kenya’s Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, and London’s The Savoy, reopening later this year following an extensive restoration program. Fairmont hotels are one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travelers can discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the destination. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, Fairmont is committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont’s portfolio includes 56 world-class hotels, with plans to develop over 30 new properties in the coming years in destinations as diverse as Shanghai, The Philippines and India.
Fairmont is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with 91 hotels worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. Those interested in receiving more information on the Residences should access www.fairmont.com.
Source: Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".