10 romantic lodges for skiers

The perfect romantic getaway during the winter for many lovers is a trip to the mountains to ski or snowboard together. The jingle of sleigh bells, softly fluttering snow, flickering flames in the fireplace, dinner by candlelight and just the right lodge can make a few days in the mountains a magical time for couples.

Often the most important factor is the hotel, inn or lodge nearby the resort. This is where couples spend most of their time together. It must be complete with fine dining or award-winning restaurants close by. Just outside the door, should be a step into a surreal winter fairyland. A stunning hotel or rustically elegant lodge with the right combination of intangible sensuality can be the secret factor in the ideal setting that takes relationships to another level.

The following accommodations are all different in terms of luxury, price and atmosphere. However, they all share easy access to some of America's top ski and snowboard resorts from New England across the continent to the Rocky Mountains and California. Most importantly, they all have that je ne sais quoi that make them extraordinary places for lovers exploring fresh relationships, or those rekindling and renewing long-held trusted passion.

The Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid, New York, (518) 523-2544
This elegant and rambling hotel sits beautifully beside Mirror Lake only steps from the timeless Olympic town of Lake Placid. The inn exudes elegance from the moment one enters the traditional lobby until stepping into the Colonial appointed guest rooms. The gourmet restaurant, The View, overlooks the glittering lake for that candlelit dinner or the Cottage on the lake shore offers a more casual meal. The extensive spa provides a luscious step into another reality. Skiers can cross-country right outside the door and downhill activities are at Whiteface reached by a shuttlebus from the hotel.

Mount Washington Hotel, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, (800) 314-1752
This colossal turn-of-the-20th-century, Spanish renaissance palazzo, with Tiffany glass and plasterwork sculpted by Italian craftsmen, is what a grand hotel should be. The expansive lobby, delineated by a long row of square columns and chandeliers, is fitting of the presidents and kings, movie stars and sports legends who once gathered here. The elegance breathes of old money, more Rockefeller than Trump. The 200 rooms are spacious but simple, designed as a place to change into a beaded gown. And to sleep. The romance here is a table for two in the elegant dining room with a view of Mount Washington’s snow-capped summit turned pink by the alpenglow of the setting winter sun.

The Equinox, Manchester, Vermont (866) 346-7625
Dating back to 1769, The Equinox is a venerable Colonial resort hotel in postcard-perfect Manchester Village. Abraham Lincoln’s wife and her son Robert Todd put the hotel on the map after they came to sip the spring water and breathe the cool mountain air. Back then, guests were also fed four meals each day, then weighed at the end of their stays to ensure they had added a “healthy” layer. Today, the hotel pampers guests with 183 luxurious rooms and a host of amenities, including the full-service Avanya Spa (offering ways to relax that Mrs. Lincoln never would have conceived), indoor tennis, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, sleigh rides, falconry, and even an off-road driving school. Nearby, the Orvis’s flagship store, Frog Hollow/Vermont State Craft Center, locally-owned shops, and factory outlets fulfill the shopping urge. For upscale skiing and its own village, Stratton Mountain is 17 miles away.

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Ski Tip Lodge, Keystone, Colorado, (800) 354-4386
With huge stone fireplaces in low-ceilinged rooms with hand-hewn beams and log-lined walls, the look of this 1880s former stagecoach stop just over the Continental Divide is Wild West. But the service and acclaimed dining room, with an ever-changing four-course prix fixe menu, are definitely 21st century. Nestled in the trees along the Snake River, the Lodge feels secluded, and the 10 guest rooms are cozy and uniquely furnished with period antiques. In the small dining room, which only seats 15, couples can gaze lovingly into each others’ eyes and swap bites of rabbit tenderloin satay or black-truffle-wrapped elk chops. Cross-country trails wind from the door and downhill trails are only minutes away.

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