Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole

Skiing and hiking around Jackson Hole used to mean rugged expeditions, and while the area still presents some of the most challenging trails in the world, lodging options like the Four Seasons Resort and Residences ensure that downtime is downright luxurious. Guests at the resort enter a lobby of rustic stone, fireplaces, and soft leather sofas with Navajo-print fabric armchairs. There's a ski concierge available, for a fee, to transport equipment and dispense advice on snow conditions and trails. The grounds are rugged but meticulously groomed with plantings and natural-stone pathways leading out to the grounds where deer can be spotted. All of the food and drink areas have views of the mountains and include tables on the terrace, with heaters when needed. Guests dining in Westbank Grill, the resort's most formal restaurant, sit in leather chairs under a vaulted wood ceiling with a menu that includes grilled meats prepared in an open kitchen. The more casual Handle Bar, billed as an American pub serving beer and whiskey, has blond wood finishes and includes communal tables. The Four Seasons pool has a cafe that includes a bar and poolside service in cold and warm weather. There's also the Ascent Lounge, a slope-side, more contemporary venue with leather chairs and fireside tables and chairs. Guests include couples, business travelers, and families, all with an eye toward an opulent American West experience. 

The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole is in Teton Village, a small ski village and summer resort area in Wyoming. Grand Teton National Park is one and a half miles from the resort, a three-minute drive away. It's a five-minute walk to the Mangy Moose Cellars and Grocery in Teton Village, or a 15-minute walk to the Jackson Hole General Store. It's about a 20-minute drive to downtown Jackson Hole, and a few minutes beyond that to the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum. Jackson Hole Airport is around a 35-minute drive from the resort. 

Rooms are spacious and all have balconies with good views: either of the resort and valley or the mountains. Bigger rooms have separate seating areas with sofas, sometimes leather, and tables and chairs, but each room has upholstered chairs and ottomans in a gray herringbone print meant to be placed either by the fireplace or the view. Decor is western-mountaineer-themed, including natural stone fireplaces, cream walls, art depicting the area's flora and fauna, and fine wood furniture. But some scuff marks on some of the furnishings indicate a bit of unintended wear and tear. Four Seasons' "Signature Sleep Mattresses" are covered in white duvets and colorful throw pillows, and set against leather headboards, while accent lights and shaded floor lamps amount to a subtly welcoming effect. Each room has a Nespresso machine, an electric kettle, a safe, a humidifier, an MP3 docking system, ironing facilities, a mini-fridge, and a digital clock radio, along with 24-hour room service and free digital newspapers. Plaster-wall bathrooms have marble accents and granite counter sinks, shower/tub combos or deep soaking tubs with separate showers, toilets in separate rooms, hairdryers, and Cache Creek Apothecary toiletries. 

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole has a lengthy list of on-site features, many focused on the area's outdoor activities. The resort is slope side, and guests can rent equipment here to ski in and ski out; a ski concierge will assist with equipment wrangling and guiding, for a fee. In addition to biking with equipment rented from the hotel, hiking, mountaineering, orienteering, and fishing, the resort will arrange, for a fee, fly-fishing, hot air balloon rides, and horseback riding. And in the warmer weather, the resort offers helicopter rides, for a fee, to Yellowstone National Park with an in-house biologist to instruct guests on flora and fauna. Guests recuperating from all this intense recreation can curl up on leather chairs in front of a fire in the resort's library, where they'll find books and various games, like chess and backgammon, to exercise the mind. Or they can continue to break a sweat at the sizable fitness center, try exercise and yoga classes, or take a dip in the year-round heated pool and heated whirlpools. Those looking for a more passive way to unwind can make use of the resort's spa with 16 treatment rooms and three spa tubs for treatments, including Ayurvedic and Swedish massage; in-room massages are also offered. There are also three restaurants and a bar at the resort, all with access to terrace dining (equipped with heaters in colder weather), and 24-hour room service. The hotel has a business center with computers, fax, and copiers, and four meeting rooms, and there's a ballroom that's popular for corporate events and weddings. The resort offers children's programs, and babysitting and nanny services, for a fee. There's also a games arcade. Freebies include newspapers and in-room coffee and tea. But other amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, parking, and breakfast cost extra.