The sun had been down for many hours by the time I arrived at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. The Rocky Mountains were fairly indistinguishable in the dark, but snow covered mountain cabins, especially ones with 180 luxury guest rooms, have a way of showing off even by starlight. It was cold, what felt like single digits cold, so I headed straight for the door and the roaring fire I could see going in the lobby. After a more than two hour drive from Denver, I was thrilled check-in was fast and friendly. I took the large basket of chocolate chip cookies sitting on the front desk as a sign of delicious things to come.
My Deluxe King room with Mountainside View was located on the eighth floor. Spacious with plenty of room to spread out, it had all the comforts of home: a comfy chair, large desk and closet armoire. But it was the large balcony that excited me the most. I could see the heated pool below, but the Beaver Creek Mountain view would have to wait until morning.
The marble bathroom had an oversized soaking tub and a separate shower. A door separated the toilet from the rest of the bathroom, making it comfortably usable by two people at the same time.
My stay included access to The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch Club Lounge. An assortment of warm and cold bites, soft drinks and cocktails are served throughout the day. It’s hard to go hungry and even harder to be on a diet. Colorful jars of candy and cookies are constantly being replenished.
The largest wooden structure in North America, the resort was built using only Colorado stone and wood. Lined up end to end, the logs used to complete the property would stretch seven miles. Perhaps even more impressive, the timber was salvaged from an area in Southern Colorado heavily damaged by a forest fire. The Great Room, complete with a three-story stone, wood burning fireplace and log ceiling beams, is a popular place to sit day and night.
The ski-in, ski-out access just steps outside the backdoor makes skiers instant fans. Beaver Creek is known for its world-class terrain, but skiing is just one of many winter activities offered by the hotel. The Ritz-Carlton has two resident naturalists, one of which is a former park ranger. Snowshoe tours are part of the winter daily schedule for adults and younger guests enrolled in the Ritz Kids program.
A handful of restaurant options include Wolfgang Puck’s Spago. There are also a few bars to choose from depending on your mood. Bachelors Lounge, the only 21 and up area in the resort, offers weekly Colorado beer and cheese pairings. The outdoor pool and hot tubs are nicely heated and The Bachelor Gulch Spa offers numerous pampering possibilities. The resort is a quick drive, by car or on the complimentary shuttle, from Beaver Creek Village, but the resort does a good job making it tough for guests to leave.
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The Ritz-Carlton is known for its attentive staff. They have a knack for learning guests’ names in record time, but the most popular staff members at the hotel are without a doubt, resident St. Bernard “Bachelor” and resident Bernese Mountain Dog “Belle.” The duo spends their days at the dog-friendly resort. The Ritz-Carlton offers a variety of amenities for four-legged guests and their owners, including a dog-friendly area handbook and guide that can come in handy during their time on the mountain. The resort assesses a pet cleaning fee of $125 for the first three nights, and a fee of $25 per night, thereafter. The fees include a $25 donation to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
The resort is a good two hour drive from Denver International Airport. Colorado Mountain Express offers shuttle service if you don’t want to hassle with a rental car and possibly snowy road conditions. Smaller Eagle County Airport is about 35 minutes from the resort.
Winter rates for a Deluxe King room with a Mountainside View and Club access range from $849 to $1999, depending on availability. The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch charges a $50 per room, per night, winter resort fee. It covers a wide range of amenities and services like internet access, ski-in/ski-out valet services and overnight equipment storage, the shuttle to Beaver Creek Village, snowshoe equipment and nightly marshmallows at the fire pit. You can make reservations directly online with the Ritz-Carlton, or you can use a booking site such as Booking.com or Hotels.com.
Review and photos by Dana Rebmann. She was a guest of The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, but as always her thoughts and opinions are her own.
