Skiing and snowboarding got a big participation boost from the pandemic, and leisure travel in general has been running at a frenetic pace, with demand often outstripping supply. As a result, many top winter vacation destinations are more expensive than ever. Because Marriottâs Bonvoy is the worldâs largest hotel loyalty program, many frequent travelers and those who accrue points through business travel will be looking to redeem their earnings for much needed âfreeâ vacation stays.
But despite the breadth of the program, with around 30 brands represented from budget to long term stays to top tier luxury, this can be harder than you might think. Iâm not talking about availability, which varies widely by date, location and many other factors, including how far in advance you plan. Iâm talking about there being actual Bonvoy participating hotels where you want to go skiing to begin with. I have a friend from Massachusetts who works in the pharmaceutical industry and accrues a lot of Bonvoy points, but he told me that when he wants to ski at Killington, the most popular resort in the Northeast, he usually stays in Hanover or Lebanon, New Hampshire because these are the closest spots with eligible propertiesâand thatâs a 45-minute drive from the slopes. Many ski resorts feature lodging they own or independent properties, and most major New England ski resorts, including Stowe, Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Jay Peak, Killington and many more simply do not have any Marriott properties.
Even out West, the marquee place for those getting on a plane to do a ski vacation, many towns are full of independent or mom and pop properties rather than chains. That can be a good thing, even a great thing, in many ways, but not so much when it comes to redeeming points. Copper Mountain, Colorado? Keystone, Colorado? Crested Butte, Colorado? These are all major ski resorts where the closest hotel option is at a completely different ski resort miles awayâfor Crested Butte, over 20 miles. For Telluride, Coloradoâarguably the nationâs best ski resortâthe closest hit I got on the Marriott site was Durango, 46-miles away. Utahâs Alta and Snowbird? Nope. The new Cloudveil, part of Marriottâs Autograph Collection, has a prime location on the town square in Jackson, Wyoming, but thatâs over 12-miles from Teton Village, where the world-renowned Jackson Hoel ski resort is located. Teton Village itself has no Bonvoy hotels.
But those are isolated examples, and there are workarounds, which is the entire purpose of this article, to help people use their Bonvoy points better for ski trips. So, first of all, especially if you are headed to one of these spots, instead of hotels, consider rental homes. Even where it does not have hotels or resorts, there are often rentals available through the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy program. I know some Bonvoy members who did not even know this option existed. Check it out.
Second Tip: Since ski lodging is pricy and top properties very much in demand, free nights can be limited. So, consider using a mix of Bonvoy points and cash rather than free nights. Iâve found myself doing this more and more with my own points, and it often gives more value per point, allows me to conserve points and get more nights, while paying a greatly reduced rate, and sometimes helps with availability.
Between homes, hotels, resorts and points or points plus cash, thereâs probably something you can work out at most ski destinations, but some options are much better than others. These are some of the best.
[Notes: 1. The top hotel in 2026 Winter Olympics venue Cortina, Italy, the Cristallo, has long been a member of Marriottâs Luxury Collection, but is being transformed into a Mandarin Oriental property, so its omission below is intentional.
2. There are very few standout hotels at Northeastern ski resorts and the best of these are independent, with the exception of the Lodge at Spruce Peak in Stowe, a Hyatt. Bonvoy just does not work well for skiing in Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine. There is a New York pick below. Omission intentional.
3. This is not an exhaustive list of every Marriott property near skiing, it is a list of notable standouts, both for hotels and ski towns.
4. For uniformity and ease of checking Bonvoy, I have used the Marriott family websites for each property below. However, these are generally not good, detailed or easy to appreciate. Many of the properties, especially the more luxurious, also have their own separate and specific websites and if you are trying to get a feel for any, go that route].
The A-List: If youâve got the points and want to splurge, these are the best of the best ski hotels within the Bonvoy program.
The St. Regis Deer Valley, UT: Not just my favorite hotel in the entire Park City areaâwith one of the best selections of luxury ski hotels in North Americaâthe St. Regis Deer Valley is one of the best hotels in all of skiing. It has an unbeatable slopeside location, great ski concierge, amazing food with lots of options (the latest is a great new Italian spot), and a direct private funicular connecting it with one the main base lodges at Deer Valley for when you want to go out without skis on (Note: Deer Valley still does not allow snowboarding for some reaosn, but you can also stay here and ride at Park City Mountain Resort, the laregst in the U.S., and itâs better than the lodging over there). Itâs won Wine Spectatorâs Best of Award of Excellence for nine straight years, has a fantastic spa, and offers a mix of hotel rooms and residences. Theyâve got all the St. Regis luxury standards, butler service, daily champagne sabering, signature Bloody Maryâs and so on. Iâve written about his hotel before, and you can learn more here.
The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, CO: Easily the top luxury hotel at Beaver Creek, which is basically tied with Deer Valley as North Americaâs most luxurious white glove ski destination. Sidewalks are heated, free cookies are handed out, and everything at Beaver Creek was purpose-built to make ski vacations easier. The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch is a giant log cabin with a one-of-a-kind ski location, not just ski-in/out but right at the base of a main high-speed chair, and itâs got great food, great spa and one of the only cigar lounges in U.S. skiing. Itâs in Bachelor Gulch Village, not the main Beaver Creek pedestrian village, but itâs better than choices there (Bonvoy or no Bonvoy) and the hotel will shuttle you whenever you want. Itâs also one of the most dog friendly hotels in the country, skiing or not.
(Note: When you search, you will find the Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa often represented as a Beaver Creek hotel. While it is perfectly nice and has some great dining and is close to a lot of things, it is not at the resort but rather in the nearby town of Avon. Many prominent travel publications have been misleadingâor ignorantâabout this, and if you go believing it to be at the resort, you may well be disappointed, but it is a good option for being close to this tony mountain, and there is a gondola connecting Avon with the ski resort).
The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe at Northstar, CA: Another exceptional property. Northstar is a more beginner/intermediate and family-oriented mountain, so for experts it might not be as big a draw as nearby icons such as Heavenly, Kirkwood and Palisades Tahoe, but if you go, you cannot beat the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, with a great trailside location and a fantastic Club Floor and Lounge, standard among luxury hotels in Asia still too rare an amenity in this country. Itâs also the only Ritz Iâve been to with a slow smoked Southern BBQ eatery, and you can basically ski up to it. Love this place!
Ritz-Carlton Reserve Higashiyama, Niseko, Japan: Reserve is the even more luxurious higher tier Ritz-Carlton brand, and there are only six in the world, just one of which is a ski property. And it is not just a ski property, it is slopeside at the most popular resort in Japan, which in recent years has become the Holy Grail for ski travel, with the most snow on earth, incredible food and a bonus cultural experience that is worth the trip. Itâs fair to say Japan is the best ski destination in the world, and it doesnât get much better than this hotel for lodging. Iâve been skiing in Japan multiple times and am a huge fan, and if you want to do it in style, there are just 50 rooms and suites, a large spa, omakase sushi restaurant and private onsen, traditional Japanese hot springs baths.
W Verbier, Switzerland, CO: The Alps is a much harder place to use points, but Verbier is one of the best and biggest resorts in Europe, and the W has a great location, tons of dining options, and sits steps from a high-speed gondola. Hidden gem!
Luxury: The properties above are (in my opinion) the cream of the crop of Bonvoy skiing, but there are a lot of other great choices that definitely rank as luxury hotels.
The Hythe, Vail, CO: Coloradoâs Vail has long been the nationâs most popular ski resort, and The Hythe is a new Luxury Collection property is in the heart of pedestrian friendly Lionshead Village. It has a standout spa and fitness center with state-of-the-art recovery experiences few places in the world offer.
Ritz-Carlton Club, Vail, CO: There are no Ritz hotels in Vail, but there is this residential property that offers overnight lodging. Itâs less amenitized than a full-service hotel, with just a Lobby Lounge for food and beverage, but itâs steps away from a plethora of great dining choices, has a spa, pool and fitness center, and most importantly, large, lavish residential accommodations.
Very Nice: Not every ski town has a 5-Star option, but in many cases top choices still include Bonvoy, and in some cases, itâs the best lodging period.
Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth, CA: For its immense size, Californiaâs Mammoth has one of the least impressive arrays of lodging in the country, and for larger hotels, the Westin Monache is the top choice. Itâs very close to the Village Gondola to access the slopes, and gives you all the amenities of being in the Village at this otherwise spread-out resort.
The Josie Hotel, Red Mountain, BC: British Columbiaâs âPowder Highway,â is quickly becoming ski travelâs âNext Big Thing.â The region is a collection of large, uncrowded mountains with tons of snow and world-class terrain, and one of the most popular resorts is Red Mountain, with nearly 4,000-skiable acres (would be Top 10 in U.S. in size). However, the Powder Highway is still in its tourism infancy and has more of a ski bum road trip vibe, with much less in the way of luxury. The Josie is the exception, and a member of the Autograph Collection, Marriottâs brand of upscale, independent and boutique properties that donât fit neatly into chain brand boxes.
The Wilson Hotel, Big Sky: This property definitely feels like it should also be Autograph Collection, but for some reason it is part of Marriottâs Residence Inn brand, though it totally does not look like it. The Wilson is mountain modern and attractive, sits in Big Skyâs relatively new Town Center, a pedestrianized village with lots of shops and dining, and has its own impressive dining collection. Big Sky has recently been the hottest ski destination in the country, in part because it is huge (second largest in U.S.) and remarkably uncrowded, with excellent terrain and the nationâs most advanced lift system (Read more about why Big Sky is so good here). Celebrating its 50th birthday this winter, Big Sky is wrapping us a massive ten-year infrastructure improvement project and debuting a new high-tech tram to the top of its fabled Lone Peak, âAmericaâs Matterhorn.â But lodging choices are far fewer than you might expect, with base area condo hotels operated by the ski resort (great location), the new luxury Montage resort (I found it underwhelming and the location not very desirable for winter), and the excellent Lone Mountain Ranch, a dude ranch, as the major alternativesâall more expensive. I highly recommend Big Sky for your ski vacation and if you are going Bonvoy, itâs the Wilson.
Westin Rusutsu, Japan: Just down the road from more hyped Niseko, Rusutsu gest the same mind-blowing snow (averaging close to 50 feet per winter) and is huge, but has a much less developed (and more Japanese) village and base area, anchored by the huge Westin. Features onsen hot springs bathing, five restaurants and some of the best skiing on earth. Iâd go tomorrow (also Japanâs ski season runs about a month ahead of ours, so it is already kicking into high gear).
Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, BC: Whistler/Blackcomb is the largest and most popular ski resort in North America, another Holy Grail destination for winter travel. It also has one of the best collections of luxury hotels, including the Four Seasons Whistler and Fairmont Chateau Whistler, so the Westin, which would be the best hotel in many ski towns, often gets overlooked. But itâs the real deal, with a great location, extremely well-equipped spa and wellness and very nice rooms.
Viewline Resort Snowmass, CO: Formerly the Westin Snowmass, the ski-in/out property was just renovated and rebranded as the Viewline, part of the more unique and boutique Autograph Collection. Revamped guestrooms and culinary offerings, full-service Ayurvedic spa, ski concierge, kidâs club, private screening room and oxygen bar. While the town of Aspen is sexier and offers more to see and do than Snowmass Village, the Snowmass ski resort is by far the largest of the four mountains comprising Aspen Snowmass, dwarfs in-town Aspen mountain, and is the better choice for both serious skiers and families with beginners, as Aspen Mountain infamously is the sole major resort in the country with no green terrain. Hidden gem!
Sky Residences at W Aspen, CO: With a very good location offering both easy access to the base of Aspen Mountain and all of town, the Sky Residences is sort of a one-off experimental alpine boutique concept within W, and one of the sexier and funkier properties in the brand, âinspired by the lounge decadence of the 70s.â The residences are large and much nicer than typical hotel rooms, thereâs a rooftop bar/pool deck, itâs pet friendly, and an all-around fun choice for this long-popular ski town.
St. Regis Aspen, CO: Iâve been a couple of times and have always found this a notch below the global St. Regis standard, and at the top tier of Aspen luxury, it is hard to beat the Forbes 5-Star Little Nell, deservedly one of the worldâs most iconic ski hotels with a monopoly on the best spot in Aspen. If I was paying, Iâd go to the Nell, but if you have the points, you certainly wonât suffer at the St. Regis, which has all the spa, dining and service youâd expect at this level.
Sheraton Steamboat Springs Resort Villas, CO: Steamboat is wrapping up a multi-year massive upgrade and expansion this season, and is one of the great âhidden gemsâ of American skiing. The Sheraton is its main base hotel and sole ski-in/out full-service option. If you want to go to Steamboatâand thereâs good reasonâthis is the place.
The Cloudveil, Jackson, WY: As mentioned in the intro above, this hotel is in the town of Jackson, not Teton Village where the skiing is. That being said, many find Jackson and the commute to the slopes preferable over even the best luxury hotels in Teton Village, because the town is so wonderful, with so much shopping, dining and character (I always recommend a 3-night/3-night split). The Cloudveil is a new Autograph Collection boutique hotel in a perfect location.
Hotel Park City, UT: I really enjoyed my stay at this Autograph Collection property, but it is in a bit of a no manâs land between Park City proper and the Canyons base of the Park City Mountain resort. Great choice if you donât mind shuttling.
Budget and Others: Not everyone wants to stay at a luxury hotel, and not everyone has the points needed to do so. If your main interest is getting to the slopes at top resorts and having a good spot to stay, there are a lot of more accessible choices in Marriottâs lower tier brands. There are also some properties that are not lower tier but have a quirk or two. Iâve skimped on property details and focused on locations.
Grand Adirondack Hotel, NY: Despite having hosted the Winter OlympicsâtwiceâLake Placid gets overlooked as a ski destination. Thatâs not fair, considering that the marquee resort, Whiteface Mountain, has the highest vertical in the Northeast, and unique opportunities here include bobsledding and skating on the same surfaces that hosted the âMiracle on Ice,â U.S. victory over USSR in hockey, and Eric Heidenâs record setting Gold medal speedskating performance. But most of all, Lake Placid is a really cool town and the Grand Adirondack, an upscale Tribute Portfolio property, is in its midst.
Marriott MountainSide, Park City, UT: Residential/vacation ownership property with overnight rentals, at the home of the nationâs largest ski resort, Park City Mountain. Not slopeside, but good spot in town
Delta Hotels Whistler Village Suites, BC: A cheaper way to get to North Americaâs largest and most popular ski resort, without compromising much.
Residence Inn Breckenridge, CO: The nationâs second most visited ski resort, Breckenridge has great skiing, high-altitude reliable snow, and a really charming Old West inspired town, but little in the way of luxe lodging. Enjoy it all for less at the Residence Inn.
Le Meridien Salt Lake City, UT: Salt Lake is one of the few big cities where you can stay downtown and comfortably ski world class mountains (lots of them, including Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, Park City and Deer Valley). While this involves shuttling it can be much more affordable and gives you the option of more dining and nightlife choices outside the ski resorts. There are many Marriott properties across multiple brands in the city, but the Le Meridien is probably the nicest one. If you want to use even less points, check out Salt Lake alternatives.
AC Hotel Park City, UT: AC is one of Marriottâs more recent hip âlifestyleâ brands with lobby living room flair. This property is a very new addition, and is located near the outlet mall just off the highway exit, still 15-plus minutes from the Canyons base and further from Park City itself or Deer Valley. But despite the commuting, you can feel cool staying here.
Springhill Suites Jackson, WY: A cheaper alternative to the Cloudveil above, in one of the Westâs great tourist towns.
Pray for snow!