Ski Magazine awarded highest honors to Aspen Snowmass, CO, and Smugglers’ Notch, VT, with the debut of the magazine’s Resorts of the Year issue.
These two resorts, deemed Best in the West and Best in the East, respectively, garnered editor and reader praise for offering skiers the best overall vacation experiences.
“With its variety of terrain across four resorts, family friendly offerings and virtually unmatched dining, lodging and aprés in the vibrant town of Aspen, Aspen Snowmass delivers the whole package,” said Samantha Berman, content director for Ski Magazine. “Add to that the resort management’s forward-thinking attitude toward the environment and its inclusion in the industry-changing Ikon Pass, and we feel that Aspen Snowmass is the destination generating the most buzz going into this season.”
The new Resorts of the Year issue hands out plenty more accolades, from reader picks—based on the results from the 2018-’19 Reader Resort Survey—to Editor’s Choice, awarded by our experienced editors and contributors based on seasons of resort travel.
In the West, Montana’s Whitefish Mountain Resort earned the accolade for Overall Satisfaction, awarded by readers for the mountain’s legit terrain and the town’s welcoming local vibe. Colorado’s Keystone picked up the coveted Family Friendly designation for its excellent ski school and inventive kids’ programming, and Steamboat won the Down Day Activities award, as anyone who’s ever been to the resort finds it hard to tear themselves away from downtown’s charming Western shops, cafés and galleries. British Columbia’s up-and-coming Revelstoke Mountain Resort earned itself an Editor’s Choice award for Next Best Places thanks to its abundant terrain, snow and stoke.
In the East, in addition to Smugglers’ Notch nabbing Best in the East for its unique combination of family-friendly offerings and some of the most challenging terrain in the region, neighboring Vermont resorts Sugarbush claimed the Service award and Mad River Glen took home the Challenge accolade. (Anyone who’s skied Lift Line, beneath the iconic single chair, knows why.) Notable Editor’s Choice designations went to New Hampshire’s Cannon Mountain as a Hidden Gem and Stowe, VT, as a Top Ski Town. In total, Ski doled out 37 awards among 67 resorts.
“We’ve developed this issue based around one single question, ‘Where should I ski this winter?'” Berman explains. “Our ongoing research shows us that people are looking for far more nuanced content today than the straightforward ranking system of previous years. Our audience is hungry for insights and intel; they want to plan vacations and craft experiences to remember for years to come. We’re incredibly excited to unveil Resorts of the Year in October, and look forward to its continuing evolution as the wants and needs our increasingly diverse audience change.”
You can see all of the resort winners in the October 2018 Resorts of the Year issue on newsstands September 25.
