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The unveiling, last December, of the Base Village restaurant and retail complex added an extra dimension to the popular Snowmass ski area near Aspen, Colo. The development now expands with the addition of the swish Viceroy Snowmass hotel.

It's not your typical mountain outpost. Designers Jean-Michel Gathy and Kelly Wearstler have devised cheeky takes on classic ski-lodge motifs, from the 14-ft. silver and steel elk antlers in the spa to the slope-side Nest café that serves matzo-ball soup in Chinese take-out containers. Instead of rooms, there are 173 residences, from studios to four-bedroom spreads, all equipped with kitchens and gas fireplaces. Toddlers get their own amenity: a tepee full of toys.

For big kids hitting the slopes, the resort is enviably positioned: Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk resorts can be accessed with one lift ticket. And after a day of carving the hillsides, skiers can head to the spa for such muscle-soothing remedies as Siberian fir body wraps and warm birch-oil massages.

At peak season, rates for a studio start at $425 but can fall to as low as $150 in the summer. For more information, go to viceroysnowmass.com.

• Liz Ozaist
• The Viceroy Snowmass Hotel near Aspen, Colorado, is not your typical backcountry outpost