Insights on the Luxury Ski Market: Telluride and Jackson Hole
In our second market report on the world’s top ski destinations, Luxury Defined provides an in-depth guide to two of the most coveted resorts in the Rockies
Owning a luxury chalet or mountain retreat in one of the world’s top ski resorts affords an unparalleled lifestyle of “high-altitude” recreation during the ski season and beyond. These homes often become what many refer to as a “legacy property” creating memories for generations of family or friends. Top ski resorts offer world-class recreation and amenities to suit all interests and age groups: skiing at all skill levels and terrain options plus off-piste activities and excellent après-ski relaxation and entertainment.
Luxury Defined spoke with Christie’s International Real Estate’s exclusive Affiliates in Telluride, Colorado, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for expert advice on buying property in these glamorous, top-ranked Rocky Mountain resorts.
TELLURIDE, COLORADO
Insights provided by Christie’s International Real Estate exclusive Affiliate, Telluride Real Estate Corp
Telluride is a Tale of Two Towns. At the base of the ski mountain is a Main Street that is so charming and so infused with the Old West, it is not at all hard to believe that Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank here (which he did in 1889). Skiers can finish a run in town, kick off their skis, grab lunch, and then catch a chair or gondola back up on the slopes.
At the other end of the spectrum is Telluride’s Mountain Village, located higher up the slopes and originally conceived as a ski utopia. As such, almost all the lodging, rental homes, and condos —not to mention the multimillion-dollar private residences — are conveniently ski-in, ski-out. This is the luxe section of town, with elegant hotels, restaurants, high-end shops, and the main base of the Telluride Ski Resort. What is truly unique is the free gondola, which connects the two towns, making a car or Uber completely obsolete.
The skiing, which includes a terrain park, encompasses a broad expanse of terrain for every skill level. Noted for its mogul runs, Telluride’s bowls can be enjoyed by strong intermediate skiers while the hardestrated trails rival anything the country’s most extreme mountains can throw at a skier. Telluride is also home to Colorado’s only heli-skiing company — Telluride Helitrax, which has escorted thousands of clients down millions of vertical feet of fresh snow since 1983 and uses an A-star chopper.
Most Unique: While beginners at most resorts are relegated to the middle of the mountain, Telluride offers some green runs that begin at the very peak, with spectacular views of the San Juan Mountains on full display.
Worth Foregoing the Slopes One Afternoon: Ice skating and hockey are both popular in Telluride particularly since the NHL regulation-sized Hanley Ice Rink opened in Telluride’s Town Park in 2005 and the Madeline Hotel’s outdoor skating rink opened in the Mountain Village Core in 2009. Ice climbers will enjoy scaling the crystal blue walls scattered about the region, including the internationally acclaimed Ouray Ice Park.
Up Your Ski Game: Telluride Ski School provides one of the most comprehensive natural learning environments offered at any resort — from the longest and easiest dedicated learning terrain to some of the most incredible in-bounds steeps in North America. Young and old, private or group, inbounds or back-country, when you’re ready, Telluride’s seasoned instructors are waiting.
One of the top listings currently on the market:
JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING
Insights provided by Christie’s International Real Estate exclusive Affiliate, Jackson Hole Real Estate
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort reported a strong 2014-2015 season with 546,125 skiers — the second-highest in resort history, after a record-setting winter the previous year with over 563,000 skier days.
This upcoming season marks the resort’s 50th Anniversary. In celebration, the ski area is installing a high-speed quad chairlift opening up 200 acres of new intermediate and advanced terrain that was formerly accessible only by hiking in. This is the first new lift-serviced terrain within the ski area boundary since 1998.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has the longest continuous vertical rise of any ski area in the U.S. rising 4,139 feet from the valley floor to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. Corbet’s Couloir is the most infamous expert trail in the country. Neighboring the legacy U.S National Parks of Yellowstone and Grand Teton and operating in Bridger Teton National Forest, the setting is spectacular.
In Jackson Hole, the old Wild West and glamorous culture exist side-by-side with an overall ethos that is genuine and friendly. Second homebuyers in the region tend to spend a lot of time here, becoming vested in the community. Teton County, for example, which includes Jackson Hole, has the highest per capita giving in the country. In a single day last year, Jackson Hole managed to raise US$7 million for local charities during the Old Bill’s Fun Run, which is held in September each year.
Most Unique: While beginners at most resorts are relegated to the middle of the mountain, Telluride offers some green runs that begin at the very peak, with spectacular views of the San Juan Mountains on full display.
Worth Foregoing the Slopes One Afternoon: Take a sleigh ride through the National Elk Refuge to get up close and personal with the most impressive herd in the world, go on safari to spot and photograph magnificent bald eagles and moose, or mush through the wilderness pulled by Alaskan Iditarod dogs with a stop to soak in the Granite Hot Springs.
Up Your Ski Game: Ski school at Jackson Hole is top rated. Challenging terrain makes it a place where even experts can continue to learn and challenge themselves. The mountain offers multi-day camps, race training, backcountry guides, telemark skiing, and programs for skiers or snowboarders with disabilities.
Top Listing:
