Ski Through Economic Storm Guilt-Free

Mammoth Mountain, California
Place to stay: Westin Monache Resort
Guilt-free fact: Most associate the ski town with rundown Alpine-theme motels and condos.

Once known as the ski resort everyone in L.A. and San Francisco drove five hours to get to just to check into a Comfort Inn, Mammoth Lakes has arrived, complete with daily nonstop flights on Horizon Air from LAX starting mid-December. Once you get there, you can enjoy the expanded main village with its Intrawest chalet-inspired architecture, Starbucks outpost and zippy gondola to some of the most consistent ski slopes in North America. While the skiers won't be sporting one-piece Bogner or sipping Chateau Lafite at apres-ski, the high men-to-women ratio means Mammoth Mountain is prime singles country.

Mammoth Mountain's snowy peaks are suddenly chic.

Until the Ritz Carlton Residences opens in 2010, check into the Westin Monache Resort, which boasts an all-new design concept that mixes in architecture you'd find at a W with the business amenities you come to expect from Starwood. Add to the fact that condo-style rooms feature kitchenettes, plasma-screen TVs and modern bathrooms accented in granite, and you'll quickly realize it's the best choice within a 200-mile radius. Don't forget to hit the outdoor pool scene of thawing bodies that like to go for the occasional 2 a.m. skinny dip.

Cortina D'Amprezzo, Italy
Place to be: Cristallo Palace Hotel and Spa
Guilt-free fact: It's one of the most affordable ski towns in the Alps.

Located in Italy's Ampezzana Valley and cradled on all sides by the Dolomites, this former mountain hamlet exploded onto the global scene following the 1956 Olympics and subsequent influx of glitterati through much of the '60s. After a quiet period in the '90s, Cortina is once again Italy's answer to St. Moritz. This glamorous ski town is dotted with fur-hat Russians and Milan fashionistas frequenting winter outposts of Bulgari, Benetton and Gucci located just 100 miles from Venice.