Ski Through Economic Storm Guilt-Free

Cristallo Hotel and Spa is the best hotel around, an old-school luxury palace located a short walk form the main ski lifts. It's as posh as you can get, with state-of-the-art spa and decadent outdoor pool that steams and bubbles from mid-December through late March. The hotel's restaurant is housed in a glassed-in gazebo opposite its recently renovated Monkey Club, known for its red-lacquered walls and exotic wood floors. The bar is the most famous après-ski scene in Cortina, offering nightly DJs and touring jazz bands for legendary winter parties.

Park City, Utah
Place to be: Dakota Mountain Lodge (opening in January)
Guilt-free fact: Quickly becoming the new Aspen for billionaires on winter hiatus.

It has hot new hotels, chic new restaurants and that ubiquitous film festival that brings just the right dash of Hollywood. Park City has been on fire since the Salt Lake Olympics, consistently adding village venues, upgraded runs and expanded lodging options that have made it Aspen's biggest competition. Visitors arrive to Salt Lake City and make the speedy highway journey up the mountain and into the resort town.

A Suite at Dakota Mountain Lodge at Park City.

After the big opening of the Sky Lodge in early 2008, the city is preparing for yet another grand hotel debut with the Dakota Mountain Lodge. Located at the base of the new Frostwood Gondola at the Canyons, it's the first ski lodge from Hilton's Waldorf Astoria Collection.

An alpine-inspired façade with gabled roofline contains a two-story lodge with in-house eatery, après-ski lounge and outpost of Green Door Spa. Condo-style guestrooms include bi-level suites with full stainless-steel kitchens, tumbled stone fireplace and leather-accented living areas aimed to please fickle design aficionados.