With no access to snow or mountains living in Florida, just the thought of a catching an edge on a quality run down the slopes of a mountain puts a smile on the face. Follow it up with a glass of red wine by the fireplace and suddenly it is a luxury travel experience for this (conch) Florida Keys local.
My dreams of Colorado, Europe and even South America remain vivid, but I recently discovered another place closer to home in the Allegheny Mountain Range of West Virginia worth a visit. I recently skied Snowshoe, West Virginia.
On the Staying Adventurous Podcast, I discuss my experiences, and give high marks for the quality and quantity of trails and praise for the Corduroy Inn – a definite where to stay on a visit. The lodge recently refurbished and also containing new addition this year, offered many subtle, yet planned little luxuries to make my time in the mountaineer state, more refined, more enjoyable, and even luxurious.
Let’s look at seven simply amenities and experiences available thanks to staying at the Corduroy Inn & Lodge, that helped turned my ski adventure in West Virginia into a luxury travel experience.
(1) Location, Location, Location.
In the world of skiing, location is a luxury and the ability to ski directly from the lodge to the trails paramount. At the Corduroy Inn guests can walk easily to both the double diamond intense western territory trails and also tackle easier terrain off the Powder Monkey chairlift of Snowshoe Mountain.
Waking up and putting on ski boots, grabbing poles and walking a few steps to ski the slopes changes any ski day. Plus this “upside down resort” (resorts at the top of the mountain not at the base) it is even more ideal. Wake up and ski a freshly groomed Corduroy run.
(2) Covered Parking
Of course there is no need to leave the resort for access to the mountain, but at times, visitors may need access to a car to navigate the entire resort area including local shopping for provisions or souvenirs, etc… New parking under the Corduroy Lodge protects cars from brutal winds, potential and desired snow, and any type of undesirable weather. Parking may still be “outside,” but covered and protected is more than just a nice to have.
(3) Private Lockers for Equipment
No need to navigate the halls of the lodge with ski equipment, located inside the ground floor of the lodge across from the elevator banks, guests of the Lodge have access to an onsite locker room to store your ski and snowboard equipment. Each room has an assigned storage locker.
(4) Heated Bathroom Floor
The bathroom always makes an impression on a luxury travel holiday. The amenities provided, the size, the space, and even the types of tile and furnishings can be discussed in travel circles. Yet, when heading to slopes again my new bathroom luxury need (or want) is the heated bathroom floor available at the Corduroy Lodge.
Don’t be intimidated by the complexity of the thermostat, spend the time or call the front desk and make sure the floor heat is operating and functioning. Trust me, you’ll be thankful you did on those chilly early mornings.
(5) The 4thFloor Fine Dinning (and Cocktails)
No need to even head back outside after sunset, one of the finest restaurants in all of town is located on the fourth floor. Actually, it is recommended to watch the sunset from Appalachia Kitchen since it serves fine dining along with panoramic views of the Allegheny Mountains.
Also available, guests can find quality cocktails, so if you care to start an evening off with something special, take the elevator to order a cocktail to bring back down to your in-room fireplace.
(6) The Ski to Slope Side Bar
A ski up bar is often the place to finish the day. When it’s attached to your property, even better. Take the final ski lift up and then ski right over to Tuque's Bar. The jovial atmosphere filled with tales of adventurous ski and snowboarding runs makes for a fun way to pass a few hours. Plus the solid pub food, such as poutine with a fresh pint will please the post run palate.
Not up for a bar scene to celebrate the run. Take a to-go pizza back to the room from the adjacent Pizza Slice. This artisanal pizza takes pride in its pizza, sources ingredients sourced directly from Italy and makes for a perfect meal back in the spacious rooms of the Inn.
(7) Nespresso in room Coffee
We all use Starbucks as the barometer for coffee. A cup (largely) satisfies the coffee drinker and to no surprise Starbucks can be found in the main resort village. But since the owners are coffee connoisseurs every guest has a coffee upgrade in the room with Nespresso.
Snowshoe Mountain Resort offers multiple accommodation options for its guests, but when searching for a few of the little luxuries on your ski trip, the boutique Corduroy Inn offers a few reasons to make it your home in West Virginia.
Stay Luxurious, Craig