Readers’ choice list includes 10 area resorts
By Katie Klingsporn
Editor
The guests have spoken: Telluride resorts are top shelf.
Condé Nast Traveler magazine recently released its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, which ranked, among other things, the Best Resorts in the West. On that list of 40 resorts in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, Telluride-area facilities occupy 10 spots.
Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge is highest on the list, with a No. 3 ranking and score of 94.5. Lumiere Telluride trails close behind at No. 4 with a score of 94.2 and Dunton Hot Springs Resort comes in No. 12 with a score of 93.3.
Other area resorts that made the list: Inn at Lost Creek (No. 20), New Sheridan Hotel (22), Hotel Telluride (23), Camel’s Garden Hotel (25), Hotel Madeline (26), The Peaks Resort and Spa (34) and Mountain Lodge (38).
Guests rated properties on their service, location, design, food, activities and rooms.
Telluride resorts on the list run the gamut from historic properties in downtown Telluride to boutique luxury inns at the base of the ski area to large, modern facilities in the Mountain Village Core. They join well-known Western resorts such as Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo., Aspen’s Little Nell and the Four Seasons Resort in Vail.
Local hotel representatives say the rankings provide validation of the work they do to make sure their guests are treated with top-notch service.
The Franz Klammer’s rating of 94.5 points out of 100 illustrates the commitment of the facility to provide excellent service as well as personal connections with its guests, said Ivan Osorio, general manager for the resort.
“The recognition is truly a testament to the quality and dedication of our staff who take pride in making sure each resident feels valued and pampered, while exposing them to all that Telluride has to offer,” he said.
The Franz Klammer, which is located in the Mountain Village Core, provides amenities like complimentary valet parking, ski valet, transportation and access to the property’s spa. It’s amenities like that, along with an effort to make guests really feel at home, that Osario said sets the Franz Klammer apart.
“It is our goal to make each resident feel as though they’re coming home,” he said. “We are honored to be recognized.”
Mike Munno, the manager of the Camel’s Garden, a well established hotel at the base of Lift 8 in Telluride, said he thinks that being a locally owned property with a stable staff of long-time employees helps create a good experience for guests, which likely helped it win the accolade.
“It’s wonderful, there’s no doubt about that,” Munno said of the Camel’s Garden ranking. “We’re psyched.”
Munno also noted the significant representation of Telluride facilities on the list reflects a high level of service overall in the area.
Jim Mikula, the executive vice president at Telluride Ski & Golf Company (which operates the Inn at Lost Creek) echoed that sentiment.
Considering that the awards cover a large four-state region, he said, the one-in-four representation of Telluride resorts is telling of the area’s lodging standards.
“It’s very exciting for the destination,” Mikula said. “It’s a great testament to the quality of the hoteliers and the general managers of this town.”
Mikula noted that the Inn at Lost Creek, a small luxury boutique inn with just 32 rooms, has consistently made the list.
“We’re very proud of it,” he said. “It’s quite an accomplishment, it’s only a 32-room inn and we are competing against the Little Nells of the world.”
He credited the inn’s amenities, such as steam showers and fireplaces in each room, as well as the intimate feel of the hotel, the careful attention of the staff and the beauty of the area, for helping with the ranking.
Telluride resorts on the list run the gamut from historic properties in downtown Telluride to boutique luxury inns at the base of the ski area to large, modern facilities in the Mountain Village Core. They join well-known Western resorts such as Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo., Aspen’s Little Nell and the Four Seasons Resort in Vail.
Local hotel representatives say the rankings provide validation of the work they do to make sure their guests are treated with top-notch service.
The Franz Klammer’s rating of 94.5 points out of 100 illustrates the commitment of the facility to provide excellent service as well as personal connections with its guests, said Ivan Osorio, general manager for the resort.
“The recognition is truly a testament to the quality and dedication of our staff who take pride in making sure each resident feels valued and pampered, while exposing them to all that Telluride has to offer,” he said.
The Franz Klammer, which is located in the Mountain Village Core, provides amenities like complimentary valet parking, ski valet, transportation and access to the property’s spa. It’s amenities like that, along with an effort to make guests really feel at home, that Osario said sets the Franz Klammer apart.
“It is our goal to make each resident feel as though they’re coming home,” he said. “We are honored to be recognized.”
Mike Munno, the manager of the Camel’s Garden, a well established hotel at the base of Lift 8 in Telluride, said he thinks that being a locally owned property with a stable staff of long-time employees helps create a good experience for guests, which likely helped it win the accolade.
“It’s wonderful, there’s no doubt about that,” Munno said of the Camel’s Garden ranking. “We’re psyched.”
Munno also noted the significant representation of Telluride facilities on the list reflects a high level of service overall in the area.
Jim Mikula, the executive vice president at Telluride Ski & Golf Company (which operates the Inn at Lost Creek) echoed that sentiment.
Considering that the awards cover a large four-state region, he said, the one-in-four representation of Telluride resorts is telling of the area’s lodging standards.
“It’s very exciting for the destination,” Mikula said. “It’s a great testament to the quality of the hoteliers and the general managers of this town.”
Mikula noted that the Inn at Lost Creek, a small luxury boutique inn with just 32 rooms, has consistently made the list.
“We’re very proud of it,” he said. “It’s quite an accomplishment, it’s only a 32-room inn and we are competing against the Little Nells of the world.”
He credited the inn’s amenities, such as steam showers and fireplaces in each room, as well as the intimate feel of the hotel, the careful attention of the staff and the beauty of the area, for helping with the ranking.
For more information on this or Telluride area real estate, please contact Telluride Real Estate Corp. at 970-728-3111, info@telluriderealestatecorp.com, or visit www.telluriderealestatecorp.com.
