With Hotels With Great Taste<\/strong>, we’re pulling back the curtain for a peek at the \u201cspecial sauce\u201d that hotels use to create memorable, meaningful culinary experiences for their guests.<\/em><\/p>\n Up until a few years ago, when choosing travel destinations, I was a city gal who generally preferred the buzz and vigor of a culinary-focused itinerary against a metropolitan backdrop. But in the last few years, unexpectedly, I became an outdoor girlie.<\/p>\n As I shook the cobwebs off the elementary tennis skills of my youth, researched endless hiking boots (still open to suggestions), and cautiously gathered the fortitude to explore terrain beyond a bunny slope, my interests in new and revived hobbies gathered momentum. All of a sudden I was looking up tennis-centered girls’ weekends, the best hiking routes for beginners within an hour\u2019s drive, and family-friendly ski vacations. The ratings on the activities were always the primary draw; if good food was somewhat accessible, it was icing on the cake.<\/p>\n When I had the opportunity to visit The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek, Colorado, it dawned on me that a sports-driven getaway and quality eats aren’t mutually exclusive. The resort is situated among the Rockies and Beaver Creek ski mountain, boasting ski-in\/ski-out access. There is terrain for all levels, with plenty of ski school and private lesson options for beginner and expert skiers and snowboarders alike. Cross-country skiing and snowshoe tours are also offered.<\/p>\n I had the fortune of a guide who helped me navigate gentle greens and encouraged me toward more challenging blues. He knew when we needed a sugar pick-me-up at the Candy Cabin, an actual candy-filled cabin, evoking both Hansel and Gretel<\/em> and Charlie and Chocolate Factory<\/em> with its barrels of singular sweets, right on the slopes. At the end of the day the official Cookie Time kicked off around 3 p.m., when chefs distributed warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at the bottom of Centennial Express as well as Beaver Creek Village. And new for the 2026 season is a full-fledged Cookie Cabin with a walk-up window where you can refuel on cookies and hot cocoa throughout the day.<\/p>\n You can’t talk ski without the apr\u00e8s-ski; The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch doesn’t disappoint, with DJ sets and live music. One spirited late afternoon legit had me feeling like I was at an Alpine apr\u00e8s-ski, with Aperol spritzes at every turn and Euro house music reverberating at the base of the mountain. If a laidback scene is more your vibe, you can’t beat the cozy apr\u00e8s experience in The Great Room, a luxurious mountain lodge where a fire is always roaring and live musicians also take their place later in the evening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/assets.bonappetit.com\/photos\/69b16bdb62bbdd3a66309299\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/ritzWHRRZex-576481-Exterior%2520Winter%25202-High.jpg\"\/)
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