Skiing Timeshare Resorts
Ski buffs have made winter-destination timeshare resorts popular in places you have likely heard of, such as Vail and Aspen, Colorado, but you can find excellent skiing and lovely resort accommodations elsewhere, too — sometimes as far away as New Zealand, in the South Pacific.
Key amenities to consider when looking at a timeshare unit at a skiing resort include private fireplaces for warming up after a day on the slopes, a good mix of downhill and cross-country trails, and indoor/outdoor whirlpool tubs for relaxing at night. Also be sure you understand the resort's policy on lift tickets, ski equipment rentals, and the like, so that you will not be surprised by additional charges.
Marriott's Summit Watch
Located in Park City, Utah, this resort offers two-bedroom villas with private fireplaces and alpine views. Snow skiing trails are just a mile away, and ski-equipment lockers are available on site. The resort also boasts a heated indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and whirlpool.
FAST FACT
Many ski resorts double as warm-weather getaways during the summer months, offering things such as hiking and mountain biking. These kinds of timeshare resorts are inherently more financially stable than one-season-only resorts, a factor worth noting when deciding which resort you want to pin your hopes on for the next decade or more of timeshare ownership.
Summit Watch is a year-round timeshare resort that, in the summertime, offers everything from hunting to horseback riding and fly fishing. These kinds of activities give it the feel of a wilderness timeshare resort, making it a natural choice if you are the type of person who likes to snow ski, but who wants options for other activities, as well.
The Lodge at Kananaskis
This Resort Condominiums International Gold Crown property is in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, in the province of Alberta. Your timeshare will allow you to ski the slopes of Mount Allan — site of the 1988 Winter Olympics — or the nearby well-known slopes of Fortress Mountain, Norguay, Sunshine, and Lake Louise. Cross-country trails and ski instruction are also within a couple of miles of the resort site.
One of the nice things about The Lodge at Kananaskis is that it serves as an all-year-round destination, with summertime activities including boating, golf, tennis, and horseback riding. The fact that it is doing business year-round is a nice peace of mind factor toward the resort's long-term financial stability.
The Ponds at Foxhollow
Located in the Berkshires town of Lenox, Massachusetts, this all-seasons resort offers downhill and cross-country skiing during the wintertime. It is near the Norman Rockwell Museum and Tanglewood (where the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs and holds a Jazz Festival each summer), and the resort itself has earned a Five Star Award from its affiliated exchange company, Interval International.
The Ponds sits on a 223-acre site and has just forty-eight condominium units, each with fireplaces and some with second bedrooms and lofts. Additional amenities at the resort include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, an exercise room, and trails for walking, hiking, or bicycling. Wine and cheese parties are held in the library on Fridays, and local baby-sitters are available.
