Town: Vail
Price: $2,340,000–$9,495,000
Living Space: Two to five bedrooms, 1,667–4,249 square feet
Amenities: Social membership to the Arrabelle Club, which includes ski valet services, daily complimentary breakfast, a private owners club room and ski locker room, and special ski resort events such as first tracks; use of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail’s teen/game room, fitness facility, and pool and hot tubs.

If you’re thinking (or even just dreaming) about dropping a few million on a private residence in Vail steps from the Eagle Bahn Gondola and Lionshead Village, it’s probably safe to say you appreciate the added value of convenience. And when it comes to luxury ski in, ski out abodes, it doesn’t get much more convenient than the Lionshead Collection at the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail.

The inclusion of a social membership to the Arrabelle Club—Vail’s newest private alpine club—means hitting the slopes in the morning is simple. Feeling stiff? Head to the fitness center for a warm-up or start the day with an on-site hot stone massage. Then fuel up with a complimentary continental breakfast in the Great Room at the Arrabelle Club (pictured above) while the ski valet service makes sure your carving equipment is waiting for you by the time you stroll over to load the Eagle Bahn. When you’re done making turns, you might hit up one of the Residences’ après social gatherings for a cocktail or wine and cheese pairings—or you could head straight to the outdoor hot tubs for a soak with a view. Once you’re cleaned up, walk to Vail Square for a plethora of dining options (the concierge is happy to make you a reservation), or have the valet bring your car up from the heated garage and go explore Vail Village.

However, before you can settle into blissful day-to-day mountain living, there’s work to be done at your new home, right? (Couches to have delivered, plates to pick out, sheets to buy, and oh, all those blank walls!) Wrong, if you’re moving into one of 10 available units in the Lionshead Collection, which debuted last winter. Local design stars have been enlisted to not only choose top-end finishes (cabinets, countertops, light fixtures) for the two- to five-bedroom residences, but also to fully furnish them. Throw pillows, artwork, cozy blankets, coffee-table books, wine glasses—we’re talking truly move-in ready (and gorgeous).


Eddy Doumas, nationally renowned designer and founder of Avons’ Worth Interiors, has six units currently available and will be adding another four this winter. “The biggest challenge and the most wonderful part of being involved in the interiors of the Lionshead Collection at the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail was how to keep the design of each unit unique,” Doumas says. “We created a different personality for each residence while keeping up an aesthetic and level of quality appropriate for a world-class resort in the Colorado Rockies.”

Other designers involved in the project include Kellye O’Kelly & Andrea Georgopolis of Slifer Designs; Mikhail Dantes of D&D Interiors; and Andrea Lawrence Wood of Interior Design Development. As for us, we’ll take one from any of the above—their professional taste is bound to be better than ours, and besides, we’ve got a gondola to catch.

Interested parties can visit the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail website for more information; tours are available daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

—Photos courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail

Follow copy chief Jessica Farmwald on Twitter at @JessicaKF.