Alpine charm in the Rockies: Sonnenalp Vail

700394

[Translate to en:] Sonnenalp Vail

700394

[Translate to en:] Sonnenalp Vail

700394

[Translate to en:] Sonnenalp Vail

700394

[Translate to en:] Sonnenalp Vail

700394

[Translate to en:] Sonnenalp Vail

Colorado is the winter wonderland of the USA and for me, as for many other passionate winter sports enthusiasts, the epitome of skiing in the "Wild West". After all, the ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains enchant with the vastness so typical of America and with small mining towns that look like backdrops from western films. In Aspen, Breckenridge and Telluride, saloons are hidden in old wooden and brick houses on the main streets, which still look like they did in the days when whiskey-swilling cowboys and dubious gunslingers were ensnared by easy girls and eyed suspiciously by sheriffs.

Colorado's largest contiguous ski resort, however, has a completely different effect on me. Vail was shaped by European emigrants from the Alpine region. Austrians, Germans and Swiss played a decisive role in turning the small town on Interstate Highway 70, around two hours west of Denver, into one of the biggest, best and most famous ski resorts in the world.

They are everywhere in the townscape, the emigrants from the Alps. There is the rustic Hotel-Gasthof Gramshammer, the Restaurant Alpenrose with schnitzel, knuckle of pork, roast pork and apple strudel and the crowning glory of Alpine hospitality, the Hotel Sonnenalp. The charming five-star hotel in the pedestrian zone of Vail Village conjures up Alpine charm in the Rocky Mountains like no other with its wood-furnished suites and parlors - genuine and authentic.

The Sonnenalp Vail with its 112 suites and 15 rooms is the sister hotel of the Sonnenalp Spa and Golf Resort in Ofterschwang, Bavaria. Both are owned by the German Fäßler family, who have been innkeepers and hoteliers for five generations now. Johannes Fäßler runs the hotel in the USA with his wife Rosana, while his brother Michael and his wife Anna-Maria run the main hotel in Germany. Both resorts were founded by their father Karlheinz Fäßler, who was a world-class ski racer in his youth.

Sonnenalp Vail is located in the pedestrian zone of the Mountain Village. It is just a few minutes' walk to the One Gondola, which takes you right into the heart of the gigantic ski area with its famous Back Bowls deep snow paradise. The Sonnenalp has its own lounge right next to the gondola, where the ski concierge is already waiting for me with my pre-warmed ski boots and freshly waxed skis. And as a tasty treat, I also get a freshly baked cookie to take with me on my way into the gondola.

The ski day couldn't start any better. On the frontside, perfectly groomed carving runs wind their way down into the valley, while on the backside, open powder slopes in the back bowls and magical forest runs in the Blue Sky Basin area await me. Without the sumptuous and excellent breakfast menu at the Sonnenalp, I would run out of energy after just a few hours in this huge area.

I stop for lunch in Vail at the 10th Division hut, the only cozy restaurant on the mountain. Or I go to the simple Wildwood Smoke House for a juicy pulled pork sandwich. I never eat too much at lunchtime in Vail, after all I need space in my stomach for dinner in the Sonnenalp.

It's always plentiful, delicious and very reasonably priced by American standards. For cozy après-ski in front of the huge fireplace in the hotel's King's Club bar, cocktails and wine are available for around 15 dollars and beer for eight dollars, accompanied by live music. In the evening, alpine classics such as fondue, raclette and Zürcher Geschnetzeltes are served in the Swiss Chalet. Given the quality and the price of 72 dollars for a cheese fondue for two, it's no wonder that the Swiss Chalet in Vail is a big hit and is fully booked almost every evening.

The Bully Ranch restaurant, which serves steaks and pub food, is also usually full, as is the Stüberl of the Ludwig Restaurant, the fine dining option in the hotel. I recently had the Japanese-style hamachi tuna, a wonderfully glazed Rocky Mountain trout with crispy, crunchy skin and a butter-tender beef ragout braised in Barolo - simply delicious! And to finish, we were served a small dessert that brought back childhood memories: cotton candy balls hanging like snowflakes from the branches of a small tree.

The dessert idea is as lovely as the charming and warm service in the hotel, which is a pleasant contrast to the often professional but superficially cool treatment in large American luxury hotels. The Sonnenalp is a family business - with Johannes and Rosanna Fäßler at the helm together with their son Sebastian, daughter-in-law Esmarie and daughter Francesca.

They make the Sonnenalp in Vail an exceptional feel-good place for anyone who doesn't want to miss out on alpine charm even when skiing in the Wild West. For me, the Sonnenalp is definitely a favorite place in the Rockies - if only because of its pools in the snow-covered garden. After a long day of skiing, there's nothing better than relaxing in one of the two hot tubs after a few lengths in the pool in crisp sub-zero temperatures under a starry sky.


Text: Bernhard Krieger

Ski travel magazines by Bernhard Krieger:
SKI KANADA: www.ski-kanada.net
SKI USA: www.ski-usa.net