Ski Like a Lord of the Manor -- in the Rockies

It might be high summer, but for selected ski-country properties, you'd better book now. One such is Moving Mountains, which combines the British ski custom of renting a chalet with personalized and luxury service rather than a hotel room or apartment. Moving Mountains, started with one couple, one dog and one chalet. Now, there is one couple, one dog, two children and nine chalets. The couple is Robin (he's English) and Heather (she's American) Craigen.

Before beaching themselves in the Rockies, they operated a sailboat charter out of the British Virgin Islands, sailing around with groups of clients, accommodating their sports, shopping and sightseeing wants, and fueling them with cooked-aboard meals. When they dropped anchor at Steamboat and launched Moving Mountains, they sought to combine the personalization of sailing charters with luxurious private accommodations, with or without a private chef for some of all meals. They now manage luxurious chalets on the mountain at Steamboat. (The map, above right, shows the location of the chalets but does not reflect the replacement of the old Christie chairlifts with a new high-speed version and other base area changes.)

These beautifully furnished chalets range from three bedrooms and a loft to 12 bedrooms -- perfect for a family, group of friends or even executive ski retreat for a nightly (or usually longer) getaway, with a variety of meal plans and with lots of elbow room for all.

In addition to real spaciousness and true privacy (including a private hot tub), guests have the option of preparing their own meals in a gourmet kitchen, fry high-speed Internet, concierge service for dining or spa reservations, complimentary shuttle service Moving Mountains' Suburbans to and from the airport, any Steamboat lift base or downtown. The price might seem high, but when you divide the rate by the number of people, factor in that you won't need a rental car and that MM has access to discounted air fares and lift tickets, the per-person rate should not be all that scary. I'm not including rates here, because the structure is complicated and depends on the specific chalet, how many people are using it, specific week and so on.