Icy Hot Spots
September 27, 2011 | 
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From charming ski towns and ice hotels to the coldest bar in London, we’ve rounded up the best spots for wintry fun. These icy hot spots are so cool that you’ll never miss the summer sun.
Absolut Icebar
London, England
It’s always cool in London’s chilly Absolut Icebar where temperatures hover around the mid-20s Fahrenheit. Every 6 months, the bar and decor are sculpted from crystal-clear ice imported from Sweden’s Torne River. Bar staff provides each guest with a designer cape and gloves to keep warm while sipping icy cold cocktails. Reservations are necessary for a 40-minute session at the bar.
Bachelor Gulch
Beaver Creek, Colorado
The Bachelor Gulch Ritz Carlton is nestled in the Rocky Mountains in tony Beaver Creek. This ski-in and ski-out resort offers the best of winter luxury with 5 fine dining venues including Wolfgang Puck’s Spago and the rustic Anderson’s Cabin, which is set in the woods. After a day on the slopes, guests rest their bones at the spa, relaxing in the heated whirlpool grotto or soaking in a giant copper claw-foot tub.
ICEHOTEL
Jukkasj��rvi, Sweden
There’s no better way to experience winter than with a stay at Sweden’s famed ICEHOTEL located in a remote town about 200 miles north of the Arctic circle. Hotel staff members meet guests at the airport in a snow mobile or dogsled to embark on an icy adventure. Every year, the hotel is carved out of ice with architectural flairs like cathedral ceilings and accessories like icicle chandeliers. The fanciest rooms are the Art Suites, which allow guests to sleep like a snow queen on a bed of ice covered by reindeer skins.
Chamonix Dogsledding
Chamonix, France
Jet-setters head to Chamonix Mont Blanc for chills and thrills with some of the best winter fun in the Alps. While most visitors come for the skiing, the dog sledding is one of the area’s best-kept secrets. Huskydalen takes novices on sledding trips deep into the mountains to explore the woods and visit old villages that seem to be straight out of a fairytale.
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jackson Hole is best-known for its wild backcountry skiing where daredevils can make fresh tracks through untouched terrain. Located in the Grand Tetons, this easily accessible resort town maintains a small-town friendliness coupled with quiet luxury. The Four Seasons Resort is close to the gondola and offers luxe accommodations, a spa and a gourmet s’mores bar.
Blue Lagoon
Iceland
Iceland’s popular geothermal pool is naturally heated by volcanic lava flow to temperatures between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. These aquamarine waters aren’t just pretty to look at — many swear by the water’s therapeutic nature, thanks to the high content of silica and sulfur. If floating in the azure pool isn’t relaxing enough, there are in-water massages and spa treatments at the clinic.
Aspen
Aspen, Colorado
You don’t need to be a champion skier to enjoy Aspen’s many riches. There are 4 mountains packed with trails for skiers of all levels, from meandering runs perfect for beginners to the elite Aspen Highlands. And if you prefer to stay off the slopes, the town offers high-end shopping, ritzy restaurants and the private Caribou Clubwhere insiders schmooze and dine on local specialties like cherry-wood-smoked elk tenderloin.
Glacier Express
All aboard for a panoramic journey through the Alps aboard Switzerland’s famed Glacier Express. Since 1930, this dramatic train ride has been shuttling passengers from St. Moritz to Zermatt. Along the way, the train encounters 291 bridges and 91 tunnels as it reaches its pinnacle at 6,670 feet. Pampered riders can enjoy a glass of wine, served in a spill-proof glass, while watching the peaks and glaciers roll by.
Cartier Polo Tournament
St. Moritz, Switzerland
A little snow isn’t going to stop polo enthusiasts from enjoying their favorite pastime. Each year, Europe’s elite gather in St. Moritz to watch top players compete over 4 days for the exclusive Cartier Cup. The battlefield is St. Moritz’s frozen lake where steady horses gallop across the snow and icy landscape. Each team is sponsored by one of the masters of luxury including Maybach, Cartier, Julius B��r and Brioni.
Park City
Park City, Utah
Utah’s Park City strikes the perfect balance of resort chic and laidback cool. This small ski town, complete with a bustling Main Street, has become the perfect setting for skiing and schmoozing with Hollywood’s A-listers. Each year, 50,000 leading men, starlets and movie buffs descend on the town for Robert Redford’s annualSundance Film Festival. After dodging the crowded cafes and clubs on Main Street, Deer Valley Resort is the place to get your skis on. Staff limits the number of skiers on the slope so the trails are well-groomed and wide open for fun.
Quebec City
Quebec City, Canada
Quebec City is straight from a wintry fairytale with picturesque snow-capped mountains. Perched atop a hill overlooking the St. Lawrence River, Chateau Frontenac is the castle in this fairytale. Little girls can indulge their princess fantasies and adults can tempt their palette with top-notch food and an extensive martini bar. Every year, these charming turrets offer the perfect vantage point to take in the wild shenanigans at Red Bull’s Crashed Ice, an adventure competition that combines skiing, hockey and roller derby.
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First Class Travel
These swanky modes of transportation promise the utmost in luxury by rail, road, air and sea. Whether you ride the Orient-Express or kick back in a luxury RV, you’re sure to arrive in style with our picks for first-class travel.
Saleen S7
There’s nary a clunker to be found in the $4-million fleet of rentals available at Gotham Dream Cars. With locations in New York and Miami, this car rental spot provides swanky drivers with top cars including Bentleys, Ferraris and Lamborghinis. The Saleen S7 may be the best of the bunch with its racecar aesthetics, 550 horsepower and $400,000 price tag. You can test-drive this baby for the week for just $20,000.
9 World Wonders
Serious jet setters can knock out each of the world’s famed 9 wonders in 1 trip with luxury tour outfitterAbercrombie & Kent. A customized 757 takes continent-hopping guests from Machu Picchu and Easter Island to the Egyptian pyramids and everywhere in between. Travelers pay $89,900 for 26 days of expert guides, delicious meals and the best hotels on the planet.
His Majesty’s Coaches
When the typical tour bus just won’t do, discerning divas hit the tour circuit with His Majesty Luxury Coaches. These wheeled mini-mansions fit up to 12 guests with private bunks and comfy lounge areas to unwind and watch a flat-screen TV. The $1,400 per day price tag promises privacy and convenience for traveling performers who call the road home most of the year.
Zeppelin
Airship Ventures takes passengers on an unforgettable tour of the San Francisco coastline. Floating at 1,300 feet, the Zeppelin moves gracefully through the air with speeds hovering around a leisurely 35 mph. The blimp-like airship floats as gracefully as a hot-air balloon except with a controlled flight pattern. You can even feel the wind on your face as the windows open enough to catch a cool breeze and take even cooler pictures of the City by the Bay or Big Sur.
Talon Air
Talon Air allows guests to customize an itinerary and invite up to 12 business associates or friends to buckle up in the best of the fleet, the Talon Air Gulfstream 4. Bypassing the harried masses and long lines associated with commercial flights will set travelers back roughly $10,000 an hour. And if you can’t break the habit of arriving to the airport early, that’s no problem. The hangar’s VIP waiting area in Farmingdale, NY, is plush and often empty as flight delays are rare when flying the friendly skies aboard a private jet.
Orient Express
A ride aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express from Bangkok to Singapore harkens back to the golden period of train travel. The train stretches nearly 1/4 mile long with elegant restaurant carriages, 66 perfectly appointed rooms and a wide expanse of oversized windows perfect for taking in the scenery. An added bonus? The Observation Car, located at the end of the train, offers an outdoor viewing area offering unmatched vistas of Southeast Asia.
Queen Mary 2
The Queen Mary 2 is the pinnacle of luxury cruising. Every night is formal night as jackets are required and classic cocktail gowns and sparkly bling are the norm in the ship’s elegant dining room. The trip from New York to London gives you just 6 days at sea to cram in every onboard experience like the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, 5 swimming pools and the planetarium.
The Olga
For $70,000, you can head to the destination of your choice with an intimate handpicked group of friends aboard the Olga with Rikki Davis Yacht Charters. This 121-foot private yacht is equipped for partying and playtime with scuba gear, jet skis, on-deck Jacuzzi and even 2 on-staff masseurs. The ship’s 5 staterooms compare to the greatest suites on land and feature granite and marble bathrooms, steam showers and flat-screen TVs.
Virginia City
Railroad buffs can forgo the crowds and hitch a ride aboard the private rail car Virginia City. This opulent train car has been riding the rails since 1955 and still retains its old-school glamour. There’s even a working gas fireplace to set the perfect ambience for romance on the railroad. Prices run up to $5,000 a day for the accommodations and private crew to tend to your group’s needs.
Singapore Air Suite
On Singapore Air, you’ll want to be bumped to “suites class” to experience the utmost in luxury aboard a commercial airliner. In addition to a seat, your ticket gets you an actual bed — or even a double bed — behind closed doors. The bedding and PJs are designed by Givenchy and the food and wine are created with the seal of approval from celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey. You won’t find this flight on discounted travel sites — a round-trip flight from Singapore to London is just under $10,000.
Marathon Coach
Luxury takes to the highway in a lavishly tricked-out Marathon Coach RV. When you purchase this RV, you can customize with every convenience of home including 4 high-definition TVs, a dishwasher, washer and dryer, and spacious closets. There’s a price to pay for this home away from home — the Marathon costs upwards of $1 million depending on the extra touches. And when you’re ready for a pit stop, only the best parking spot will do. Check out the high-end lots at Outdoor Resorts. They’re more country club than trailer park with locations from California to Florida.
Best Las Vegas Steakhouses
So what’s the big deal about a steakhouse in a city that presents more star chefs in a 4-square-mile area than any other city in the world? Simple: Steak sells.
Steak is one of those Las Vegas traditions, like showgirls and chandeliers, which makes the city the epicenter of excess. With steak, extremes are played out in huge quantities, such as 40-plus ounces of aged beef, flamed in peppers, complemented by a double martini and dressed in sauces and a cavalcade of side dishes. The steak itself is now an art form. Here are a few Las Vegas steakhouses that make the cut.
The Golden Steer
Fine dining in Vegas cut its teeth on the concept of gourmet rooms. Every casino had a gourmet steakhouse for its players and big spenders. The meals were comped and served by hovering waiters in tuxedos who tossed salads table side and served sizzling desserts. A few of these holdovers still linger.Hugo’s Cellar at the Four Queens Hotel and Casino downtown and the Golden Steer Steakhouse, between the Strip and downtown Las Vegas, still cater to the old guard in a city where, not too long ago, everyone knew each other by first names.
CUT at the Palazzo
World renowned chef Wolfgang Puck’s steakhouse offers a menu of organic ingredients such as eggs and chicken, as well as corn-fed, Nebraska-raised and 35-day dry-aged USDA prime cuts, Australian and American Wagyu beef sirloin and Kobe beef short ribs, which offer smooth-textured tastes.
CARNEVINO at The Palazzo
A life-sized brass casting of Bodacious, a legendary monster bull from the rings of Pamplona, Spain, greets guests in the entrance, a symbol of the bold approach to cuisine at CARNEVINO. The restaurant is the masterwork of Mario Batali, whose esteemed Italian dish selections come as seconds to his signature dry-aged bone-in rib eyes, hormone-free, chemical-free and massaged with black peppers, sea salt and fresh rosemary. A hefty list of Italian wines can be experienced through the restaurant’s prix fixe beef tasting menu paired with just the right Italian vintage.
SW Steakhouse at Wynn
SW delivers tender, aged rib eyes and T-bones. The steakhouse also has the scenery. The restaurant offers indoor and patio seating that looks onto the “Lake of Dreams.” Every half hour, the small outdoor lake, backed by a 140-foot mountain of pines and 70-foot waterfalls, becomes the set for riveting shows of artful laser and cinematic projections, water-jet choreography and sensational musical scores, such as 2 flowers projected over the lake and set to classical music. The shows last 5 to 7 minutes, enjoyed alongside favorites such as the popular 20-oz. rib eye. Chef David Walzog also sells a lot of 42-oz. chili-rubbed double rib eyes — definitely not for sissies.
Delmonico at the Venetian
Chef Emeril Lagasse aims for a one-of-a-kind steak experience at Delmonico. The steaks are massaged with Creole seasonings, dabs of butter and bacon fat to ensure each bite melts in your mouth. The overall menu is a bit of France and a bit of N’awlins with escargot and stuffed pork trotters, along with gumbo and Chateaubriand. Award-winning wines are available for pairing.
Vegas’ Simple Steak Options
While most steakhouses in Las Vegas tend to go over the top in size, price, sauces and side selections, some serve steak simply — rare, medium and well done. For those who like the simplicity of a good steak, a twice-baked spud and maybe a side of succotash, old Vegas is all too happy to oblige: The steakhouse at Circus Circus, The Flame Steakhouse at the El Cortez and Mr. Lucky’s at the Hard Rock Hotel, which serves the Gambler’s Special at all hours: steak, shrimp, a side and a salad for under $10. You can’t beat those odds.
Lark Ellen Gould is an award-winning journalist focusing on culture trends and curiosities in Las Vegas. She has written more than 5 books about the city.