Once upon a time, skiing was more than a sport, it was a cultural moment. In the 1980s and 90s skiing was the status sport across North America and Europe. Aspen, Vail and St. Moritz were filled with celebrities, Royals, Wall Street money and Hollywood glamour. Neon one pieces adorned magazines, skiing wasn’t just athletic, it was a cultural movement.
In the 2000s-2010s, skiing lost the heat as snowboarding began to take over as the younger, cooler, sport. This was right as the X Games were emerging, celebrities like Shaun White (we’re team Nina) started to pop up and skiing became the safe, family-friendly option rather than the cultural epicenter.
Today, we’re having a renaissance. Fashion houses are re-defining and bringing back ski style. Mountain villages are curating après ski parties with DJs and day club vibes. Spas, cold plunges and yoga are expanding the wellness aspect, making ski towns marketable to everyone, not just those who can ski. Ski culture is back, but this time it’s more expansive, more inclusive, and can give anyone a reason for a winter get-away.
From Aspen’s DJ-fueled parties and Kygo’s Palm Tree Festival debut, to Montana’s Lone Mountain Ranch, the French Alps ‘La Folie Douce’ and Whistler’s luxury wellness escapes, we’re going to dive into the Winter Wellness Trip that’s good for the body, and for the soul.
The Return to Aspen
If Aspen was the crown jewel of skiing’s first golden age, it’s now the epicenter of its second. Après here has evolved far beyond Champagne showers and hot tubs, it’s a fully fledged cultural stage.
At the iconic St. Regis, the Snow Lodge (an offshoot of Montauk’s legendary Surf Lodge and a Hamptons summer mainstay) has become one of the après addresses, blending alpine luxury with festival energy.
This year, Aspen will host Kygo’s Palm Tree Music Festival for the first time. The festival, known for weaving itself into cultural hot spots from Ibiza to Miami, landing in Aspen is proof that the ski town is once again at the heart of the global scene. Even the Kemo Sabe hat shop has become a cultural landmark with custom cowboy hats that can triple the cost of your lift pass, and is frequented by Real Housewives, influencers and cultural tastemakers.
Where to Stay: The Little Nell, W Aspen
Where to Ski: Aspen Mountain or Snowmass
Where to Après: Hotel Jerome’s J-Bar, The Snow Lodge
Wellness in the Mountains
Not every après ends with a DJ set – in Montana and Alberta, the mountains are turning recovery into ritual, proof that the wellness side of your winter adventure can be as powerful as the party.
At Lone Mountain Ranch, a bucket list stay in Big Sky, days on the slopes give way to Nordic trails, sleigh rides and stargazing dinners, all rooted in rustic luxury that looks like something out of Yellowstone.
On our side of the border, Banff offers its own Alpine therapy at the Fairmont. New this season, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise has opened Basin Glacial Waters, Canada’s first and only lakeside glacial wellness sanctuary. It’s an all-sensory thermal bathing experience with hot, cold, rest and breath rituals inspired by the Rockies’ glacial waters, it truly redefines après as restoration.
Where to Stay: Lone Mountain Ranch (Montana) or Fairmont Banff Springs (Alberta)
Where to Ski: Big Sky’s vast terrain or the Banff trifecta: Sunshine, Lake Louise, Mt. Norquay
Where to Après: Basin Glacial Waters at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
The Canadian Icons: East vs West
Canada’s ski culture is as diverse as its landscape. Out west, Whistler Blackcomb is a crown jewel, the largest ski resort in North America, where luxury meets adventure. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler offers slope-side grandeur, complete with an on-site spa to recover and even a fireside fondue experience to indulge in après.
Out east, Mont-Tremblant brings a French-inspired alpine charm. Here, après is more intimate: think cozy bistros, maple-syrup cocktails and the soothing circuits of Scandinave Spa, where silence, steam and snow combine.
Both destinations share the wellness tradition of Scandinave Spa, but their village personalities couldn’t be more different. Even KINDER Culture’s Winter 2024 cover, Chelsea Handler, has sung the praises of Whistler, proving these Canadian icons remain at the heart of the ski conversation.
Where to Stay: Fairmont Chateau Whistler or Fairmont Tremblant
Where to Ski: Whistler Blackcomb or Mont-Tremblant
Where to Après: Whistler’s Longhorn Saloon or Tremblant’s Scandinave Spa
Europe: Rituals of the Alps
While North America is reveling in skiing’s second golden age, in Europe the glamour never really went away. Resorts like St. Moritz and Chamonix have long defined alpine prestige – pairing powder with Michelin-starred dining, designer boutiques and après traditions that feel more like cultural rituals than nightlife.
The ritual varies wildly by country and there’s something out there for everyone, you just have to find it. In Austria’s Kitzbühel, as an example, après is a rowdy, beer-fueled party that starts while the sun is still high. Contrast that with the quiet elegance of an aperitivo at a five-star hotel bar in the Italian Dolomites of Cortina d’Ampezzo, a resort set to host the Winter Olympics again in 2026. Or La Folie Douce at Val d’Isere, which many consider the birthplace of the modern ‘après Ski’ as a ‘party,’ perched at 2,400m and featuring open-air terraces, live sax and literal champagne showers. The diversity in style is the true hallmark of the European scene.
For those seeking the height of modern luxury, the Ultima Collection has redefined the European chalet experience in destinations like Courchevel and Gstaad, offering private spas, cinemas and dedicated chalet staff to ensure a seamless experience.
In Europe, the mountains remain timeless, the gold standard of ski travel.
Where to Stay: Ultima Courchevel or Ultima Gstaad for private luxury, Hôtel Mont-Blanc (Chamonix)
Where to Ski: Corviglia in St. Moritz, Les Trois Vallées in Courchevel, or the Vallée Blanche descent in Chamonix
Where to après: The Dracula Club in St. Moritz, the champagne terraces of Gstaad or the original La Folie Douce
Après means more than a drink – it’s a lifestyle. Whether you find it on the dance floor, in the spa, or under the stars, there’s a winter adventure for everyone.
