Our favorite ski towns. The best ski towns have to have accommodations, stores, restaurants, nightlife, pubs and character. A mountain which supports a diversity of skill levels and has great terrain, helps.
Lots of shopping and very exclusive and unique stores. Fun town even if you don't ski. The shopping, restaurants and bars can keep one busy while the rest ski.
Aspen has the architecture of an old Colorado mining town turned upscale with 5th avenue and Rodeo Drive blended in.
Stay in Banff (great town) and ski in Lake Louise (better skiing than in Banff).
Banff is larger than most ski towns thus offering more of everything, more shopping, more restaurants and more resources in general.
Great night life, snow and mountain. I prefer to ski the Blackcomb side as it is more challenging and party on the Whistler side. Of the 2000 work visas Canada issues to Australians each year as a "Commonwealth exchange", over 1200 park themselves in Whistler to work the resort and party crazy at night.
While the Sun Valley resort has a recognizable name, few are familiar with the town of Ketchum Idaho. Many of the rich and famous who park themselves for parts of the winter like it that way. A complete ski town and mountain resort with all the terrain to make any skier happy.
This crowd travels from Los Angeles where it continues its beach party style and attitude for both "apres ski" and night life.
The "Village" is a nice shopping, restaurant and bar district with gondola access to the mountain. The actual town of Mammoth Lakes provides more of the same.