Perhaps what is most inviting about the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera is its location nestled in the breathtaking Colorado Rockies. The chateau-style, 56-room hotel is a winding, five-mile drive up into the mountains from the floor of the Vail Valley. That means it’s minutes from “civilization”—and world-class ski slopes, a myriad of restaurants and loads of shopping—but also remote enough to feel as if you and your new spouse are truly “getting away from it all.”

Cordillera, a AAA Four-Diamond Resort, is luxurious, not pretentious, elegant yet comfortable. Appointments in the rooms and suites are top notch, with plush towels, wood-burning or gas fireplaces, and large balconies from which to enjoy the magnificent mountain vistas.

Although Cordillera isn’t a ski-in/ski-out resort, visitors can take shuttles to Vail or Beaver Creek with its Cordillera Mountain Club; here, guests do have ski-in/ski-out access, plus a business center, complimentary refreshments and a place to store personal belongings.

On site at Cordillera is a full Nordic center, with ski and snowshoe rentals, instruction and 11 kilometers of trails. Also nearby are stables for horse-drawn sleigh rides, plus opportunities for dog-sledding and snowmobiling.

Summer brings hiking, fly-fishing, biking and horseback riding in the mountains. But Cordillera is perhaps best known for its four golf courses: three 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course, all with stunning high-country scenery. Plus, just 15 minutes away is the Red Sky Golf Club with two more signature courses designed by Tom Fazio and Greg Norman. So, if golf’s your game, be sure to pack your clubs!

Spa & dining
The atmosphere at Cordillera’s 20,000-foot Avanyu Spa is soothing and serene. The women’s locker room isn’t huge, but features a steam room and sauna, plus all the thoughtful amenities—toiletries, hair dryers, even complimentary hair-ties. Both the men’s and women’s locker rooms lead to an indoor, 25-meter lap pool, outdoor leisure pool, and indoor and outdoor Jacuzzi. The fitness center includes cardio and strength-training equipment, plus daily yoga and exercise classes—all of which are complimentary for guests.

Spa treatments run the gamut from body scrubs and Vichy showers to mud masks and facials to hot-stone massages and shiatsu. Couples’, in-room and even outdoor massages (in warm-weather months, of course) are available. Book a manicure or pedicure, and you’ll relax in an overstuffed chair in a spacious, sun-filled room with floor to ceiling windows affording still more fabulous mountain views.

Mirador is the main dining room at Cordillera. The clever tasting menu allows guests to sample a handful of small entrees (each of which are about $10), such as a jumbo scallop, a 3- to 4-ounce serving of smoked salmon or a few mushroom raviolis. Since it’s often hard to choose just one meal (“Should I go for the free-range chicken breast or the pork medallions?”) this is a great way to try different seasonal options. Between you and your spouse, you could savor six or more different offerings!

Honeymoon here for free
Book your destination wedding at a RockResort in Colorado, Wyoming, Vermont, New Mexico or Washington State, and you can honeymoon for four nights at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera or any another RockResort at no cost. To qualify, you must spend $15,000 on your wedding and book your honeymoon (with a Sunday or Monday arrival) within three months of getting married. Visit the RockResorts website below for more details on this generous offer.