This winter, whether you plan to toss your skis in a bag and beeline for the freshest powder, or escape the cold completely with a sundrenched holiday, Celebrated Living offers a dozen  ecadent ideas, both hot and cold, for luxurious getaways that are sure to tempt. One of each, perhaps? BY NICOLE ALPER

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA The name conjures up images of galloping wild horses, but at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, located an hour west of Banff, the real stars are named after a raptor. The Eagle’s Eye Suites, above the resort’s mountaintop restaurant (7,700 feet above sea level), take privacy to new heights. After arriving by gondola or helicopter onto the private helipad, from this exclusive perch you’ll see little besides the sweep of pristinely whitewashed Rocky, Purcell, and Selkirk mountains, and a personal valet to attend to your every need. After breakfast in bed, it’s first tracks down the untouched trails. Following an active day, don’t miss a delicious après-ski ice-wine martini served at the copper bar, and perhaps a Pacific Northwest–Rocky Mountain favorite, the Bison rib-eye with goat cheese quenelle and red wine reduction. Rooms from $1,750. (866) 754-5425, www.kickinghorseresort.com

Cap Cana DOMINICAN REPUBLIC As Americans continue to look for uncharted virgin beach on which to sun their winter bodies, the Dominican Republic is fast becoming the new choice destination for luxury retreats. Rising to the top of the list is the new Cap Cana, a $1.5 billion real estate and luxury resort community. More than 30,000 acres of prime waterfront will be home to five golf courses (three of which are designed by Jack Nicklaus; the first course, Punta Espada, opened in November 2006), the 16-villa boutique hotel Caletón Villas (a group of three- and-four-bedroom villas located beside the Caletón Beach Club), a 1,000-slip marina which can house mega yachts (approximately 58 slips are ready now), as well as a host of luxury shops. This winter marks the opening of the 176-suite, five-star Sanctuary Cap Cana Golf & Spa, where half the suites will feature entrances from a private beach, and the stunning 22,000-square-foot spa is destined to rank as one of the Caribbean’s best. Rooms from $1,700. (800) 785-2198, www.capcana.com

Stowe Mountain Lodge
STOWE, VERMONT

There is something major afoot in New England. This winter will mark the launch of the first new luxury resort to open in the area in more than 50 years. The 139-room Stowe Mountain Lodge, set on 2,000 acres of environmentally protected Vermont landscape, is Stowe’s first resort hotel to be built at the base of the ski mountain, offering true ski-in/ski-out access to Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. Ski valets arrange to ship equipment and gear in advance so you can travel weightless. In addition, “ski sherpas” will have gear waiting at the lifts. Part of the new Spruce Peak at Stowe alpine neighborhood, the hotel will be surrounded by high-end retail shops and restaurants, as well as a championship mountain golf course designed by architect Bob Cupp. Each room has stunning views through oversize windows, and for even more elbow room, check into a multilevel Mountain Cabin, made from native stone and handcrafted timbers. The resort is also unveiling a 21,000-square-foot wellness spa, full-service salon, state-of-the-art fitness center, an indoor/outdoor pool, and an outdoor patio for après ski right at the bottom of the ski lifts. Rooms from $435. (802) 253-3560, www.stowemountainlodge.com                

                               
Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort
COSTA RICA

The only Leading Spa of the World in Central America, The Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort is a testament to the fact that luxury and ecotourism can go hand in hand. The five-star (for luxury) three-leaf (for sustainability) northern Costa Rican gem, which recently became a Leading Hotel of the World after completing a major renovation, sits in a lush setting at the foot of the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna de San Carlos. Cherry-pick from many nearby natural hot-spring pools for soaking, or stroll the exotic gardens — and yes, that hiccup you hear is the nearby active Arenal volcano. Don’t miss the en plein air Gala Dinner, where a personal chef cooks you a gourmet meal in a private rainforest bungalow. Another must: visiting the luxurious new Grand Spa for a volcanic mud wrap, rinsed off in an outdoor river pool. Rooms from $215. (877) 277-8291, www.tabacon.com         


Cheval Blanc
COURCHEVEL, FRANCE
 
The latest in “designer destinations,” owned by Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Cheval Blanc was conceived as nothing short of a mountaintop palace. Here, the mantra is “over the top,” both in its spectacular Alpine location, surrounded by mountains in the heart of France’s Courchevel 1850 region, as well as its platinum-level refinement. Luring the likes of David and Victoria Beckham, 34 rooms and suites are spread over five floors, and haute couture touches abound, including Karl Lagerfeld specially commissioned winter photographs in each room, as well as designer boutiques selling, not surprisingly, Louis Vuitton treasures. Highlights are two chalets that each sleep four (both the chalets and suites have private hammams), a Givenchy Snow spa, and a John Nollet hair salon. Rooms from $1,350. 011-33-4-79-00-5050, www.chevalblanc.com

Blancaneaux Lodge
BELIZE

Situated within the 300-square-mile Mountain Pine Ridge
Reserve, director Francis Ford Coppola’s deluxe eco-lodge Blancaneaux will soon unveil its most luxurious addition: The Enchanted Cottage. Adding to the resort’s 17 cabanas and villas (along with two new thatched villas), all of which stretch along the boulder-studded Privassion River, The Enchanted Cottage will feature radiant floors, two wood-burning fireplaces, and a private infinity pool looking out onto the forest. As eco-friendly as it is luxurious, the resort’s energy is harnessed from the river, and a three-acre organic farm produces virtually every fruit and vegetable imaginable, supplying as much as 80 percent of the produce for Blancaneaux and its luxurious oceanfront sister property, Turtle Inn. Also new to the lodge: a pool and horseshoe-shaped hot tub overlooking the river, designed by Dean Tavoularis, an Academy Award-winning (for Godfather II) production designer. Rooms from $225. (800) 746-3743, www.blancaneaux.com