The West's Best Guest Rooms

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THE WEST’S BEST

Guest Rooms

From creekside tents to slopeside suites, high-country getaways have never looked so stylish STORY BY CHRISTINE DEORIO

THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

Greenough, MT The vibe: A tent that feels just

PHOTO COURTESY THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

like home

Camping takes on new meaning at the River Camp at The Resort at Paws Up. Yes, you can still roast marshmallows, sing songs around a campfire and awaken to birdsong, but you can also get a great night’s sleep, shower daily and even blowdry your hair. This is luxury camping, and the experience includes a well-appointed tent—complete with electricity, a comfy bed and riverside deck—twice-daily housekeeping service, a private bathroom, gourmet meals and a personal camping butler ready to stoke the fire and make you another s’more. From $1,255/night, pawsup.com >>

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DUNTON HOT SPRINGS

Dolores, CO The vibe: Ghost town for the rich and famous

Back in the late 1800s, residents of the Dunton mining camp— tucked away in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains—suffered from extreme isolation. These days, that remote location is exactly what lures travelers, who plunk down more than $500 a night to stay in the perfectly restored ghost town. Its handful of handhewn cabins—many built by the original miners—are situated just steps from natural hot springs. The “Dolores” cabin (pictured) features a riverside deck and a wedding bed from Rajasthan, India. From $550/night, duntonhotsprings.com

THE INN OF THE FIVE GRACES

Santa Fe, NM The vibe: Your own little Taj Mahal

AMANGANI

Jackson, WY The vibe: A mountain man’s stylish lair

Have you ever stayed in a hotel room so elegant, you wished you had brought less stuff to clutter it with? You’ll feel that way at Amangani, where the look is at once rustic—think pine-stump tables, woven-cowhide chairs and faux-wolf fabrics—and minimalist, with backlit cedar-plank walls, crisp white linens and metal fireplaces.

The idea is to honor the surroundings without overshadowing their natural beauty. And when those surroundings are Wyoming’s majestic Tetons, it really is best to step back and let the views do the work. From $800/night, amanresorts.com/amangani

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PHOTOS, FROM TOP: COURTESY DUNTON HOT SPRINGS, THE INN OF THE FIVE GRACES, AMANRESORTS

Ira and Sylvia Seret’s East-meets-West style is evident in their Santa Fe showroom, Seret & Sons—which overflows with exotic rugs and antiques—and at The Five Graces, their inn in Santa Fe’s 17th-century Barrio de Analco historic district. Its 24 fanciful guest rooms brim with treasures: hand-painted Tibetan ceilings and Afghani beams, rich carpets, and hand-carved headboards and marble screens. The “Lapis” room (pictured) features a bathroom covered in floor-to-ceiling tile mosaics by Sylvia Seret. From $340/night, fivegraces.com

CALISTOGA RANCH

Calistoga, CA The vibe: Tree houses for the Prada set

PHOTOS, FROM TOP: COURTESY CALISTOGA RANCH, MEADOWOOD

By Napa Valley standards, the town of Calistoga can seem a bit rough around the edges—until you arrive at Calistoga Ranch. Tucked away in a private canyon, and quite literally built around ancient oak trees, the resort’s cedar-shingled guest bungalows consist of a series of living spaces connected by outdoor decks, walkways and living rooms. Interiors are spare in a super-sophisticated way and feature floor-to-ceiling windows, elegant furnishings and luxe bathrooms with private outdoor “bath gardens.” From $675/night, calistogaranch.com

MEADOWOOD

St. Helena, CA The vibe: Summer camp for grownups

Meadowood’s 250 acres of wooded hillsides and manicured lawns are dotted with a collection of elegant guest cottages, suites and lodges. The look is one part Napa Valley estate, one part Hamptons cottage. Comfy beds are dressed with snow-white linens, bathrooms are clad with white marble, and even the vaulted ceilings’ exposed beams are painted a crisp cloud-like hue. Some rooms offer built-in window seats and fireside nooks, and all have private porches in the trees.

From $500, meadowood.com >>

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THE RANCH AT ROCK CREEK

Philipsburg, MT The vibe: Laura Ingalls Wilder wins Powerball

A working-cattle-ranch-turned-luxury-retreat, The Ranch at Rock Creek will change the way you think about dude-ranch style. Rooms are decorated with elegant birch canopy beds, copper soaking tubs and marble-tiled showers; tent-like “Canvas Cabins” perch on the banks of Rock Creek; and private cabins and log homes offer unique amenities like herb gardens, heated screened porches and cedar saunas. The “Wrangler” (pictured) is situated in a restored 19th-century barn and features exposed beams, twigwork furniture and a marshmallow-y bed.

From $950/person/night, theranchatrockcreek.com

THE ST. REGIS RESORT ASPEN The vibe: The Breakers-meets-the-slopes

Tasked with reinvigorating this classic Aspen hotel, interior designer Lauren Rottet imagined what John Jacob Astor would have designed in Aspen during the Gilded Age. The result: guest suites that would feel right at home in a 19th-century mountain manor—save for a piece of contemporary art here and a bit of red leather there. Custom furnishings include bold leather beds and desks by Ralph Lauren, and spacious bathrooms are clad in white marble. Antiqued oak floors, nail-head trim and mountain views add a rustic touch. From $499/night, stregisaspen.com

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PHOTOS, FROM TOP: COURTESY THE RANCH AT ROCK CREEK, THE ST. REGIS RESORT ASPEN

Aspen, CO