The Luxury Guide to Mammoth

There are guides for the serious skier, for the family mountain vacation, and for the epic college spring break trip. This is none of those. This is the guide for the lover of travel who wants to work hard on the slopes, but refuses to work on anything after the last ski lift shuts down, except maybe that Nikki Pizza at Campo’s. You care as much about your apres-ski massage as you do about how many inches of fresh powder just fell. Life is a balancing act, my friend, and you know how to come away from a vacation feeling like you actually just took one, not like you were training for the Olympics or partying like it was 1999. Mammoth Mountain may not rival Vail for it’s swanky appeal, but this quick, drivable jaunt may prove to have just enough of the lavishness that you’ve been craving.  

Some Like It…Secluded.

Mammoth Mountain is a relic. The locals can tell you about the 100-year-old founder as swiftly as they could give you directions to Starbucks. There’s only one. It’s not quite The Revenant, but there are 30 resident bears in town, so take what you will. Mammoth is a place where reconnecting with nature isn’t a trendy mantra, it’s an in-your-face fact. Imagine waking up with the rising sun. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame nothing but centuries-old trees and snow covered hills. Deer, raccoon, and coyotes wander by, not even flinching at the site of you sipping your morning coffee in front of the high end, modern fireplace. 

The juxtaposition of the bucolic surroundings and ultra sleek interiors is reminiscent of a scene from Gone Girl, but in truly the best possible way. This is Mammoth at its most opulent, and should your mountain getaway daydreams picture seclusion, a private luxury home rental will not disappoint. Your best bet is a Luxury Home, which is available through the nearby Juniper Springs Resort. Check-in is easy, breezy, and doesn't require any awkward meet-and-greets Airbnb-style. There is no restaurant in Juniper Springs Resort, so the seclusion comes with a small price. There is, however, a hotel shuttle available at no charge into the Village at Mammoth.  

Some Like It…With Endorphins.

The Westin Monache sits atop the Village as if Mammoth Resort’s crown-like emblem were created just for it. The Westin Monache is not a kitschy mountain lodge and makes no apologies. If ease of living is what you’re after, the Westin Monache is for you. With a guest-only kids club dedicated to the apres-ski hours, the Westin Monache caters to your need to relax or recharge. As a member of the Westin franchise, the New Balance Gear Lending program is available to guests who had to choose between their running shoes and their parka in their roller bag. New Balance shoes and apparel can be loaned to guests who want to visit the exclusive gym, or take advantage of one of the mapped running trails nearby. If wellness is on the menu, put your mind at ease by ordering from the Westin SuperFoodsRX options in Whitebark Restaurant. Or if the day’s activities have left you craving some alone time curled up by the fire, rejoice in the fact that the Westin Monache offers room service, which is a small, but rare, luxury in Mammoth.  

Some Like It…Centrally Located.

The Village Lodge Mammoth is the newest addition to the Mammoth Mountain Lodging Collection and is at the heart of the Village at Mammoth. The gondola station is located in the center of the Village and it has Mammoth Kids, a day care (and weekend evenings) program for kids from ages newborn to seven. Staying at the Village Lodge leaves no excuse for the grown-ups to not get out and about! The Village at Mammoth offers the area’s only Starbucks, as well as the newest hot spot 53 Kitchen and Cocktails, a local late night hangout with a rustic urban flair and craft cocktails. 

Right upstairs is the delectable Campo’s restaurant, a modern, rustic farm-to-table Italian outpost with a James Beard-nominated chef at the helm. It comes as no surprise that Campo’s seems to nail everything on the menu. It beckons you to stop in with its bean bag toss along the front walkway; once you notice the bocce ball court next to the roaring firepit on the outdoor patio, you’re hooked. On Thursdays, try the prix fixe date night menu from 5-8. Campo’s daring seasonal menu makes it hard to venture anywhere else, but venture you must! The understated Toomey’s looks like a hole-in-the-wall sports bar, but the comfort food aromas coming from the kitchen beg otherwise. The phenomenal buffalo meatloaf with its tangy, sweet berry chutney will take your mind off of your tired, achy muscles and soothe it right into a food coma. Lucky for you, you’re staying right upstairs at the Village Lodge, and your head is hitting the pillow before you can say "lifts are open at 8:30!"

Some Like It…With Amenities.

Think there aren’t any spas in Mammoth? Think again. While not quite as opulent as the Village Lodge or the Westin Monache, the Sierra Nevada Resort and Spa has the three S’s: steam room, sauna, and spa. A sister-property of TripAdvisor’s reigning South Lake Tahoe resort, The Landings, The Sierra Nevada Resort may lack the glam, but does not skimp on service. This resort offers three onsite restaurants, including standout Jimmy’s Taverna and a fireside lounge. 

For added fun, there is a year-round mini-golf course, jacuzzis, and a seasonally heated pool. The Sierra Nevada Resort and Spa boasts the only full-service spa in Mammoth, but it still caters to the rest of the family; fur-babies are welcome at the hotel, so you don’t have to leave Fido at home. Want to bring your kids instead of the family dog? The newly added Cub Club provides a supervised outlet for little ones with nightly activities, board games, the latest video games, arts and crafts, foosball, and air hockey, as well as movie nights with popcorn and hot cocoa. Families with younger kids are welcome to visit the Cub Club for some family bonding to ease any leftover mommy or daddy guilt from that all-day spa treatment. 

The best rooms in the house are definitely the newly-renovated Chalets which feature a split-level floor plan with three bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a fully-stocked kitchen, and a dining room. These rooms can sleep up to 10 people. If you don’t need quite that much space, the Fireplace Suites were also recently updated and could be the cozy, cabin-in-the-woods refuge you’ve been craving.  

Some Like It…In Under Two Hours

If all this last minute weekend getaway talk has you yearning to hit the slopes before an early spring melt leaves you hot and bothered until next winter, but you aren’t up for the requisite six hour drive, dismay not. Alaska Airlines offers its Mammoth Air Pack from both LAX and SAN. Air Packs are available in 6 or 10 packs of one-way Alaska Airlines flights into the Mammoth Lakes airport from either Los Angeles or San Diego. Currently, 6 packs are $490 and 10 packs are $790 via Alaska Air. And as another perk, Mammoth/Big Bear Season Passholders can check their skis for free on Alaska if they are members of Alaska Airlines mileage program. San Diego nonstop flights to Mammoth depart at 4:40pm (Flight 2177) and return at 6:45pm (Flight 2198)  on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.  

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