Take your own family photos? Meet your instructor at the base? Not with these services.
For leisure skiers who have discovered the luxury of a full-service vacation, ski trips have come a long way from the days of schlepping gear through the airport and having to tote your camera with you on the slopes. Here are a few services to make your time on the mountain more seamless:
Private Ski Instructor – At Your Door
For advanced beginners, intermediates and near-experts who want to work on their technique, private ski instruction can dramatically increase your enjoyment on the slopes. And thanks to ski-in/ski-out lodging, you need not always meet your instructor at the base. Deer Valley, the indisputable leader of ski-in/ski-out accommodations, can arrange for instructors to meet you at your slope-side property. The amount of out-the-door ski access at Deer Valley makes this Utah resort one of the few world-wide that can offer such a service.
Professional Photographer
Taking enough photographs and video to ensure that each moment is captured, shared and turned into a coffee mug is no longer unusual behavior. Fortunately, you can reclaim enjoyment of your vacation and still head home with enough multi-media evidence to reconstruct your vacation for a reality show — or at least with enough material for a family ski album. Professional photographers like veteran photojournalist Kristin Murphy have begun offering their services to families, capturing powder days, first turns, family portraits and hot cocoa photo ops.
Dedicated Concierge
Ski vacations are often about much more than simply time on the slopes. Between dinners at restaurants, apres-ski, extra gear shopping, grocery runs and off-mountain activities (dog sledding, anyone?), the need for transportation arises more than one might think. Private concierge services like Cooper’s Cabin, which often double as dedicated drivers, errand runners, advice givers and ski guides, can make sure the details of your vacation don’t get in the way of your powder turns and family time.
Ski Delivery Service
Why ship your equipment when a service like Ski Butlers and Skis on the Run can bring current-year skis and demos directly to your accommodations? Moreover, if you decide to ski groomers after a day of powder, Skis on the Run has even been known to make mountain-side equipment swaps.
In-Home Massage Therapist
Skiing takes a toll on the muscles, and nothing lets you gear up for another powder day quite like a massage. (Except perhaps a post-ski massage and hot tub.) An in-home therapist eliminates the need to leave your accommodations after you ski in, and with some homes, like Mountaineer Ranch or the Ski Dream Home, you even have a designated spa room. In-home massage is available in most ski areas worldwide, and many lodging providers can arrange the service through their concierge staff.
