With Vail’s established luxury names getting a little too comfortable, there’s a pronounced need for a place like The Sebastian - Vail, a hotel that, luxe as it is, manages to bring some youthful energy to this classic Colorado ski town. The Vail Village location is prime real estate, if perhaps less rarefied than the ski-in ski-out frontage at the mountain’s base, and with a dedicated slopeside ski concierge, and close proximity to all Vail’s dining and nightlife, The Sebastian is an immediate contender. A fair proportion of Vail’s dining and nightlife, it must be said, takes place within the Sebastian itself. Leonora, the flagship restaurant, wears its Alpine bistro influence on its sleeve, proof of a newly cosmopolitan Colorado ski scene, and Frost, the cocktail bar, mixes high-design theatrics with casual Mountain West cool. And for a quiet drink over a book or a board game there’s the warm and sophisticated Library. The rooms and executive suites are more than spacious, designed in a crisp, contemporary style that’s miles from Alpine-lodge kitsch or traditional luxury-hotel fussiness. It’s in the residential suites, naturally enough, that the Sebastian spreads its wings, with full kitchens, large, luxurious bathrooms and space ranging all the way up to four bedrooms. Meanwhile the Base Camp and its staff of ski valets means that your morning commute is negligible. Bloom spa and fitness center offers a multitude of ways to recover from a hard day spent on skis, and the pool terrace, with its view of the mountain, is an option for all seasons. Vail might be best known for winter, but it’s scarcely less appealing in summer, and the same goes for The Sebastian.