Our suite, which was less expensive than most hotel rooms in the area, was beautiful, expansive and light-filled. Wood, stone and natural fabrics in muted earthtones made for a subtle, understated environment. A light oak entryway flooring gave way to a nubby tan carpet which greeted a slate floor in the massive bathroom. The entryway wall was lined in limestone, a large bar area with granite counters. One wall held a built-in entertainment center, all surrounded by light birch, which was also used for the mouldings and decorative detail. The furnishings were simple, elegant and comfortable. Opposite the entry was a floor-to-ceiling window looking out on the mountains behind the resort and the swimming pool below.

The bedroom was huge and open, with a shuttered closet, table and chairs, built-in entertainment center/dresser also in light birch, and another huge window. The style was reminiscent of California Craftsman, with a dollop of Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, and southwest Native American. It sounds impossibly eclectic, but it all fit together perfectly.

The best feature in the suite was the extraordinary bathroom. Although the hotel offers Jacuzzi suites, we had a "regular," with a bathroom bigger than most hotel rooms. The separate shower stall alone could probably hold a family of four. The vanity was granite, there was another dressing / make-up counter with a full mirror, and a separate room with the commode and another sink. The slate floor, pocket doors, varied angles and lighting options really made the room special. Gilchrist and Soames of London bath amenities were unexpected luxuries. While well-masked fluorescent lighting is used in most of the overheads and the lamps, the bulbs above the bathroom mirrors were all incandescent.

I was delighted to see a coffee-maker in the suite, over by the bar area. I made a fresh pot which we enjoyed while unpacking. After a quick wash-up we were off to check out the casino, but first I wanted to see a deluxe -or non-suite- guestroom.

I can honestly say that these too are some of the loveliest hotel rooms I have ever seen and that we would have been perfectly comfortable in one of them at any time. Of course they aren't as large as the suites, but they are well laid out with huge bathrooms and elegant furnishings. In fact, I really liked the darker woods used in the deluxe rooms; they provided an air of quiet opulence found more often in Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton hotels.

There were a few differences in the room amenities, but not many. The deluxe room has a lovely blanket (also double-sheeted) while the suite has a down comforter on the comfortable beds. The suite has a small closet while the deluxe rooms have armoires. The bathrooms in the deluxe rooms don't have a separate shower and the room with the commode doesn't have a sink, but there is a double vanity. The bathrooms, while very large, have tiled floors instead of slate. The amenities are the same, the floor to ceiling window is the same, and there is also a coffee maker with complimentary coffee. I didn't see a little sewing kit with the amenities, but that's about it.

The rooms give a rich, lush appearance, liberally using real wood and custom-designed furniture and fittings. "They aren't over-decorated," says my designer daughter, "and that helps to give them a clean, elegant look."

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