The Rocky Mountain spirit is alive and flourishing at Hotel Talisa following a recent update. Located in Vail, Colorado, the opulent ski retreat received its facelift from interdisciplinary Omaha-based design firm Leo A Daly, which aimed to anchor the property in the history of its setting as well as the regional culture of the Southern Ute Indians.
“It’s a repositioning—not a new build, but more than a renovation,” says Pat Miller, vice president of global hospitality practice leader for the firm. “Repositioning implies a whole new identity, owner, and level of service. In this case it was an independent hotel called the Vail Cascade transformed into the first North American ski resort in Starwood’s Luxury Collection.”
“We wanted guests to feel like they were in a luxury mountain home owned by someone with amazing, timeless taste,” adds Lara Rimes, an interior designer for Leo A Daly. “We wanted to curate art, furniture, and finishes that felt like they had been collected over a lifetime of traveling.”
Three distinctive identities steer the ethos of the space: a Southern Ute tribe member, an adventurer exploring the American frontier, and an artisan attuned with Colorado’s modern craftsmanship. These characters are layered throughout the interiors, while the natural surroundings provide an apt backdrop in numerous spaces. The reconfigured lobby frames views thanks to the relocation of the fireplace and bar. A new, sculptural chandelier crafted from quartz crystals accents the living room space with a glow, complemented by the stained white oak millwork on the walls.
“The seating is cozy and meant to be very social,” Rimes says of the space. “Every piece was hand-selected and curated. Not everything matches. We used a lot of leather details, strap details, and included some wing chairs that accommodate guests who want the feeling of more privacy.”
The influence of the land’s heritage is expressed in each of the 292 guestrooms and suites, which comprise 50 configurations. Artwork reflective of the native landscapes serves as a contrast to the soothing, neutral gray earth tones in each room. The residential-style ambiance is accented by notes of blue spruce and rich cognac brown. While some of the smaller rooms rely on a proportional design, more grand accommodations are scaled with larger furniture ranging from nightstands to headboards. Uniformity is maintained across all rooms with details like carpet patterns inspired by shapes made by the fictitious adventurer’s ski trip down the mountain, while hand-embroidered drapery recalls both the craftsman and the indigenous characters.
“We wanted every experience in the property to be a consistent ‘wow.’ It’s so rich with layers that you are constantly discovering new things that you didn’t see last time you passed through the space,” says Miller. “It’s the overall attention to detail that the guest experiences—the sound of the quartzite floors underfoot, the crackle of the fire. We focused on the five senses to create a great environment throughout the property.”
