By Everett Potter

How would you build the perfect ski hotel? Start with a slope-side location at a notable mountain, add a world-class spa, and decorate the hotel with native stone and Navajo carpets. Factor in an après-ski sushi bar and ever-smiling ski valets to help you with your boots. You’d end up with the Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole—one of America’s best ski hotels.

Culled from Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Hotels—named by T+L readers through our annual survey—the best ski hotels must meet some basic requirements.

To see if your favorite hotel made the list, read the rest of my Travel + Leisure story.