What You'll Get
Once upon a time, only monarchs could afford to stay at high-end resorts, which featured attractions such as peasant skiing—a brisk, upright trip down a mountain on the backs of two callus-covered villagers. Comfortably rule the mountaintop with today's Groupon: for $149, you get one-night ski-and-stay package for two at The Resort at The Mountain in Welches (Mt. Hood). The deal includes the $12 resort fee and a $100 spa credit toward services from The Spa and a free shuttle to Skibowl (up to a $331 value).
Located about an hour southeast of Portland, The Resort welcomes superfluous, car-horn-weary urbanites to its serenely forested environs. Take up temporary residence in an amenity-stacked, bucolic night in your choice of two guest-room types—resort-room king or double queen. Outside the confines of each room lies a combination of natural majesty with man-made luxury, making the resort an ideal venue for romantic peak watching, Yahtzee-free familial relaxation, and nature-enhanced business retreats. Venture into the calming corridors of The Spa, where the hushed coolness of a Whispering Pine body polish recharges and exfoliates skin with evergreen-scented ease ($98). Treat fingers and toes to a soak and polish (starting at $49), or treat your whole body to a slew of 50-minute massages that will leave you feeling warm and tingly in the face of Old Man Winter's woes (starting at $98). Skiing and snowboarding showboaters can get their cold-mountain-coasting fill with discounted lift tickets from the resort to both Skibowl and Timberline, a national historic landmark accommodating adults, children, and a St. Bernard named Bruno. Like many of the world's most breathtaking scenes, The Resort's views can only be done justice in exactly 1,000 words, provided those words are written in a pictographic language of mountainscapes and tree-topped vistas.
For an extra $50, you can upgrade to a fireside studio room, complete with fireplace (subject to availability). An additional night's stay is a discounted price of $111 with your Groupon, which also includes the $12 resort fee.
Reviews
The Resort at The Mountain is very highly recommended by Frommer’s. It received a 3.5-star average from Yelpers, and TripAdvisors give it a 4.5-owl-eye average.
- this golf resort, set in a large clearing in the dense woods at the base of Mount Hood, is one of your best choices in the Mount Hood area. Beautifully landscaped grounds incorporating concepts from Japanese garden design hide the resort's many low-rise buildings and make this a tranquil woodsy retreat. – Frommer’s
- An absolute hidden gem! The entire property was recently renovated and damn, does it show! The property is beautiful, location is stunning, and the overall transformation of the hotel is pretty spectacular. Very clean, modern, yet comfortable design. Fantastic value for all the amenities – nikilafemina, TripAdvisor
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Jul 1, 2011. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per 2 ppl, may buy 1 add'l as a gift. Limit 1 per visit. Reservation required; subj to avail. 24-hour cancellation or Groupon is forfeited. Upgrades available for a fee. Not valid 2/12/11, 5/4/11, or 5/5/11. Please pre-book spa time. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About The Courses at The Mountain
Situated in the western highlands of Mount Hood National Forest, The Courses at The Mountain combines three nine-hole layouts for 27 holes sculpted into the forest's pristine displays of flora and fauna. The resort's three nines, titled Thistle, Pine Cone, and Foxglove, challenge golfers of all stripes to navigate streams, forests, and secret flagstick passwords needed to unlock each track. Established in 1928 by locals Ralph Shattuck and George Waale, Pine Cone represents the site's original playing terrain and the fourth-oldest course in Oregon. The middle sibling, Thistle, attracts beginners and novices with a shorter length and forgiving fairways for game improvement. The newest and most difficult nine, Foxglove, challenges skilled players with narrow fairways and endless lies to lose a golf ball, forcing golfers to dip into an extra sleeve of golf balls or continue harboring a hardboiled egg trying to escape an inevitable egg salad.
Course at a Glance:
- Three 9-hole courses
- Up to 6,586 yards from the back tees
- Course rating of 71.2 from the back tees
- Slope of 130 from the back tees
- Four sets of tees