Vail’s just about to wrap up its 45th winter season next week and welcomes over 1.6 million skiers a year. We will see amazing growth in Vail both in real estate and mountain development. Just this year, two new high speed quad chairlifts were installed on the eastern side of the mountain and other chairs were upgraded.

The latest 5-star hotel project to be completed in Vail is The Arrabelle at Vail Square, a ski-in ski-out property with 36 guestrooms and 66 condo units. The reviews are quite good on TripAdvisor despite the fact that it just opened in January.

The Fairmont Vail will offer 128 guestrooms as well as 73 Fairmont residences and a 10,000 sq ft Willow Stream Spa. Dozens of projects are on their way: The Ritz Carlton Residences, Vail to be completed in 2010 with 71 luxury condos, Solaris with 75 condos, Four Seasons to open in the fall of 2009 with 120 units and 25 residences, etc.

The Bavarian-style pedestrian village is transforming itself into a world premier ski destination with great neighbours such as Beaver Creek Mountain and Keystone Mountain helping to bring more traffic into the region.

Watch with me the great videos on the website of Vail and dream about your next trip to powder paradise…

Also onsite is The Willow Stream Spa, a Fairmont spa. You’ll find unique treatments and experiences based on local tradition and flora, ranging from Willow Stream signature experiences to uniquely Mayan traditions featuring local herbs, essential oils, and extracts. One of the most popular is the Cha Chac Rain Ritual, based on the Mayan rain ritual. There is also the amazing Yucatan Healing Retreat, which you get to share with a special friend.

For the second year, El Camaleón is home to PGA Tour in Mexico on February 20-24, 2008. Last year, Fred Funk won the 2007 Mayakoba Classic. The PGA Tour held its inaugural full-field event in Mexico at Fairmont‘s own El Camaleón golf course. The Mayakoba Classic attracted the likes of Fred Funk, Mark Calcavecchia, Bill Haas, and Jesper Parnevik to its emerald fairways.

Golf enthusiasts can experience fairways lined with sand dunes and mangroves; challenge themselves with unique hazards such as cenotes (subterranean caves) and crystal clear lagoons, then take in the alluring vistas from greens perched on the edge of the Caribbean Sea.

With the trilogy completed, I guess I’ll have to go back to The Fairmont Mayakoba so I can write more about my favorite Fairmont resort …