Back in the days when excess was considered a good thing, splashy mega resorts with over-the-top amenities and architectural features were very much in vogue. But in today’s downsized, perception-conscious business environment, it’s not surprising to see a new generation of resort hotels coming onto the scene with a smaller footprint and a more subdued image than in years past.

At least that is the case with three high-end properties that have opened in recent months: the Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, Calif.; the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Ore.; and the Viceroy Snowmass in Snowmass, Colo. While each is boutique in size and low-key in nature, there is nothing diminutive about what they offer in terms of amenities and services.

Rosewood Sand Hill
While just minutes from the high-tech nerve center of Silicon Valley, the Rosewood Sand Hill, which opened in April a mile west of Stanford University, seems a world apart. The 123-room property is spread over 16 acres in clusters of low-rise California Ranch-style buildings with courtyard gardens and views of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

"You really do feel that you’ve gotten on a plane and gone somewhere, even if you’re just coming from San Jose or San Francisco," says Sharon Myer, director of sales and marketing. "Our architecture really melds with the outdoors, so it’s a resort environment that you might expect to find in Napa or Pebble Beach."

While the property is low-key from the outside, it is filled with the upscale touches associated with the Rosewood brand. The spacious guest rooms are appointed with espresso makers, Italian linens, entertainment systems and luxurious marble bathrooms.

Rosewood Sand Hill also features a large infinity-edge pool, a 17,000-square-foot spa with 13 treatment rooms and access to the nearby Stanford Golf Course. Madera Restaurant, which has two dining rooms with fireplaces and outdoor terraces, features a menu emphasizing ingredients from Northern California farms and vintners.

With 13,000 square feet of meeting space that includes three boardrooms and a 2,800-square-foot ballroom with an adjoining terrace and lawn, the hotel pursues primarily corporate business, including executive retreats and small incentive groups. Rosewood can block up to 100 rooms for groups and is also available for buy-outs, according to Myers.

"We opened during a difficult year, but we’re pleased with our results," she says. "The meeting space is designed with our surroundings in mind, with plenty of natural light, breakout spaces and terraces. This is important to the group market now."

Allison Inn & Spa
Nestled in the foothills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine country, the Allison Inn & Spa is a new kind of resort property, according to Managing Director Pierre Zreik.

"We’re very understated, yet still stunning and upscale," he says of the 85-room property that opened in September about 25 miles outside of Portland. "We can appeal to the demands of the luxury market, yet in an unpretentious, very Oregonian kind of way. People can be comfortable here in shorts and jeans."

The contemporary-style property, which is built on four levels, has design elements that include a great room with a stone fireplace, a dramatic glass-enclosed circular staircase, handcrafted copper, stone and wood details and works by local artists. The Allison is seeking LEED certification with green features that include solar-heated water and an eco-friendly sedum roof over the west wing, which houses the property’s 12,000 square feet of meeting space.

Guest rooms at the property all include a fireplace, terrace or balcony, satellite TV and a DVD player and original artwork. The 15,000-square-foot Allison Spa features 12 treatment rooms, sauna and steam facilities, a fitness center, an indoor swimming pool and outdoor relaxation areas with landscaped terraces and fire pits.

Meeting space, which accommodates up to 400 people, includes a 4,500-square-foot ballroom, a 4,200-square-foot reception foyer with cloud-like lighting, several smaller rooms and a private dining room.

When there’s free time on the agenda, many groups are choosing to include a wine tour or event at one of the over 200 wineries in the area. Oregon wines, as well as locally sourced cuisine, are featured at Jory, the on-site restaurant, which offers private dining areas and an open kitchen.

"Our chef draws from the vegetable and herb gardens that we have right on the property," Zriek says. "Plus we even have five acres of grapes planted for pinot noir—we will be producing our own wine by 2012."

Viceroy Snowmass
Launched just in time for the winter ski season, the Viceroy Snowmass is the anchor hotel for the new Snowmass Base Village at the Snowmass Ski Resort outside Aspen, Colo. The 173-room, ski-in, ski-out property is part of Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, which also includes properties in Southern California, Florida, Mexico and the British West Indies.

"This is the first new hotel for Snowmass in a long time, and there’s nothing else like it here," says John Engelhoff, director of sales and marketing. "We are a resort and yet we feel like a boutique hotel. The level of service and the little touches are all very personalized."

With eco-friendly elements designed to achieve LEED certification, Viceroy Snowmass offers residential-style accommodations ranging from studios to four-bedroom suites, all with kitchens and fireplaces. The property’s 9,000 square feet of meeting space includes a 5,810-square-foot ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Roaring Fork Valley.

The hotel’s 170-seat restaurant features two private dining rooms and such dramatic design touches as a glass-topped bar underlit by blue LED lights and supported by tree trunks vertically sliced into thin cross sections and stacked granite.

Other amenities include the Spa at Viceroy Snowmass, which offers six treatment rooms and signature treatments based on local Native American traditions. There is also a pool terrace with a café, bar, central fire pit and cabanas warmed by fire features.