The affordable two-hour train ride was pleasant and had wonderful views.
I loved dodging traffic and not having to drive — plus, the train tracks were steps from the resort.
Those who want to visit the mountains in Colorado without the hassle of driving may want to try the Amtrak Winter Park Express.
Affectionately nicknamed the "Ski Train," it is a fantastic option for going from Denver to Winter Park ski resort for a day in the snow. Its service typically begins in late December and runs through the end of March.
Fares for the two-hour ride start at $19, depending on the date you book tickets. My round-trip ticket from Friday, December 20, to Saturday, December 21, cost $58.
Here's what my "Ski Train" ride was like.
The trains felt perfectly scheduled for maximum skiing time in Winter Park.
My train left early to get us to Winter Park as the lifts opened.
Molly O'Brien
My train was scheduled to leave Denver Union Station around 7 a.m. to arrive in Winter Park around 9 a.m. — right as its ski lifts open for the day.
I live just outside downtown Denver, so I woke up at 6 a.m. to drive to the parking garage adjacent to Union Station, where I'd booked an overnight parking spot. I arrived at the tracks around 6:20 for my 6:30 boarding time.
My return trip would depart Winter Park at 4:35 p.m. (right after the ski lifts close) and arrive in Denver around 7 p.m.
Boarding was pretty easy.
The train has a special compartment for ski gear.
Molly O'Brien
The train allows riders to take their skis or snowboards as a single carry-on item.
Since passengers can bring two carry-on items and one personal item on board, I was able to travel with my skis, overnight bag, and a small backpack.
While boarding the train, I passed my equipment to a volunteer, who placed it in a special storage area.
I had no problem finding a seat on the train.
The train's seats are in pairs.
Molly O'Brien
All seats on this train are coach — there are no business or first-class options. As the train filled up, I had no trouble finding a seat.
Seats were arranged in pairs (or clusters of four), and I felt quite comfortable. They can recline slightly and most have pull-down tray tables, similar to what you'd find on a plane.
The energy on the train was excellent.
The views made the trip even better.
Molly O'Brien
Many of my fellow passengers seemed excited and buzzing with energy — you'd never know it was barely 7 a.m. As the train exited the station, some of them started cheering.
The vibes on the train ride were excellent overall. Even our lively conductor made sure to stop and chat with each passenger while checking tickets.
I tried to get work done but ended up looking out the window for most of the trip.
The mountain scenery along the way was stunning to look at.
Molly O'Brien
I and many other passengers had our laptops out to use during the ride. Unfortunately, we lost cellphone service about 30 minutes into the trip, and I wasn't able to use my hot spot or do much on my computer after that.
Fortunately, I was able to spend most of the trip looking out the window at the stunning mountain scenery.
I spent most of my trip in the lounge car because I loved its windows.
This Amtrak lounge car had domed windows on top.
Molly O'Brien
My favorite spot on the train was the lounge car, which had domed windows on top and large ones on either side. It had the best views.
This car also had snacks and drinks for sale, so I bought myself a hot coffee.
After almost two hours, we began to approach our final stop.
I spent a lot of my Amtrak ride looking out the windows.
Molly O'Brien
The highly relaxing trip took roughly two hours in total.
When we went through Moffat Tunnel on the final stretch of the journey, an Amtrak employee told us it was time to put on our ski gear because we were just minutes away from Winter Park Resort.
Our train stop was wildly close to the Winter Park slopes.
Amtrak employees helped us unload our ski gear from the train.
Molly O'Brien
We pulled into the train platform shortly after 9 a.m., and I could see the ski runs right out the train windows.
Amtrak employees unloaded our skis and snowboards for us, and we stepped off the train platform and right onto Winter Park grounds.
Seriously, I couldn't believe how close the train tracks were to the ski hill.
We barely had to walk from the train stop to get to the ski lift and village.
Molly O'Brien
We were less than 50 steps from Winter Park's base ski lift and village area, where we could grab a bite to eat, rent a ski locker or equipment for the day, and buy a lift pass.
Overall, the train could be an excellent alternative to driving to Winter Park.
Getting to Winter Park was a breeze with the Amtrak train.
Molly O'Brien
The Amtrak journey to Winter Park wasn't overly expensive and felt highly efficient. It was a great alternative to driving to the mountain.
Although I've been told driving from downtown Denver can be a slightly shorter trip at around 90 minutes, that doesn't factor in traffic.
Winter Park can get really congested during peak ski seasons, so I was happy to not be stuck in a car. Plus, since I wasn't driving, I was able to fully embrace the stunning mountain views around me.
The only real downside for me was that I couldn't bring my dog as the train is not pet-friendly.
Rob Gronkowski appeared to be upset with how the New England Patriots handled Jerod Mayo’s first season as head coach, which ended with his dismissal Sunday following a win over the Buffalo Bills.
Mayo was hired to replace Bill Belichick last year after the legendary head coach and the organization parted ways following six Super Bowls and two dynastic periods.
The Patriots struggled in Mayo’s first season, finishing 4-13. But Gronkowski expressed that he didn’t believe Mayo had enough time to develop as a head coach.
"I was shocked by that. And to happen that soon was a shocker to a lot of people," he said on FOX. "Especially here at the desk, I think we were all surprised by that. I think it was unfair to coach Jerod Mayo. He had never had the chance to develop as a head coach.
"He was just a rookie himself in that department. If you judge a coach by their first year, that’s really not appropriate."
Mayo and Gronkowski were teammates for a few years with the Patriots.
The Patriots were far from playoff contenders entering the season. New England drafted rookie quarterback Drake Maye in the first round and didn’t start him until a few weeks into the regular season.
New England was 30th in points scored and 31st in yards gained, while finishing 22nd in points and yards allowed.
Patriots team owner Robert Kraft announced the Mayo decision after the Patriots’ win.
"After the game I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made," Kraft said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team's performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped."
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said AI has the building blocks to replicate today's jobs.
Noam Galai/Getty Images for TechCrunch
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski says AI can perform his job as it has reasoning capabilities.
The buy-now, pay-later firm's cofounder said the realization made him feel "gloomy."
Siemiatkowski previously said Klarna had stopped hiring because AI "can already do all the jobs."
Sebastian Siemiatkowski has said AI is capable of performing his job as CEO of Klarna — but he's not thrilled about the prospect.
The cofounder of the buy-now, pay-later firm said Monday in an X post that "AI is capable of doing all our jobs, my own included," because it now has reasoning capabilities.
"I am not necessarily super excited about this," he added. "On the contrary my work to me is a super important part of who I am, and realizing it might become unnecessary is gloomy."
Siemiatkowski said AI could routinely solve simple problems using basic reasoning. Because complex problems can be "divided into smaller and more basic reasoning tasks that are combined," the building blocks for AI solving advanced tasks already exist, he said.
"However, how exactly we will combine those building blocks of reason and knowledge to replicate the work we do today is not yet entirely solved," Siemiatkowski said.
This isn't the first time Siemiatkowski has voiced concerns about artificial intelligence's potential to disrupt people's work. He told Bloomberg in December that he believed AI could "already do all of the jobs that we as humans do."
Klarna has embraced AI. In February, the Swedish company said its AI assistant was "doing the equivalent work" of 700 full-time human agents.
The Klarna chief has also been outspoken about the firm's use of AI and how it's affected the workforce. In August, he wrote in an X post: "AI allows us to be fewer in total."
In October, Siemiatkowski appeared on the "Grit" podcast and said that Klarna "stopped hiring due to AI, so we're shrinking because we have a natural attrition rate of 20%." He later added that Klarna continued to hire some engineers.
Meanwhile, the fintech company has been gearing up for an initial public offering in the US. In November, it announced it confidentially submitted draft registration documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The following month, the company told its employees it would start random drug testing for staff in Sweden starting in January. Its director of people and human resources, Mikaela Mijatovic, told employees in a Slack post the move was "part of a larger effort to strengthen security across Klarna."
Klarna didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Do you work for Klarna? Got a tip? Contact the reporter, Jyoti Mann, via the encrypted messaging app Signal at jyotimann.11 or via email at [email protected]. Reach out through a nonwork device.
Diamantopoulos played Brian the boom mic operator on 'The Office'—and still gets flak for flirting with Jenna Fischer's Pam, though he says there's been 'a bit of a shift' in public opinion
In the weeks before the trip, I debated skiing versus snowboarding. I was unfamiliar with both and determined to take a class. Procrastination got the best of me, and by the time I signed up, all the ski lessons were full.
Snowboarding classes were still available, so the decision was made for me.
My first day on the slopes was a hilarious disaster. My friends and I didn't pick up the sport as naturally as we had hoped. The day ended up with us walking down a run instead of snowboarding down it.
Even though I didn't finish my first day as a snowboarding pro, I did understand the appeal. It was fun to be challenged by something new and spend the day outdoors.
This time, I didn't procrastinate. I booked the ski lesson a few weeks in advance and was eager to compare the two sports. Here are the major differences I noticed.
Let's start with the gear. Snowboard boots were much more comfortable than ski boots.
The reporter gets fitted for ski boots and snowboard boots.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
My first time snowboarding was with a friend who grew up skiing.
As we each stepped into the massive snowboard boots, she exclaimed how comfortable they were. To me, they felt awkward and bulky, but she promised that they were far more comfortable than any pair of ski boots she ever wore.
A year later, I finally understood what she meant.
The ski boots I wore were coated in a hard plastic shell, which meant my feet didn't have much flexibility inside the shoe. They also had two awkward bumps at the front and back of each boot for ski clips, making it feel like I was never walking on a flat surface.
Simple tasks like walking downstairs were challenging. Meanwhile, my snowboard boots had a softer and cushier interior and the bottoms were completely flat.
I didn't mind wearing the snowboard boots all day, but I couldn't wait to get out of the ski boots.
On skis, you face down the mountain. On a snowboard, you're perpendicular.
Side-by-side images of the reporter skiing and snowboarding.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
One of the biggest differences between the two sports is where your hips and chest face the mountain while you're skiing or snowboarding.
I knew there would be a difference, and I was curious which way I would prefer to face — either straight downward on skis or perpendicular on a snowboard.
While skiing, my hips and chest were directly facing forward. This allowed me to use my peripheral vision. I could tell if anyone else was coming down the mountain on my left or right.
On the snowboard, however, my hips were perpendicular to the slope. This made looking behind me slightly easier, but I had a larger blind spot on my snowboard that made peripheral sight more uncomfortable.
Of course, neither skiing nor snowboarding gives you complete 360-degree views, but I felt like my vision was overall better on skis — especially as a beginner.
Navigating on flat surfaces is exhausting on a snowboard.
A snowboarder skates on a flat section of a run while skiers in the background push themselves using poles.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
Between lift lines and catwalks on runs, I had to learn to navigate on flat surfaces while snowboarding and skiing.
After trying the two, I learned skiers have it way easier.
That's because most skiers, myself included, use poles. With my poles, I could push myself on flat patches and propel myself forward.
Snowboarders, on the other hand, don't have poles. I needed to prioritize momentum during any flat area, and if I ended up coming to a stop, I needed to unclip my back foot and skate around.
Skating on a snowboard was utterly exhausting, and after trying skiing, I longed for the ease of poles.
I fell a lot more learning to snowboard.
The reporter in a patch of trees after falling on her snowboard.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
Before my first snowboarding lesson, I crowdsourced advice and tips.
Every single person told me to prepare to fall. A lot.
I went into the class expecting my fair share of topples, but I had no idea just how often I would find myself on the ground.
During the four-hour snowboarding class, I fell dozens of times. When I hit the slopes, I was on the ground more than I was standing.
When I went into my skiing lesson, I expected the same number of falls. During the four-house lesson, I didn't fall a single time.
I did attempt a green run later that day and fell a few times, but it still didn't come close to the number of falls I took during my first day of snowboarding.
Getting on and off lifts was easier on skis.
A family of skiers gets off a lift.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
Another place where I struggled as a beginner snowboarder was getting on and off the ski lifts.
When the lift ends, it doesn't stop moving. Instead, skiers and snowboarders must hop off their seats and ski or snowboard down a slight decline to the start of their run.
Again, ski poles were a major advantage in this situation. When I got off a lift on skis, I felt sturdy and confident. I never fell.
Getting off a lift on a snowboard, however, seemed like a skill within itself. I had to keep my balance while pushing off the lift. The result was fall after fall.
On my first day of snowboarding, I didn't successfully get off one single lift without falling. Meanwhile, I navigated lifts easily on my first day of skiing.
Different parts of my body ached after both skiing and snowboarding.
The author rests and straps into her snowboard.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
Before trying skiing and snowboarding, I didn't realize how hard the sports would be on my body.
After snowboarding, my wrists were aching from falling forward onto my hands all day.
My calves were also not prepared for snowboarding. While on a snowboard, you use the toeside and heelside edge of the board to turn. After many toeside turns, my calves burned.
Skiing was also a hard workout. "Pizza-ing," which is when you point your skis into a triangle to stop, can strain your knees. That's the technique I was taught, and by the end of my first day on skis, my knees were sore from all the "pizza-ing."
Either way, my body was exhausted by the end of my first day on both a snowboard and skis.
The biggest difference I spotted between the two was learning how to stop.
The base of the Winter Park Resort in Colorado.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
My biggest concern with learning how to ski and snowboard was learning how to stop.
If I wanted to do either of the sports safely and comfortably, I knew I needed to be confident in my ability to brake quickly and effectively.
Luckily, this skill took little time to learn on a snowboard. With my board perpendicular to the slope, I could put downward pressure on my heels and immediately stop. While I wasn't able to get down mountains on my first snowboarding day, I was able to feel comfortable stopping.
This wasn't the case for skiing. Anytime I picked up any speed, my "pizza-ing" maneuver wasn't strong enough to slow me down. Instead, I spent my first day stopping by intentionally falling over.
I'm sure it's a skill I could learn on skis, but the confidence I had with stopping on snowboards was enough to stick with that sport instead.
Everyone told me that "snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to master, while skiing is easier to learn and harder to master." So far, I think the saying rings true.
The author snowboarding at the Winter Park Resort.
Katie Sproles
After two winters in Colorado, I imagine I've heard the phrase close to a hundred times from friends. And I've recited it nearly as much to others.
That's because after trying both, I'm starting to understand why it's said so often.
While my first day on a snowboard last year was disastrous, my second day went much smoother. By the end of day two, I could get down blue runs, and after about five days, I felt confident navigating on the heelside and toeside edges of the board.
I'm not quite as confident yet with skiing. I've skied only one day, and although I fell far less than I did snowboarding, keeping my feet perfectly parallel seems like a skill that would take months, if not years, to master.
After trying both, I think there's nothing like gliding down a snowy mountain on a sunny day — regardless of whether you're on skis or a snowboard.
The author holds a snowboard.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
The two sports have their pros and cons.
Since I've spent more time on a snowboard overall, I'm sticking with that for now. I'm aiming to master using my toeside edge, and my fingers are crossed that I'll be on black runs sooner rather than later.
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski discussed drug testing employees in a September all-hands.
Dave Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Klarna
Klarna will start drug testing employees in Sweden from January, Business Insider has learned.
The buy-now, pay-later firm told staff about the new measures in an internal Slack post on Monday.
Klarna, which is gearing up to IPO, said it was part of a wider effort to "strengthen security."
Klarna will start testing employees in Sweden for alcohol and drugs from January, Business Insider has learned, in a sign of the company increasing its internal security ahead of an anticipated IPO.
The buy-now, pay-later firm told employees via a company Slack channel post on Monday that an external supplier would carry out the random testing to ensure it was conducted in accordance with local laws and industry standards.
The post, from Klarna's director of people and HR, Mikaela Mijatovic, said the move was "part of a larger effort to strengthen security across Klarna."
The Slack message, seen by BI, said that Klarna plans to introduce similar drug testing in other countries where it operates, "following local laws and regulations." Mijatovic added that all new hires in Sweden will undergo testing during the recruitment process, starting in January.
Nafsika Karavida, an attorney at Reavis Page Jump in Sweden, told BI that employee drug testing is generally permitted under Swedish law within the private sector. She said it is "fairly common" in the fintech and banking industry and "getting more and more common."
The announcement comes after Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the CEO of Klarna, floated the idea of randomized drug testing to staff during a September all-hands. He said the company could need to introduce some additional safeguards because, as a growing financial institution, there had been greater interest in the startup from "less favorable parts of society: criminals, different hacking groups, and so forth," according to a recording of the meeting obtained by BI.
Some of the measures he discussed included monitoring employees' locations and drug testing staffers. Siemiatkowski added, "For more senior and more sensitive roles, this could also include things like understanding your financial statements to understand if someone is in trouble or could be potentially compromised."
In Monday's internal post, Mijatovic added that Klarna would also examine how it manages company devices and shares information externally.
The Swedish fintech, once Europe's most valuable startup, has been gearing up for an IPO in the US. It announced in November that it confidentially submitted draft registration documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Klarna declined to comment.
Do you work for Klarna? Got a tip? Contact the reporter, Jyoti Mann, via the encrypted messaging app Signal at jyotimann.11 or via email at [email protected]. Reach out through a nonwork device.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Siemiatkowski said he's "of the opinion that AI can already do all of the jobs that we as humans do."
"It's just a question of how we apply it and use it," he said.
Klarna is a payment service that offers consumers "buy now, pay later" options. According to its website, the company is connected with more than 575,000 retailers.
The increased attention around AI has raised concerns about how it will affect careers and the workplace. A 2023 report by McKinsey & Company estimated that 12 million American workers will have to change occupations by 2030 as AI technology develops.
During the interview, Siemiatkowski said Klarna stopped hiring last year.
"I think what we've done internally hasn't been reported as widely. We stopped hiring about a year ago, so we were 4,500 and now we're 3,500," Siemiatkowski said. "We have a natural attrition like every tech company. People stay about five years, so 20% leave every year. By not hiring, we're simply shrinking, right?"
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski stopped hiring a year ago.
Nikos Pekiaridis/Getty Images
Siemiatkowski said his company has told employees that "what's going to happen is the total salary cost of Klarna is going to shrink, but part of the gain of that is going to be seen in your paycheck."
Although Klarna's website is advertising open positions at the time of writing, a spokesperson told Business Insider the company is not "actively recruiting" to expand its workforce. Rather, Klarna is backfilling "some essential roles," primarily in engineering.
In season 9 of 'Queer Eye', the Fab Five transformed John van der Put a.k.a. 'America's Got Talent' favorite Piff the Magic Dragon, and he opens up to PEOPLE about the experience
Brittany Broski leans into building community and trust with her audience wherever possible.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Brittany Broski focuses on community over follower count for lasting influence.
Broski rose to fame in 2019 with a viral kombucha video and now has millions of followers.
What she thinks will last in a crowded influencer market is authenticity and reliability.
Social media star Brittany Broski says she has always leaned into building her community over worrying about her follower count.
"What do numbers really determine when you can buy followers, when you can buy a check mark now?" Broski told Business Insider.
"I think the real power comes from community, the people that you can bring together."
Broski, whose real name is Brittany Tomlinson, rose to fame in 2019 following a mega-viral moment in which she tasted kombucha for the first time.
She now has 7.5 million TikTok followers and over 2 million subscribers on YouTube.
Broski, 27, now also has two podcasts: Royal Court, where she interviews celebrities in a free-flowing format, and The Broski Report, where she muses on whatever she is thinking about that week.
She thinks that influencers who are authentic and build loyal communities online will have more staying power, even if that means those communities are niche.
Others, however, see creators with small but mighty audiences thriving again in the near future.
Ultimately, algorithms change, and what is popular today may not be tomorrow.
Broski's advice for creators is to lean into what makes them different.
Broski felt she had been "pigeonholed as a meme" at the start of her internet career as the "kombucha girl," and she wanted to distance herself from this as soon as possible.
Instead, she strived to "build out an identifiable brand."
Community and connection
Community, both on and offline, has always been important to Broski. She told BI that's one reason she partnered with White Claw this holiday season in a campaign that focuses on making quality time with friends and family.
On Broski's shows, she also strives to "share a human moment with people" rather than repeat the same questions celebs receive at press junkets.
"More than anything, people just want to be heard and seen and felt like they're known," she said.
In Royal Court, Broski often asks her guests, including Saoirse Ronan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, to "prove their worth to earn a spot on Lady Broski's coveted small council" and has them dress up in medieval costumes.
"I really like leaning into this sort of silly nature of, I'm going to make you wear a cape and a hat, and you're going to like it," she said. "You get to see that person's personality more than just, let's talk about your work."
Brittany Broski has partnered with White Claw to promote spending time with friends and family.
Todd Westphal / White Claw
Broski thinks what is going to last is "authenticity and reliability."
"Those two words are so overused and so bastardized, but it doesn't take away from the core meaning," she said.
Her advice to creators is that people want to watch someone they relate to, Broski said — someone who makes them think, "She's just like me."
"That's all people want," she said. "So don't overthink it."
The audience also just wants the people they watch to be themselves.
"That seems so cliché, but what else can you do?" Broski said. "If you try to be anyone else, you're doomed to fail."
When I close my eyes and think of skiing there, I picture myself gliding down black-diamond runs, indulging in the après-ski scene, and soaking in breathtaking mountain views.
Although that's the experience I've had at most resorts, one beloved Utah destination has let me down: Brighton Resort.
After skiing there in two different years and in two different months, I've realized this popular spot is one I just don't need to return to.
Brighton's lift lines were significantly longer than other ski resorts I've been to
Brighton Resort can get really crowded because so many people want to try out its slopes.
Abby Price
Brighton is part of the Ikon Pass, a famous ski-lift pass that many skiers and snowboarders have around the world.
The ski resorts on the pass are known for their excellent runs, top-notch amenities, and overall upscale atmosphere, which attracts many tourists.
Due to the pass's popularity, you can generally expect larger crowds at Ikon Pass destinations across the country.
However, I've skied at numerous Ikon destinations around the country, and the lift lines at Brighton during my visits felt significantly longer than any others I've encountered.
This is likely because Brighton only has six lifts that service dozens of trails. In comparison, the majority of Ikon destinations in the US have at least 10 lifts — some more than 20.
I wish the resort would install more lifts or make existing ones larger to better alleviate some of the crowding.
Its terrain doesn't measure up to neighboring resorts
Brighton Resort doesn't have as many skiable acres as some neighboring resorts.
Abby Price
Brighton has over 1,050 skiable acres of terrain. Although it's not necessarily small, it seems relatively compact compared to neighboring resorts like Alta and Snowbird, each home to over 2,000 skiable acres.
Brighton's vertical drop is also at least 780 feet smaller than the ones at those nearby resorts.
This results in fewer challenging runs and allows skiers to reach the bottom more quickly, leading to longer waits in lift lines for the next run.
I felt the nearby après-ski options were limited and a bit disappointing
I really enjoy the après-ski experience and love hanging out with my husband and friends after a long day on the slopes.
At well-known resorts, I can typically find a wide variety of choices for post-slope drinks, appetizers, and meals throughout the surrounding mountain and village areas.
However, at Brighton Resort, I felt the options were limited. Most of the nearby dining spots were located by the base of the mountain, which meant they could get pretty crowded.
During our trip, we struggled to find available tables in the packed — and, thus, often loud — restaurants we visited in the area.
I also found the views from the dining options we visited to be less impressive than those I've experienced at other ski resorts in Utah.
Many people love skiing at Brighton, but I don't plan on going back
I'd rather visit a new ski resort than return to Brighton for a third time.
Abby Price
Utah attracts over a million visitors yearly, with many of those skiers and snowboarders heading to Brighton to enjoy its snow and runs.
Although I'm glad to have checked this resort off my bucket list, I ultimately doubt I'll return. I felt I spent too much time in lift lines, was not particularly impressed with the terrain, and found the après-ski options didn't meet my expectations.
That said, if you view lift lines as part of the experience, don't mind cruising down more moderate terrain, and aren't particularly concerned about après-ski selections, you might enjoy this resort.
Brighton Resort did not respond to a request for comment.
Property buyers in Europe's top ski resorts are becoming more demanding.
xbrchx/Getty Images
The Alps have the bulk of the world's major ski resorts.
Property companies say the quality of the skiing is not the only criteria for some Alpine buyers.
Instead of winter sports, wellness is taking priority for many seeking an Alpine chalet.
Powdery snow, wide slopes, epic mountain views, and a vast network of interconnected trails weaving through snowcapped forests are hallmarks of skiing in the Alps, home to many winter resorts.
About 120 million people visit the Alps between December and April for its ski and snowboard offerings.
Yet, for some wealthy chalet buyers in upmarket towns such as Gstaad and Courchevel, it seems skiing is no longer the only draw.
In its 2024 Alpine Market Review published in November, property company Knight Frank reports buyers are just as interested in the "après ski" health and wellness activities after hitting the slopes as strapping on the skis.
High-net-worth property buyers in the Alps are looking for wellness facilities.
Fani Kurti/Getty Images
Knight Frank surveyed about 730 high-net-worth individuals from more than a dozen countries for the report and found that health and wellness ranked above skiing and snowboarding in priority when asked about the Alpine lifestyle they're most interested in.
Wellness offerings also came out ahead of ski-in/ski-out access and proximity to the village center when wealthy respondents were asked what amenities were most important in their purchasing decisions.
The rebalancing of their priorities aligns with findings from Bain & Company and Altagamma's 2024 Luxury Monitor. They found that consumer spending has shifted away from tangible goods to luxury experiences, particularly those linked to wellness and personal treatment.
In response to increased demand for wellness offerings, Knight Frank notes that resorts in the Alps are repositioning themselves as "a top destination for rejuvenation" with high-end spas, thermal baths, and specialized health resorts.
"The Alps are increasingly viewed as a year-round destination, with health and wellness now overtaking skiing as the primary lifestyle driver for buyers," said Kate Everett-Allen, head of European residential research at Knight Frank.
Pristine slopes are not the only draw for Alpine chalet buyers.
perreten/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Knight Frank's results echo a similar ski market report from Savills, highlighting the emergence of "wellness/medical retreats" in luxury winter resorts.
Jeremy Rollason, head of ski for Savills and author of the report, told Business Insider that health and wellness offerings are not an entirely novel concept. In the mid-1900s, he said, the Swiss Alps had sanatoriums visited by those with physical and mental health issues.
But interest in modern health and wellness trappings, such as saunas, steam rooms, and heated outdoor pools, among Alpine buyers, is now picking up speed, Rollason said.
"You buy in a ski resort because you like the mountains and probably because you like skiing or winter sports," he said. "There is much more than that now, and that's required developers and providers of hospitality in the ski resorts to offer so much more."
Rollason added that if the uber-wealthy are buying a chalet, "then it's not just a chalet — it's an all-encompassing leisure object."
Gary He has been to McDonald's in over 55 countries across 6 continents, and one of his favorite locations is in New Mexico.
Gary He/McAtlas
Photojournalist Gary He has visited McDonald's restaurants in more than 55 countries.
He dined at McDonald's locations with distinct architecture and unique local integration.
He said the most unique include the McSki in Sweden and a UFO-shaped McDonald's in the US.
Most McDonald's locations around the world follow a familiar design: red and white branding topped with golden arches. But some stand out for their distinct architecture and unique backstories.
In his upcoming book, "McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches," which will be released on November 29, author and photojournalist Gary He captures the essence of some of these locations while explaining what makes each one special.
Since 2019, He has traveled to over 55 countries and dined at more than 100 McDonald's restaurants. When it came to picking his favorite locations, he had clear favorites.
"I wanted to document the more interesting parts of the largest restaurant group in the world," He told Business Insider, emphasizing that the project was an independent undertaking.
Here are five unique McDonald's locations that He recommends fans of the brand must visit.
The McSki in Sälen, Sweden
The McSki in Sweden is one of He's favorite McDonald's locations worldwide.
Nestled in one of Sweden's biggest ski resorts, Lindvallen, this spot offers a unique "ski-thru" experience. It allows skiers to grab a Big Mac without leaving their skis.
The restaurant opened in 1996 and operates daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during ski season.
"The air is so clean and crisp — it's like being on top of the world," He told BI, adding, "When I visited, it wasn't even busy. It was just me, the McSki, and the mountains. I was just hanging out and enjoying myself."
Getting there isn't easy, though. He said it took him six hours to travel from Stockholm, with three transfers — first, from a train station at Borlänge Centralstation to a bus, and then 48 stops later, another bus — but the journey was worth it.
"The McSki is hands-down the coolest McDonald's I've visited anywhere in the world," He said.
The McDonald's on Dongmen Street in Shenzhen, China
The first McDonald's in China opened in Shenzen in 1990. It features a distinctly Chinese aesthetic and can accommodate up to 460 people.
Gary He/McAtlas
"I really love the Shenzhen location in China," said He, adding, "It was the first McDonald's in China at a time when the country wasn't fully open to American businesses."
The restaurant opened on October 8, 1990, in Shenzhen's special economic zone. On its first day, it welcomed over 40,000 customers despite a seating capacity of 460, the South China Morning Post reported.
The restaurant balances local design with the chain's signature branding. The three-floor building features pagoda-style roofs, integrating traditional Chinese architectural design with the golden arches.
Reflecting on its distinct appearance, He added, "It's pretty epic."
The airplane McDonald's in Taupō, New Zealand
This McDonald's in New Zealand was built in a decommissioned passenger plane.
Gary He/McAtlas
Ever wondered what it's like to enjoy a Big Mac on a static passenger plane? In Taupo, a town in New Zealand, you can.
Named one of the "world's coolest McDonald's," per a sign post, this restaurant is inside a decommissioned DC-3 plane built in 1943. At first, it was used as a passenger plane and then as a crop duster, an agricultural aircraft that sprays pesticides on crops from the air.
In 1984, it was decommissioned and, per Atlas Obscura, became a promotional product in Taupō's Aeroplane Car Company's parking lot until McDonald's bought it in 1990.
"The airplane location in Taupo is iconic," said He.
The UFO-shaped McDonald's in New Mexico, US
He told BI that he loves visiting the UFO-shaped McDonald's in New Mexico because of its gift-shop offerings.
Gary He/McAtlas
A McDonald's in the shape of a UFO is fitting for Roswell, a town known for its rumored alien sightings and extraterrestrial encounters.
The town became popular in 1947 when a mysterious aircraft, which the local newspaper, the Roswell Daily Record, identified as a "flying saucer," crashed into a ranch. Then, in 1980, Stanton Friedman, a former nuclear physicist, came across the 1947 news story and alleged it to be an alien spacecraft, sparking widespread outcry.
Government records later showed the aircraft was a top-secret government surveillance balloon used to detect echoes of Soviet nuclear-testing blasts.
But by then, people were convinced the government was hiding information about alien life, and UFOs had become a mini-industry with several themed attractions, such as the annual UFO festival and a museum, spread across town.
In 2005, a few miles from the crash site, McDonald's opened a restaurant shaped like a spaceship with neon lights.
But He loves the restaurant for more than just its exteriors.
"It has a gift shop," he said, adding, "I mean, it's cool looking, but they have merchandise, which I think is super cool."
The gift shop features Ronald McDonald in a spacesuit and alien statues.
The Méqui1000 in São Paulo, Brazil
Méqui1000 is named so because it was the 1,000th McDonald's restaurant in Brazil.
Gary He/McAtlas
He's final favorite is the Méqui1000 in São Paulo, Brazil, a spot that combines playful creativity with historical significance.
"It looks like the White House but decorated as a kindergartner's art project," He said, adding that the restaurant's façade undergoes multiple changes in a year and is usually adorned with vibrant artwork for promotional campaigns.
Méqui1000 also holds cultural significance; it was the 1,000th McDonald's in Brazil, one of 20 nations with over 1,000 McDonald's stores, according to Yahoo Finance.
"It's a huge market and an important location," He said.
The menu here also features items exclusive to Brazil, like the Super Mac, a fully loaded burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, which is in a contrast to the simpler burgers popular in the US.
"Culturally, Americans want it [their burgers] cheap, fast, and straightforward, but in Brazil and other countries, people want their burgers a little more dressed up," He said.
The Magnífico, another Brazilian favorite, follows this trend with its premium toppings, making Méqui1000 a must-visit for travelers and food enthusiasts alike.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/tara-lipinski-gigi-tout-011025-8e3a513f5c4041928c731e969afd47c7.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Chris-Diamantopoulos-jenna-fischer-the-office-120324-0a6d599d64104e7abcb35a8cd81eaf92.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Queer-Eye-season-9-121024-tout-4587ca20d2e843ce8f3523009df5525e.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Ted-Danson-The-Jennifer-Hudson-Show-John-Krasinski-IF-Premiere-120424-fdc870a4386c476ab317d0c5dbcef2a4.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/john-legend-krasinski-112624-945f801f34ff4f1887d15732adf7936a.jpg)
