Picture this: You head听into your bed-and-breakfast, lodge, or hotel, primed for an adventurous getaway in a bucket-list locale,听and the owner who checks you in is literally the coolest person you鈥檝e ever met. Not only do they help point you toward the area鈥檚 buffest singletrack or most-coveted powder stashes, they can also听send them听harder than you. If that sounds like your ideal host, here are some spots where your hotelier is just as great as the room itself.
George Hincapie
贬辞迟别濒听顿辞尘别蝉迟颈辩耻别
Travelers Rest, South Carolina
When he retired in 2012 after 19 years as a professional cyclist, Hincapie, a key team member for Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, and Cadel Evans鈥檚 Tour de France wins, decided to open an American hotel inspired by his European travels. The result is听, set in听the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Old World鈥搒tyle retreat has a fleet of high-end road bikes for rent, an on-site bike mechanic, yoga classes, and a saltwater pool. Plus听the staff can create a custom riding route for you, or you can sign up for a group ride with a local pro, including, on occasion, Hincapie himself. (From $379)
Hans and Nancy Johnstone
Alpine House Lodge and Cottages
Jackson, Wyoming
The chef-prepared, European-style breakfast at the , located near Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, is legendary. But the hosts of this upscale B&B are even more so: both are former winter Olympians. Nancy was a member of the U.S. Biathlon team, competed in the 1992 Games, and later became a North American ski-mountaineering champion. Hans is a guide for Exum Mountain Guides, has notched many first ski descents in the Tetons, and in a former life competed as a nordic skier in the 1988 Olympics. In 1994, they built Alpine House and continue to run it today. Be sure to sign up for a guided ski tour or climb. (From $175)
Jeremy Grasby
The Riding Fool Hostel
Cumberland, British Columbia
If you鈥檙e planning a road- or mountain-biking trip to Vancouver Island, stay at the , 133 miles north or听Victoria.听Owner Jeremy Grasby is an avid mountain biker, trail builder, and local race director. No wonder听the hostel he opened in 2003 on the site of a former hardware store comes with a bike-wash station, bike storage, guided rides, and even a repair shop. You鈥檒l have access to a communal听kitchen and common room, and you can choose between bunks in a shared room (from $21) or a private room all to yourself (from $51).
Casey Scieszka
Spruceton Inn
West Kill, New York
Scieszka, a Brooklyn native, spent years traveling the world as a freelance writer and graphic designer, living in places like Beijing;听Fez, Morocco;听and Timbuktu, Mali. Then in 2013, she moved to New York鈥檚 Catskills and decided to open a guesthouse with her husband, the skier, fly-fisherman, and children鈥檚 book author Steven Weinberg. Their nine-room has a small bar that serves cocktails and craft beer, plus they provide听s鈥檓ore听fixings for the fire pits scattered around the eight-acre property. There鈥檚 plenty of hiking in the surrounding 700,000-acre Catskill Park听and skiing at nearby Hunter Mountain. In addition to short-stay guests, the inn also hosts resident artists and events ranging from beginner fly-fishing clinics to writing seminars. (From $99)
Tiger and Judi Jacobi
Tailwind Jungle Lodge
San Pancho, Mexico
In 2005, when this family of Vermonters听found听the perfect piece of land in the jungle above the sleepy beach town of San Pancho, Mexico, a sleepy beach town听30 minutes north of Sayulita,听they set about constructing the . The guesthouse听offers听thatched-roof casitas with ocean views, yoga retreats, guided kayaking, and sailing and surfing adventures, all with a minimalist听environmental footprint in mind. The Jacobi鈥檚 daughter, Tamara, an author and the lodge manager, their son-in-law听Walter Wright, a sailing captain and sustainability expert, and son听Rhett, a tiny-home builder and surf guide, help run the place and are as cool as their parents. Head out the door and hike a five-mile trail that听winds through mango and avocado trees and an orchid plantation, or听an uncrowded beach is walking distance away. (From $80)
Thor Fenwick
Sugar Loaf Lodge
Sedona, Arizona
If you鈥檙e visiting the mountain-biking mecca of Sedona听to ride, post up at the听.听Fenwick, whose wife鈥檚 family has owned the property since 1986, is its manager and rides every day, making him the perfect source for local beta. There are also three trailheads within a mile of the property, and Fenwick has been known to take guests out for a spin. Sugar Loaf permits bikes and dogs in select rooms, has a bike-cleaning station, and provides a tire pump, chain lube, and free breakfast. There鈥檚 a pool, barbecue, hot tub, and fire pit on-site, too. (From $84)
Asa Firestone
A-Lodge
Boulder, Colorado
Firestone, a climber and entrepreneur, and his friend Kris Klauber, a former brewery manager, own and operate Boulder鈥檚 beloved听.听Located less than ten听minutes from town, up scenic Boulder Canyon, and 30 minutes from听the Eldora听ski area, its听recently renovated lobby now includes a proper bar, and you can reserve听a bunk, private room, cabin, or听spot to pitch your tent or park your van. The front-desk staff will help you book guided adventures, like rock climbing, backcountry skiing, and fly-fishing. You can even send Firestone and Klauber a text if you鈥檙e out exploring during your stay and need quick info. Pro tip: in the summer, they show movies on a huge outdoor screen on the lawn.听(Bunks from $39; rooms from $99)
Ali Pitcher and Tommy Dott
Lamb and Lion Inn
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Part B&B, so听you can eat breakfast whenever you鈥檇 like, and part cozy inn, the is run by eclectic, dog-loving owners鈥擯itcher, a personal trainer and animal-rescue advocate,听and听Dott, a life coach, food writer, Elvis impersonator, and spin instructor at an indoor cycling gym two minutes away. Set on a four-acre property in Cape Cod Bay, the inn has a wellness studio with private yoga classes and guest rooms with wood-burning fireplaces, or you can stay in the property鈥檚 converted horse stable or a renovated barn first built in 1740. Bring your pup, and Pitcher and Dott will point you toward the cape鈥檚 best dog-friendly beaches and trails. (From $199)