“Timeless romance and elegant old-world charm” may not be the first words that come to mind when you consider Vail’s first luxury hotel in 25 years. But that’s how RockResorts are punting their brand new $250-million retreat in the heart of America’s second-favorite ski town. Aiming to rise beyond “Bavarian- inspired” banalities, the 36-room, 66-condo Arrabelle is modeled on an early 19th-century Austrian design movement called Biedermeier, and was built as the centerpiece of the new Vail Square. Set right next to the Eagle Bahn Gondola, the slopeside plaza is home to an ice rink, 33,000 square feet of retail space and, for that all-authentic Germanic edge, a traditional glockenspiel. Such attention to detail — plus the resort’s 550-square-foot, state-of-the-art guestrooms and a rooftop pool overlooking Vail Mountain — will cost guests at least $850 per night.

Beyond its lodging experience, the Arrabelle has already helped spearhead Vail’s revitalization: a growing number of surrounding structures are busy tarting themselves up to sync with the dominant central-European aesthetic, while no less than eight other luxe lodgings are being completed, including a new Ritz Carlton and a Four Seasons, both slated for next year. All of which should prove a challenging mix for Ever Vail — Vail Resorts’ $1 billion mission to create the largest sustainable “village” on the continent.