(FORTUNE Magazine) – Dreaming about swaying palm trees or a perfect powder run rather than how to dredge up new clients? You may need to get the old creative enzymes flowing with some serious pampering at a lush resort. Herewith, we offer four choice vacation destinations--two stylish newcomers and two refurbished classics. All are world-class, and at least one should suit your specific desires--beach or ski slope, kid-friendly or romantic. You can stay in touch with the office by phone, fax, or computer at these elegant oases. But that's not the point, is it? Mae West said it best: "Too much of a good thing is wonderful."

AMANGANI Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Looming majestically just south of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, Jackson Hole has long been a top-rated winter-sports destination, and more recently a stop on the see-and-be-seen circuit. In fact, for the affluent skiers who have fallen for the area, it has always lacked but one key element: a small-scale, understatedly chic resort hotel that caters to couples. That void was filled this autumn when the spectacular Amangani opened. This new 40-room inn, perched on a high butte overlooking the Jackson valley below and miles of mountain range beyond, is the first North American link in the fabled chain of high-end properties owned by Hong Kong's AmanResorts.

The theme here, says one manager, is a "kind of Western Zen." That means gorgeous soft-hued surroundings, prime service, fireplaces crackling night and day, and soul-calming amenities like an outdoor hot tub and pool, yoga center, and treatment rooms for massage, body wraps, and facials--all designed to create a sense of serenity in guests. The resort, built with pastel Oklahoma sandstone, is centered upon a dramatic three-story lobby lined with Pacific redwood and decorated with Plains Indian artifacts. Guests gather in the library, the small bar, or the homey dining room, but there's very little hubbub; everyone tends to speak quietly around the place. The rooms, lavish in their spareness, carry out the Eastern theme: king-sized platform beds, fireplaces, deep tubs--and drop-dead views.

If you venture beyond Aman-nirvana, you can go snowmobiling, dogsledding, helicopter skiing, hang gliding, or ice climbing. There are miles of pristine cross-country and snowshoe trails, and thousands of tourists each year hire horse-drawn sleighs to take a look at the 8,000 elk and other assorted beasties that gambol on the nearby federal refuge. Amangani's chef, presuming that most guests will be outdoors working up appetites daily, emphasizes well-heeled comfort foods. A rich, flaky chicken pot pie is his signature lunch dish, and for dinner there's a thick salmon-and-asparagus chowder and a buttery braised lamb shank with white-bean puree. If a full stomach translates into serenity, this kitchen does its Zen best.

A standard mountain-view room costs $450 per night for the winter season; larger rooms and suites are $550 and $650, respectively. P.O. Box 15030, Jackson Hole, Wyo. 83002. Reservations: 877-734-7333.

LAS VENTANAS Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

A full moon, as round and plump as an egg yolk, eases up over the Pacific, causing a considerable stir among the dozen couples scattered around the outdoor dining room. There is murmuring and handholding, and a few audible sighs.

That's pretty much standard fare at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, an exquisite, 61-room jewel of a resort on the tip of Mexico's Baja peninsula. Open little more than a year, Las Ventanas offers nearly every possible inducement to romance. The beachfront rooms are extra-large, airy spaces with 15-foot ceilings, terra cotta fireplaces, terraces overlooking miles of deserted beach, and a double-sized whirlpool and shower. There's even a telescope to encourage stargazing.

The resort, built hacienda-style in rough stone with wrought-iron touches everywhere, is impeccably designed and maintained, including the serpentine network of pools that leads to a swim-up bar and outdoor grill. Guests tend to congregate in the open-air lounge, especially during the winter months; by February and March, folks can sit at the pool bar and sip a margarita while gray whales cavort less than 100 feet away.

Las Ventanas is part of the Rosewood chain, which operates such well-regarded small hotels as the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and the Lanesborough in London. Accordingly, employees are put through a rigorous six-week training course; service is invariably first-rate. The resort's affiliation also benefits the menu, since the chef, Randall Warder, was nurtured at the Mansion's famous kitchen. His touch is nearly unerring, whether he sticks to the basics (grilled sea bass, chicken quesadillas) or stretches himself a bit (blue marlin piccata with smoked-pork rice, a breakfast frittata with grilled Baja shrimp and asparagus).

This resort is Eden-like enough that most guests may be tempted never to leave the premises, but the area teems with possibilities. The waters off Baja have long been famous for marlin fishing. More recently, surfers from around the world have descended to brave the whitecaps. Close by are four top-rated golf courses, including one contiguous to the resort, designed by Robert Trent Jones. There's tennis, scuba, snorkeling, horseback riding, white-water kayaking, sunset cruises, whale-watching tours--you name it. Nearby Cabo San Lucas, a somnolent fishing village just ten years ago, is now a neon carnival of shops, restaurants, and nightclubs of both high and low varieties.

A standard ocean-view room with terrace, double occupancy, costs $575 a night after Dec. 20 , while a rooftop junior suite goes for $675. A one-bedroom luxury suite is $1,800. KM 19.5 Carretera Transpeninsular, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 23400. Reservations: 888-525-0483.

CHATEAU WHISTLER Whistler, British Columbia

One true test of a resort is how the staff reacts when you are in need of some extra care. Take this scenario: You've been on airplanes all day, suffering through indescribable food, cramped spaces, and endless lines for baggage and customs. Then you endure two hours of driving on dark, unfamiliar mountain roads, straight into the maw of a hellacious rainstorm. You arrive at the hotel near midnight, half starved and all wrung out.

British Columbia's Chateau Whistler meets the challenge with ease. Each of the staffers--parking attendant, doorman, reception clerk, bellman--is unfailingly cheerful and efficient. Room service is beyond prompt--a restorative bowl of savory vegetable soup and a crusty baguette are placed before you within ten minutes.

That sort of service adds greatly to the charm of the Chateau, the top family-friendly hostelry at one of the top winter-sports centers in North America. It's a large facility--558 rooms--so travelers who prefer a lower-key setting may want to book rooms on the Entree Gold floors of the hotel, where they can expect the personalized service of a small hotel. The rooms feature fireplaces, jacuzzi tubs, and wondrous mountain views. A concierge is on duty full-time just down the hall to deliver lift tickets or make reservations, and breakfast and afternoon tea are served in a walnut-lined lounge nearby.

The skiing and snowboarding at nearby Whistler and Blackcomb mountains (most lifts are within walking distance of the Chateau or reached by shuttle bus) are consistently rated some of the best on the continent. The terrain totals over 7,000 acres and includes five bases, all equipped with high-speed lifts. There are more than 200 marked runs, and extremists can helicopter to three nearby glaciers for a powder experience.

If you're bringing small children along--ages 5 through 12--you'll want to use the Chateau's Kid's Club service. For a modest $40 per day, staffers will take the kids from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., providing lessons, hikes, games, and so on. And kids under 17 stay free at the Chateau.

You could take all or most of your meals at the Chateau, where you'll find lots of excellent local food: Dungeness-crab tortellini, smoked salmon with buckwheat blini, seared venison sirloin, oven-roasted sea bass. But if you want to check out Whistler Village, there's a great (read kid-proof) stir-fry joint called the Mongolie Grill. Grownups will favor the classic Val d'Isere or Iraxi, a nuova Italian place.

Each Entree Gold room costs $350 per night double occupancy during the winter season. A standard Entree Gold suite, appropriate for a family of four, runs about $600 per night. 4599 Chateau Boulevard, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada VON 1B4. Reservations: 800-441-1414.

ROUND HILL Montego Bay, Jamaica

Jamaica has fallen out of favor with upscale travelers in recent years, largely because its airports and beaches are awash in American twentysomethings stoned stupid on the local ganja. But the island's strengths--perfect weather and incredibly lush vegetation, a highly intelligent and artistic populace, and a handful of world-class resorts--merit a long second look. That's especially true this year, because Hurricane Georges, which tore up dozens of high-end Caribbean resorts, spared Jamaica entirely.

Of the worthiest resorts, Round Hill, near Montego Bay on the island's north coast, is the spot for families. It's a classic Caribbean resort, built in the 1950s on a 100-acre pineapple plantation overlooking a deep bay and heavily forested hills beyond. The place was conceived as a kind of gilt-edged cooperative, with corporate chieftains and a few entertainment types brought aboard as shareholders. Eventually most of them built villas that dot the property and are available for rental during part of the winter season. A 36-room seaside hotel was added in the early '60s.

From the beginning, Round Hill has attracted a high-octane clientele. J.F.K. and Jackie honeymooned there. CBS chairman William Paley and playwright/songwriter Noel Coward were among the original owners; today Ralph Lauren, Paul McCartney, and several members of the Newhouse clan are shareholders. The Hollywood connection remains strong, and guests try not to stare when they spot Goldie Hawn power-walking along the beach or Bruce Willis teaching his kids how to sail.

Among the attractions at Round Hill is the near-total privacy the place offers. All the 28 villas come with a cook who provides breakfast on the premises (banana pancakes are a specialty), and many feature a private pool as well. But most visitors tend to gather in the resort's seaside lounge and open-air dining room around cocktail time. Lauren was a semi-official consultant during the resort's recent refurbishment, and his influence is evident in the lounge's cream-colored walls, striped banquettes, and ceiling fans.

Despite the glitz, Round Hill is highly family-appropriate. The villas all feature full kitchens, and the dining room offers an extensive kids' menu. For smaller children, a trained Jamaican nanny is complimentary for five hours a day. Teenagers and adults, meanwhile, have access to several tennis courts, a half-dozen topnotch golf courses, a well-equipped spa, a private beach, a pool, and a fitness center. Water-skiing, windsurfing, scuba or snorkeling expeditions, sailing charters, and deep-sea fishing charters are also available.

A two-bedroom villa with private pool rents for $3,700 a week until Dec. 14, when the price jumps to $8,400. A villa without a pool goes for $2,900 until Dec. 14; then, $6,400. P.O. Box 64, Montego Bay, Jamaica, W.I. Reservations: 800-972-2159. F