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Last week, we dialed up a few luxury hotels in places like Aspen and Vail to see how they were faring this holiday season amid the recession. The abundance of rooms didn't strike us as a very encouraging sign, especially since many of them had already slashed room rates compared to previous seasons. But that was two weeks before Christmas—maybe there would be a rush of well-heeled travelers who would take advantage of the low prices at the last minute? With Christmas Eve just a week away, we thought we'd check back in and see if business had picked up at all.

Unfortunately, the situation hasn't improved much. The three luxe hotels in Colorado we contacted last week still had plenty of rooms left today; two even had suites. By the looks of it, the slopes won't be very merry this holiday season. But if you're looking for a last-minute getaway, at least you can rest assured you won't have to wait on long lift lines, or fight your way through a throng at one of Aspen's bars to order a $18 vodka tonic.

The St. Regis Aspen Resort
Deluxe King: $1,140 per night
Grand Deluxe: No availability

Hotel Jerome
Deluxe King: $842 per night
Junior Suite Double: $1,353 per night
Junior Suite King: No availability

The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
Avon, CO
 Resort View King: $926 per night
Resort View Suite: $1,676 per night
Mountain View Suite (includes full kitchen): No availability