Not to sound like I'm shilling for Banff, or anything, but if you're looking for the best bang for your buck, skiing the Banff region in Canada is definitely your best bet.  In addition to world class skiing, what people don't realize is that winter is considered low season, and you will get the best hotel rates of the year during ski season (Summers are considered high season, and it gets crazy busy).  What other ski area anywhere can boast low-season rates during ski season???  You can also fly direct to Calgary from most major U.S. cities, and from there it's an easy 90 minute drive from the airport to Banff.