With 28 strongholds around the islands, Aston Hotels & Resorts has straight annexed the state of Hawaii. But the chain’s not all palm fronds and throw-away leis-on-arrival.

A small number of its properties are found in less paradisaical – some might even say purgatorial – corners of the mainland. Would you believe: Idaho?

Then again, Sun Valley isn’t the Idaho you’d find in a Michael Moore doc where some local farmer has to hunt kittens to survive after a corporate potato farm put him out of business. This is supernaturally good-lookin’ Idaho; a mountainous wonder of the Northwest. Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks all know it. Why don’t you?

Indoctrinate yourself over the summer when otherwise ski-minded visitors swap sticks for spokes and head for the trails; Aston Sun Valley’s “Bike & Stay” package is $165 a night, including a 2-day bike rental for two (normally $30-$50 per person, per day), when you stay at least 3 nights. Book by Sept. 1; stay July 26-Sept. 6. 866-774-2924