Expert guide to Vail
Vail has lots of upmarket and expensive hotels and condos and very few budget options. The resort has grown over the years and now stretches out for nearly four miles along the I-70 highway.
While there is a good shuttle bus service, it’s most convenient to stay close to the main mountain-access lifts in either the Tirolean-styled Vail Village or the modern Lionshead village. Golden Peak makes a quieter base, and also has a fast chairlift to the slopes. For cheaper accommodation, there’s also the option to stay down in the valley, at Avon, for example, 10 miles from Vail.
Hotels
Evergreen Lodge
Situated between between Vail Village and Lionshead, and a shuttle bus or around 10 minutes walk from the lifts, Evergreen has a lively sports bar area with pool tables and food, a Nepalese/Indian restaurant, an outdoor pool, big indoor hot tub, saunas and a fitness room. The bedrooms are smart and stylish.
Price: £
The Lodge at Vail
Opened in 1962 as one of Vail’s first luxury hotels, the Lodge in Vail Village is a very comfortable and convenient place to stay, a few strides from the gondola One. As well as an outdoor pool and hot tubs it has a 700sqm spa area with saunas, steam rooms, treatment rooms and relaxation rooms, plus a 300sqm fitness area.
Price:££
The Arrabelle at Vail Square
A luxury boutique hotel at the foot of the slopes beside the Eagle Bahn gondola at Lionshead, the Arrabelle’s 62 rooms and suites average over 50sqm each. As well as a rooftop pool and hot tub with stunning views of the mountains, there’s a spa and fitness centre with sauna, steam room, hot tub and treatment rooms.
Price: £££
The Four Seasons
One of Vail’s most luxurious and prestigious hotels, with 121 guest units from rooms to four-bedroom condos, the Four Seasons is set at the edge of Vail Village, around 10 minutes walk from the gondola. The hotel offers a ski concierge service – guests leave skis or board and boots at the base of the slopes and pick them up again next morning. The big outdoor pool and hot tubs have views of Vail mountain and there’s a smart spa area with sauna, steam room, relaxation garden and treatment rooms.
Price: £££
Apartments and condos
Antlers at Vail
Right by the Gore river, about 130m walk from the Eagle Bahn gondola at Lionshead, with a free shuttle bus stop to Vail Village right outside, Antlers is an ‘all condo’ hotel that suits families and groups well. It has accommodation from studios to four-bedroom apartments, all with their own kitchen, and an outdoor pool and hot tub area.
Price:££
Vail Racquet Club
Offering plenty of space as well as great value, the one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums at Vail Racquet Lodge come with fully-equipped kitchens and have access to a large heated outdoor pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub, and complimentary fitness classes. Set in a wooded area to the east of Vail, it’s a 15-minute shuttle to the lifts and Vail Village.
Price: £
Bookt it: Rooms from £67 per person per night, when booked directly. Excludes travel.
Credit:
Ski World
Booking.com rates above are guide prices per person per night, please note that packages can differ across accommodation. Owing to the current coronavirus pandemic, these rates may change. Please check the properties’ websites for further information on what’s included.
Unless stated otherwise, package prices are per person, based on two sharing a double or twin room, room only, for seven nights, including flights and transfers.