What a great way to start the Spring season than with a little Spring skiing in Vail, CO/Beaver Creek, CO. This was my first time to the Vail area, but not to Colorado. But, oh, did I forget how beautiful and peaceful it was.
Welcome to Beaver Creek!
I have to say, if you are an avid skier and looking for good deals on the West Coast for skiing, late March to early April is the time to go. Sure, you may run into a few folks on Spring break, but for the most part, the prices aren’t half bad for hotels. We got a room at the Sheraton for under $200/night. And according to my boyfriend, the slopes are empty! As always, here is my two cents on the deets of Vail and Beaver Creek:
Where to Stay: As mentioned we stayed at the Sheraton Mountain Vista Villas in Avon. Note: Avon is just a short bus ride or Gondola ride away. It is the less expensive place to stay that puts you at the bottom of Beaver Creek. Great location. You can walk to restaurants, the grocery store and other retail stores. They actually just built a Westin which has a fabulous lobby to just “chill” in after a day of snow sports. The Sheraton was nice, but the beds were not good. We liked our little room with the fireplace, balcony and kitchenette. It was comfy, but that bed — no way!
Getting Around: The bus service in Avon is free! Coming from a large city, this was great! The schedules are easy to understand and it runs pretty often. The town of Avon is not big, but it has roads you can’t cross by walking and when its cold, that bus service comes in handy. Again, you can take the bus or the Gondola from the Westin over to Beaver Creek. It’s a 3-5 minute ride. If you want to ski in Vail for the day, hop a bus for $4.00 at the Avon Station. You really do not need to rent a car.
Discounts and Free Stuff: Your concierge at your hotel should be providing you with tons of coupons for meals, ski rentals, wine, snow sports and other fun stuff. We definitely took advantage of these. Skiing in Vail is not cheap. Also, there are nice little afternoon perks “apres ’ski.” At 3:30, treats surface at the Beaver Creek resort during ski season — free cookies (top of the escalator by Ski rentals), free cocoa (Ritz Carlton) and free champagne (The Chop House). Happy hour with 1/2 priced drinks are available at the bar of the Westin restaurant. In the lobby of the Westin there is a live jazz band by the fireplace. There were also complimentary massages from the Spa staff but I don’t think they do it all of the time. But it was a nice touch.
Fireplace at the Westin
Places to Eat & Relax: We ate in a lot because we were too tired to move. But we did eat out for lunch at the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek. By far our favorite place in the area. They have a really good mac and cheese. The restaurant and hotel face the slopes — what a gorgeous view! We had dinner at the Blue Plate Bistro in Avon which is owned by couple who prides themselves on serving good food, prepared fresh. It was actually very good and the bread isn’t baked until you walk in the door. Small and quaint. It is located adjacent to the Christie Lodge. Also check out the Chop House and the Westin Lobby.
So You are not Skiing: Me either!! The Spa at the Park Hyatt — two words — Oh yeah!!!! Very nice. I had a scrub with a vichy shower and massage. I was in heaven. The atmosphere was very nice and pleasant.
Go snowmobiling whether you ski or not and you will be guaranteed a good time. I suggest taking the 2 hour tour with Nova Guides. They were great.
It was a great time and I highly suggest all of my East Coasters who have not skied on real snow, you need a trip to Colorado for some fresh powder next season!
Filed under: The Wild, Wild West Tagged: | Avon CO, beaver creek, park hyatt, Sheraton resorts, skiing, snowmobiling, spas, spring ski vacations, vail, westin
