The Brave Ski Mom

Building a new generation of skiers and snowboarders.

Where to Stay When You Go Skiing

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manor-vail-lodge-ski-valet-at-golden-peak
This photo is from Vail’s 2017 closing weekend, so there are definitely more skis on the rack than you’ll find right now. Have I said that I love having a ski valet? Have I said that parents of small children love it even more than I do?
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We’ve all been there: we are ready to plan a family ski vacation, we know where we want to go, maybe we already have tickets on one of the passes we own, and now, we’re looking for lodging. Where to stay when you go skiing depends upon a lot of factors: How close do you want to be to the ski slopes and lift? Are you planning to cook or go out for your meals? What other amenities like hot tubs, or spas, or a pool do you want? And perhaps most importantly, how much do you want to spend?

I’ve written about this before and you can read lots of tips in the posts listed below, along with some general money-saving ideas and posts that you might find useful. But to summarize, here are some of the items you’ll want to think about when choosing where to stay when you go skiing.

  1. How Old Are Your Kids: A ski vacation with babies, toddlers, and young children can totally happen and be totally fun. But if you’re bringing littles along, and you can afford to stay slopeside, the convenience of being able to tag team parental responsibilities in a hotel room or condo is so much easier. If your kids are older and you don’t mind taking a shuttle or bus, or driving your car and parking, you can save a lot of money by choosing lodging a few miles and minutes away.
  2. Do You Want to Cook: Are you planning on making meals or going out? A condo with a full kitchen can make mealtime much less stressful, but comes with the responsibility of stocking up with food and actually doing the cooking. The biggest plus: not having to worry about reservations or tired/hangry family members.
  3. What Are Your Goals for the Vacation: Are you planning to ski bell-to-bell each day, or will you be spending some quality downtime playing games, watching movies, or relaxing at the spa? Maybe a basic hotel or lodge will suit you just fine. But if you need more room to stretch out, a condo, or a room in a building with ample common space (and maybe a game room/ping pong table) is what you’re looking for.
mammoth mountain family skiing
The family that skis together enjoys life together. At least that is what we believe. And a big part of that is the family ski vacation — especially when it’s a good value. Photo: Mammoth Mountain ©braveskimom

Like I said, that’s a quick summary of some of the considerations. Money tends to be the biggest factor with any ski holiday for any ski family, so listed below are some tips for spending less. Please note that my site is fully searchable and you can find information on lodging and saving money at specific resorts, along with tons of family ski tips, simply searching key words in the search bar.

USA Today 10Best

Every year, I’m honored to be asked for my opinions regarding the best ski towns, ski resorts, ski hotels and more for USA Today 10Best.

Voting for this year is happening right now and you can check out the lists of finalists at these links.

Additionally, I want to highlight three properties that we enjoyed last season and that I think are well worth consideration. The first, Manor Vail, is also open for 10Best voting at the best hotel link above.

Manor Vail Lodge, Vail, Colorado. Located at the base of Golden Peak, Manor Vail has the best location in town, bar none. This is especially true for families, as Golden Peak is where you can book both private and group lessons for your kids. Manor Vail offers condos ranging from studios to multiple bedrooms. Every unit we’ve visited has been fully-appointed and comfortable. The property has a newly upgraded pool and two hot tubs, an on-site restaurant and bar (The Fitz), and a full, generous breakfast buffet every day.

Top of the Village Condos, Snowmass, Colorado. We stayed here twice last winter and both condos were really nice and super convenient to both the slopes and the resort’s pool and hot tubs. All buildings are ski-in/ski-out and units have external ski storage. There are elevators which make everything much easier, and complimentary tea, coffee and hot drinks in the lobby. Located just above the Snowmass Mall area, it’s easy to walk to restaurants and shopping (be aware you’ll be walking uphill on the way back!), or you can get a shuttle from Top of the Village. You can also get shuttles to the other Aspen Snowmass mountains, making Top of the Village condos a solid play for a week-long ski vacation.

Days Inn, Carbondale, Colorado. A perfect example of staying farther away in order to save money, we found the Days Inn to be clean, comfortable and roomy. The indoor hot tub and pool were nice, and the complimentary buffet breakfast was basic but so much better than you might expect. About 20 minutes minutes from Snowmass and 30 from Aspen, Carbondale is a cute town with good restaurants that aren’t nearly as crowded or expensive as those at the resort.

For more 10Best Lists, check out this post from 2021: 10 Best Ski Resorts, Ski Towns, Ski Hotels and More.

What are your favorite places to stay for a family ski vacation? What factors influence you the most when choosing a mountain or lodging for a family ski holiday? Please share!

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