Best Stays in Vail, Colorado
As frequent travelers to Colorado, skiing is often in the lineup of our vacation destinations. When we first started going as a couple, we would go to Beaver Creek as that is where Jared often went growing up. We would venture over to Vail for a day on the mountain there during our trips and decided to go to Vail as our base camp one year.
Vail is one of the first places you probably think of when thinking of skiing in Colorado other than the exclusive, even more expensive sibling of Aspen. Vail is a huge resort with a variety of terrain for all experience levels and has one of the best ski village/après ski experiences out there.
This guide will hopefully help you in planning your accommodations for your trip. It focuses on lodging that is convenient and fits into a medium sized budget for your ski trip.
Heads up: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you book at no cost to you. We only link to stays and experiences we'd actually choose for ourselves.
Where to Stay in Vail: Our Experience
Beaver Creek has a special place in our hearts, but the atmosphere of Vail Village just cannot be beat. It looks and feels like a European ski town. Which feels a bit out of place, but you won’t mind.
When we planned our stay here, we wanted to make sure we were close to the village and mountain so we didn’t have to travel far to experience all Vail has to offer.
We ended up staying at The Lodge at Vail which puts you smack in the middle of the village. It’s the perfect location for exploring the village, dining or grabbing a drink après ski style. We did find it was a bit of a trek to the ski lifts from the hotel in our ski gear, but it’s not the worst walk we have done by far.
The hotel is on the older side, so we found it wasn’t the most up to date accommodations, but still well worth the stay for the location and amenities.
One of our top pieces of advice is to look around at prices for different date selections. Prices can vary widely depending on when you go and it will be different every year. Usually you will find the cheapest prices during the weekdays in mid-late January to early February. If you can be flexible in your dates, your wallet will thank you. Below are some of our favorite picks for stays in the village without completely breaking the bank.
Best Stays in Vail Village
Austria Haus
Austria Haus is one the most quaint looking boutique hotels in Vail. It fits right into the European aesthetic of the village modeled after an Austrian architecture. The rooms look very cozy in European lodge decor and many of the rooms feature fireplaces.
This lodge is just a 5 minute walk to the slopes and steps away from all Vail Village has to offer.
We love their amenities including breakfast, ski valet right off the gondola, valet parking and heated pool/hot tubs right along Gore Creek.
If you book early here you can save 15% on stays of 3+ nights or 35% if you are a World of Hyatt member.
Honestly, probably one of my top picks for next time we travel to Vail. I love the ambiance and they’ve got some good deals if you plan ahead.
Check Here for Availability & Pricing
The Lodge at Vail
Like mentioned previously, this is where we ended up staying. Aptly named, this place just feels like a ski lodge. We just stayed in the standard lodge room, which we’ll be honest isn’t anything special. We really don’t spend much time in the room anyways so really not a huge deal to us. We did have a pretty sizeable bath tub in our room which was nice to soak in after a day on the slopes.
The location and price is what sealed the deal for us. Close to all the fun of vail village and just a short walk (even though it feels long in ski gear) to the slopes. They also offer a ski valet off the slopes which was a great perk at the end of a long day so we didn’t have to carry our skis back to the hotel.
The hotel also offers all your traditional ski lodging amenities including the heated pool, hot tubs, fire pits, après snacks, and spa.
The Wren at Vail
The Wren is the most economical pick on our list, but it’s also the furthest hotel away from Vail Village and the resort. Don’t let that deter you though, it’s still close enough that it’s not inconvenient. It’s about a 10 minute walk to Vail Village and/or the resort. You won’t want to do that walk in ski gear, but you’ll have access to a ski shuttle to transfer you there and back.
We love that these accommodations are just larger overall with each unit being a condo with living space and kitchens, so you can save some money there by cooking your own food rather than going out every day to the expensive restaurants in Vail Village. The rooms aren’t quite as nice as some of our other picks, but that’s expected being at a lower price point.
Your stay includes plenty of amenities like parking, a heated pool, hot tubs, and après snacks.
Check Here for Availability & Pricing
Manor Lodge
If you are looking to stay as close to the slopes as possible this spot is for you.
Manor Lodge is located just steps away from the Riva Bahn Express Lift that it almost feels ski-in/ski-out. Just east of Vail Village, it’s still a short walk to the village shops. However, if you don’t feel like walking after a long day on the slopes they offer free in-town shuttle services.
The basic studio condos are very spacious and feel like a cozy lodge. They include fireplaces and private decks as well as seating areas and small kitchens.
The grounds here are beautiful including their heated pools and hot tubs. You’ll also enjoy their spa, complimentary breakfast spread and après snacks.
Gravity Haus Vail
This hotel also has an awesome location in the heart of Vail Village. Just a 5 minute walk to the slopes and around the village.
The rooms are clean and minimalistic. We love that all the rooms have fireplaces to keep warm on cold winter nights. Plus they have an awesome looking spa with hot tubs, sauna, cold plunges and salt lounge.
They also offer paid parking, ski storage and discounts on ski rentals through Ski Butlers.
Gravity Haus has some pretty great deals right now on their website including deals like booking 2+ nights on weekdays for 20% off or book 3 nights, get the 4th night free.
Check Here for Availability & Pricing
Sitzmark Vail
Sitzmark Vail is not the typical style we’d look for in a ski vacation, but we love a good boutique hotel for a more intimate experience. There are only 36 rooms and the aesthetic is more modern than a rustic ski lodge.
The rooms look clean, bright and comfortable for a spot to relax after a long day with views of the mountains or Gore Creek.
This spot is also located in Vail Village and just a 5 minute walk to Gondola One and a ski valet/storage right off the gondola to store your skis at the end of the day.
They also offer a complementary breakfast, discounted ski rentals, and apres ski snacks in addition to the usual heated pool and hot tubs.
Final Thoughts
For the ultimate ski village experience, you can’t get much better than Vail and there are a lot of options very close to the slopes to make your trip easier.
We always suggest trying to book your trip on weekdays, as you will get the best rates on these days and you’ll find the slopes less crowded as well. All of these picks have great amenities and their own perks and styles, so choose what speaks you. You really can’t go wrong.
Be sure to check out our Ultimate Vail Mountain Guide to help plan the rest of your trip.
Happy skiing!
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