Vail Ski Resort Round Up.
Like Nothing on Earth.
Vail ski resort does have a lot going for it. It is one of the best in the Americas for a reason, well for lots of reasons.
It reckons on getting over 300 sunny days each year and around 10m of snow, so that’s reasons enough. Couple that with astounding views of the Gore and Sawatch mountains, three pedestrian friendly villages packed full of bars and restaurants and over 2,000 hectares of ski terrain to explore.
You can probably forgive the resort for making such a bold claim: Like Nothing on Earth.
Accommodation.
There are 114 lodgings listed on the Vail website. Booking.Com lists over 500 and AirBnB has over 300. Shop around you should be able to find something to suit your style and your budget. Some of the most prominent options are:
- The Arrabelle at Vail Square: Designed to look like a traditional Central European building with opulence and charm.
- Tivoli Lodge: Family-owned Tivoli Lodge is located in the centre of Vail Village claiming to combine tradition, luxury and value.
- Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa: Much loved by regulars who claim it is like staying in a boutique B&B with the facilities and service of a top-end hotel.
- The Lodge at Vail: This, the first hotel in Vail, opened in 1962, just before the resort, is a vail institution and just steps from the gondola.
Ski Hire.
RentSkis is the official online rental partner of Vail ski resort. Vail Sports also has several outlets around the resort. If you shop around you can find lots of other independent outlets too, such as American Ski Exchange.
Ski Schools.
Vail Ski & Snowboard School is the official partner and offers the usual range of options from beginner’s to off-piste guiding.
Apres Ski and Eating.
Vail has just about every type of restaurant on offer.
- Vendetta’s: Featuring pizza by the slice, it has become the local hang-out for Vail’s ski patrollers.
- Bart & Yeti’s: Apres ski or evening, this is a down-to-earth tavern and long time fixture of the resort.
- Bully Ranch: Locally famous mudslides and burgers hit the spot in this western-style bar.
- Sarah’s Lounge: A Vail apres tradition, alpine style live music with the legendary Helmut Fricker.
- The Red Lion: Get there early for a spot on the front deck. Live music, big-screen TVs and huge portions of food.
- Pepi’s: A more refined crowd. This is the apres ski place for live music on the heated patio.
- Garfinkel’s: A huge deck for apres ski and people watching at the base of the mountain.
- Bistro Fourteen at Eagle’s Nest: Named after the view of the Mount of the Holy Cross. At the Top of the Gondola.
Vail Resort Bus.
Vail Resort Buses are free to use and run regularly between the eastern end of Vail Village and the western end of Lionshead Village. Scheduled buses to East Vail and West Vail run frequently as well.
Driving in Vail is discouraged so walking, biking and using the bus is encouraged. Buses operate from around 8am to around 11pm.
Skiing Activities.
- Early Access
- Cross-Country
- Mountain Tours including Back Bowls
- Nordic School
Non-Skiing Activities.
- Tubing
- Ski Bikes
- Coaster
- Scenci Gondola Rides
- Music Events
- Snowshoe Hikes
- Spa
- Nature Discovery Centre
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