Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Vail Village, Vail, Colorado

With a huge antler chandelier, wood-paneled walls, studded leather furniture, and displayed canoe in the lobby, it’s an easy assumption that the decor throughout the hotel will be lodge-style. The mountain theme is cozy, if verging on kitschy, but the hotel manages to tone it down in the rooms, which are more understated, with plush white bedding and subdued plaid accents.

The old black-and-white photographs of skiing and mountain life that hang in the hallways provide an authentic addition to the decor. Not only are they historic, they are actually from a local family’s personal collection -- a detail well suited to the property's intimate boutique feel.

View on a Larger Map

Located right on the edge of Vail Village, the Vail Mountain Lodge and Spa is a short walk to the Vail Village main drag, Gore Creek Drive (a beautiful cobblestone road with shops and restaurants), as well as the Village ski lift, Vista Bahn.

• 2-hour-15-minute drive from the closest airport, Denver International Airport
• In downtown Vail Village
• 3-minute walk to the Vista Bahn lift up Vail Mountain
• 4-minute walk to the main "square" -- not really a square at all, but a charming, cobblestoned stretch of Gore Creek Drive lined with shops and restaurants
• 5-minute walk to the Colorado Ski Museum
• 4-minute drive to the Ford Amphitheater
• 1-hour drive to the hot springs at Glenwood Springs

King Lodge Room

The Vail Mountain Lodge's rooms are very nice for the price. The simple mountain decor includes a few plaid accents, leather studded chairs, and sturdy wood doors; it's not particularly luxurious, but it's homey. Large bathrooms have separate walk-in showers and soaking tubs -- and, in the multi-room units, heated stone floors. All rooms are equipped with gas fireplaces.

Technologically, the rooms are up to snuff: Wi-Fi is free, rooms have iPod docks, and the older tube TVs have been replaced with flat-screens. The lack of air conditioning can be an issue, though, especially in late summer, when upper-floor rooms can get quite warm.

• Gas fireplaces
• Big bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, separate walk-in showers, and Aveda bath products
• Featherbeds
• iPod docks
• Plush robes and slippers
• Free-Wi-Fi
• No air conditioning
• Walls are somewhat thin, allowing for neighboring rooms and outdoor noise to be heard
• Two- and three-bedroom units have kitchens and pull-out sofas

Plunge Pools at the Spa

While the fitness center and spa are technically part of the on-site Vail Athletic Club, access is free with every overnight stay, including all the perks -- such as use of the indoor climbing wall and the yoga studio.

The spa is excellent, with 12 treatment rooms, and hot and cold plunge tubs in the men’s and women’s locker rooms.

• Spa with 12 treatment rooms, as well as hot and cold plunge tubs
• Two-story fitness center with rock climbing wall and yoga/Pilates studio
• Free Wi-Fi
• Free parking in Vail Village in the summer, and valet or self-parking for a fee in the winter

Terra Bistro is a local favorite offering fresh, organic and sustainable food. The best perk: a free breakfast with any overnight stay.