HotelChatter

This summer, it's looking like the heaviest construction zone is LionsHead; developers are busy working on a couple new hotel properties while trying to transform the existing LionsHead into a European-village type neighborhood. Pedestrian traffic is re-routed and there's yucky machines all over the place.

In the heart of LionsHead amidst all the bulldozers and bright orange lies the Vail Marriott Resort and Spa, an upscale property whose white exterior sort of reminds us of a big, cute Austrian Inn and not so much a Marriott. It was completely renovated and redone in 2001, so the lobby and guest rooms are all relatively new and decorated with cozy Colorado-ish décor (antique snowshoes hung above the stone fireplaces, etc.)

The 348-room resort offers some of the most beautiful views in the area, with tons of mountain-facing rooms (some with balconies) and its close proximity to the mountain itself.

Unfortunately, starting August 11th, the East side of the hotel is not going to be so lovely: construction of the brand new Ritz-Carlton Residences are going to kick into high gear for the next few months right next door (and as we all know about building new properties, it could be going on for a while).

We were assured that as soon as all the loud ugly work starts happening over there, the Marriott won't be selling any rooms on that side of the property.

Ah, but the rate kickback we were hoping for? Notsomuch. While almost all Vail-area hotels offer significantly lower rates in the summer than during ski season (duh), the Marriott is not offering any sort of construction discount.

In fact, we were told that most guests aren't bothered by the construction and didn't seem to mind since they can't hear any machine noise in their rooms. Um, not the case when one of us worked in guest services at that very Marriott property in 2005 and got complaints about the construction almost daily, but whatever.

Perhaps times are a-changin': judging by the 12-15 guests around the front desk and valet areas trying to check in on this Monday afternoon, maybe people really aren't too turned off after all.

A new development that doesn't involve summer construction: last year, the Vail Marriott completely revamped their restaurant. What used to be a fairly run-of-the-mill hotel F&B outlet with the standard burger, sandwich and steak fare has turned into Ocotillo, a more upscale dining experience that serves "Southwestern-style food using natural organic produce with locally and ethically reared meats from small sustainable family farms." Pretty cool for a Marriott.

So, what's the verdict? Eh, we kind of were hoping for some deals due to the construction, but the property is pretty nice and rooms start at $199.00--which, even without a magic discount, is not so bad for Vail.

[Photo: Xander's Mom]

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