Every so often, we feature a hotel review from one of our readers that we feel should be shared with the rest of you dear hotel guests. These reviews are highlighted because they are timely, about cool hotels in cool places and are relatively level-headed. Think you can submit one just like this? Send it in. Now, we present you with reader (and part-time Vail Valley local) Mark's review of the brand new Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain in the Vail Valley, which just opened up last week. Enjoy.
We had lunch and went on a tour of the newly-opened Westin Riverfront. Apparently, there was a big opening party on Friday, Oct 26 that almost everyone in the area was invited to, but I guess our invitations got lost in the mail.
The hotel is beautiful. Very zen-like, not what you would expect in the mountains, but still very, very nice without the pretentiousness of the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch.
ZOMG! The Westin Riverfront is finally open. At least that's what they tell us. We've also heard rumors that there's an opening gala tonight, but we weren't invited. Sad face.
We can't wait to check out this new place for ourselves, especially with it's fancy "green" features: recycling stations on every floor, preferred parking for hybrid cars (not sure exactly what this means, since everything is valet anyway), and an on-site organic garden (nice touch, Westin).
The way we see it, there are three distinctive types of "Girlfriend Getaway" packages offered at hotels.
There's the Sex and the City-ish types, designed for Midwestern Bradshaw-lovers to come to Manhattan, drink cosmopolitans and eat cupcakes until they feel satisfied that they've accurately experienced the "girls'" fictional lifestyle.
Then you've got your standard girly packages -- which always appear to be put together by a faceless, single middle-aged man who believes women enjoy all things pink and spa-like.
Then you've got your for-reals Girlfriend Getaway packages -- you know, the kind that nicely supplement the itinerary you'd actually complete if you went on a vacay with your girls: a bit of exercise (ideally), a bit of chillin (obviously) and a bit of drinking (not cosmopolitans, though).
Luckily, the soon-to-open Westin Riverfront in Vail Valley (anticipated opening date: late September) is keeping it real with two Girlfriend Getaway-type packages -- one steep and the other a bit, well, cheap.
The last time we checked in on the Westin Riverfront Hotel in Beaver Creek/Avon, Colorado we were really skeptical that the hotel would open in August. And guess what, our Magic 8 Ball skills were so dead on.
The hotel is now set to open on October 15, 2008. So that sorta stinks but the good news is the rooms are fairly cheap at $129 a night ($165) with taxes. And that's for a studio suite which includes a king bed and pull-out sofa that sleeps two, along with a kitchenette.
But buyer beware: This is an internet rate, fully paid, no cancellations allowed. Thus make sure you really want to stay here!
Last summer, we checked up on the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, a massive 19-acre condo-hotel development at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain (near Vail) slated to be completed "Summer 2008."
Well, we swung by the site to check on progress and, um, yeah. About that whole opening-this-summer thing? It's gonna be a stretch.
We always get excited about hotel opening rates as it's usually means way cheaper rates than what you can expect from an "established" hotel.
And while we are excited that the brand-new Westin in Avon/Beaver Creek, Colo. has opened up the reservations line, the actual opening is still a loooong time away.
The Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa will open in August 2008 but the place has just started taking reservations. Rooms are starting at $119 a night in the summer and $250 a night for early ski season.
Actually, that's something that we would recommend booking now--your ski trip because rooms at ski resorts either sell out fast or hotels charge outrageous prices during peak season.
We're checking in on the hotel happenings in Vail, Colorado this week and while Vail Village is mostly under construction, Beaver Creek Resort a couple miles away is as gorgeous as ever.
Beaver Creek sees ski seasons that are just as busy as Vail's and the town of Avon, located at the bottom of Beaver Creek Mountain, has several hotels and condo complexes that host a pretty serious number of those winter guests. A big problem here: skiers staying in Avon that wish to ski Beaver Creek mountain have always had to take a shuttlebus up to the slopes. Not so fun.
Remember that big spa renovation we told you about at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek? Well, looks like they managed to get things done in time for ski season: The renovation more or less wrapped up on December 22. A quick call over to the the spa confirmed that work is done even though the property is "still tweaking a few things, after hours of course."
First and foremost, that means a spa that's gone from 15,000 square feet to 30,000. There are now 23 treatment rooms, so you should be able to get in for a deep tissue massage even if all of The Real Housewives of Orange County drop in. The Aquas Sanitas "water sanctuary" is also a must. It's a sort of latter-day Roman bath with mineral pools and a steam room. Could do the trick after a day on the slopes, since Beaver Creek isn't known for its ski doctors.
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by Jenna
The way we see it, there are three distinctive types of "
