We visited the brand new Arrabelle at Vail Square resort and retail plaza yesterday for the first time since its January 5th completion, expecting to be blown away. Instead, dust was blown in our faces from all the construction.
We had our eyes peeled for the fabled Ski Nannies (we assumed they would morph into like, hiking nannies or rafting nannies or something since it's summertime), but they were nowhere to be found.
But that was the least of our problems: we couldn't find the front door, either.
Well, the writers' strike may be over, but it'll still be at least a few weeks before your favorite shows come back. Kill that time and get one last gasp of exercise with the "Skier's Escape" package from The Lodge at Vail.
The deal includes three nights accommodations, two three-day lift tickets and breakfast daily at the hotel set in the heart of Vail village. (Your lift tix are good at both Vail and Beaver Creek.) Rates start at $1,272, and obviously there are some blackout dates. Still, getting a room and a day of skiing for $424 isn't bad, given that one day at Vail costs $92.
It's worth noting that the hotel's Spa is scheduled to open next month, so book later rather than earlier if that's a priority. The Skier's Escape package is available until April 19.
Vail is getting a little bit of Aspen-esque luxury digs for its snow bunnies with money.
The Arrabelle at the Vail Resort will open on January 5, 2008. A RockResort, The Arrabelle is the first new ultra-luxe resort to open in Vail in 25 years.
Anchoring a new destination called Vail Square, a European-inspired village that will fuse new energy into the region, The Arrabelle will offer guests an exceptional vacation experience with 36 luxury rooms and 50 condominiums, fine dining at Centre V, a RockResorts spa, personalized services such as the Ski Nanny, and a true ski-in/ski-out experience with a location just steps away from Vail Mountain.
Ski Nanny? Apparently the nanny will watch kids while they are on the slopes and take them to and from ski school, allowing parents to ski the more difficult slopes. We love it.
We're checking in on the hotel happenings in Vail, Colorado this week and since the area has some serious construction to make the village feel a bit more "European", we checked out a hotel that was legitimately already European: The Sonnenalp Resort of Vail.
A member of Leading Small Hotels of the World, the Sonnenalp is owned by the same family that own the famous Sonnenalp Resort of Bavaria, which (according to the Sonnenalp website) was rated the number one vacation resort in Germany.
With its stellar reviews on Tripadvisor, we know the Sonnenalp has a fab reputation, but last time we checked in with them the property was in the middle of a bigtime renovation project that left some guests a little annoyed.
We went back to check out the changes and took a little tour of the property. What we found after the jump.
Vail, Colorado is one year away from completion of its billion-dollar renovation project and construction is in full swing this summer all around the resort town.
Luckily, all the businesses in Vail and LionsHead remain open, the construction doesn't obstruct many views and all the commotion certainly won't disrupt most of the summer recreational activities on the mountain.
We're on the scene this week to see what's going on at a few of the local hotels and to see if the construction will help us score any rate kickbacks.
Staying in Vail off-season definitely has its perks. You can avoid people in big furry boots being the main one, although to be honest that is not a guarantee.
Even so the summer in the mountains and the clean air in this snooty resort town can make for a relaxing summer getaway. Plus, traveling is always so much easier sans skis.
Staying off-season also means specials. If you stay at the Antlers Hotel during the middle of the week you'll book 20% off; a special running through September 21. Or stay more than seven nights and get 15% off, this promo runs until September 23.
What's the deal here? There is praise upon praise for their hot tubs which face the mountains. The rooms are like little apartments and have internet (DSL not WiFi). So if you don't mind a little feeling of country and the lack of robe provided by the hotel, as one reviewer's griped about, take advantage of the summer rates because they'll be gone as fast as you can say EuroTrashSkier.
0 Comments - Add Yours
by Jenna
