New Year's in Vail

Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa

Hotel | "Great Option at the Foot of the Mountain"

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There are two things I loved about this hotel: the location and the equipment storage system. It was wonderful to get up in the morning and simply check out our skis and boots after walking downstairs and then continue onto the Eagle Bahn Gondola. It was even better to have the Marriott staff valet our skis to the gondola so that we didn’t have to tote them. This is a small touch of good customer service, but I thought it was marvelous. So how was the room?We requested a room with two doubles and ended up with a room with one king. This would prove to be an issue for a couple of nights, but I’ll get to that in a minute. Later we moved to a room with two doubles, w...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 5, 2026

Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa
715 WEST LIONSHEAD CIRCLE
Vail, Colorado 81657
970-476-4444

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Charter Sports Marriott

Attraction | "Equipment Rentals"

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We weren't sure where to rent our equipment in Vail, but we decided to go with the place in our hotel. If you're staying at the Marriott, you'll find this extremely convenient. You'll also get a 20% discount on your rate. If you book in advance on the web, you'll garner additional savings as well. What was the service like? The guys on staff here were very nice and efficient despite being very busy. We were very quickly fitted for boots and skis on our first morning. Our son upgraded to a sports package for an additional $10/day and rented a helmet for $8/day. We liked the fact that we could leave our boots each afternoon, and they would dry the insides. Skis were put ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2026

Charter Sports Marriott
715 West Lionshead Circle
Vail, Colorado
(970) 479-6971

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Vail Ski Resort

Attraction | "Ripping it up in Vail"

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Vail is a world-class ski resort that has long been a playground for the rich and famous. If you’re quiet while sharing a lift and just listen, you’ll often realize some of the people skiing around you are part of the economic elite: executives from fortune 500 companies or people who deal with those executives. Celebrities like this resort as well. It is also not uncommon to hear accents and languages from all around the globe. That said, we are neither rich nor famous nor foreign, but we splurged for Christmas. I believe Vail is amongst the most expensive places to ski in North America--it's the biggest ski mountain--but it has a lot to recommend it to a family into winter sports. ...Read More

Vail is a world-class ski resort that has long been a playground for the rich and famous. If you’re quiet while sharing a lift and just listen, you’ll often realize some of the people skiing around you are part of the economic elite: executives from fortune 500 companies or people who deal with those executives. Celebrities like this resort as well. It is also not uncommon to hear accents and languages from all around the globe.

That said, we are neither rich nor famous nor foreign, but we splurged for Christmas. I believe Vail is amongst the most expensive places to ski in North America--it's the biggest ski mountain--but it has a lot to recommend it to a family into winter sports. The snow is reliable, and the skiing/snowboarding is marvelous for every level athlete.

Are there tree runs? Of course. Moguls? No problem. Steep and fast? Loads of trails fit this description. Extreme terrain? Yep. Gentle runs? You bet’cha. In fact, there is an endless variety of terrain, trails, and levels of ski available, so both the beginner and the expert will be happy. Bowls are as common as the ones you keep in your cabinet for cereal. Go to the back bowls for advanced ski. Blue sky basin is great for advanced intermediate. Beginners have greens scattered around the mountain. Look at runs leading to Vail Village. My son's ski instructor also advised true beginners get off the mountain before 2 PM to avoid congestion issues at the bottom or take a lift down in the late afternoon.

There are also plenty of restaurants and other amenities scattered around the mountain so you never have to break your stride and head down to the base if you don’t want to. Lessons and ski school for everyone in your group can be had for a price. My son loved a day learning with other teenagers (See review on Teen Ski School).

If you’re into "being seen" while on vacation, there’s a "scene" to be had after you’ve left the slopes. From fine dining to Subway (!!)… you’ll find it at the base of the mountain. Additionally, there is great shopping, and Vail offers nice events for the community such as the fire dancers and disco ice skating that were part of a free family fun festival in in Lionshead Village on New Year's Eve. A torch ski-down and fireworks were also fun to watch. Check the local paper for happenings.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2026

Vail Ski Resort
Vail Mountain
Vail, Colorado 81657

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Vail Ski and Snowboard School

Attraction | "Teen Ski School"

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Our son is sixteen so he had the option of either going with other teenagers or hooking up with a group of adults. (Fifteen and younger must go with the kid/teen school groups.) He decided to stick with other teens, and he was happy to find several other kids in high school would be skiing with him. Of course, our kid didn’t need anyone to pick him up from school, so he could just ski back to our hotel after 3:45, which was convenient for us. (The instruction day runs from 8:45 AM – 3:45 PM.) Cost?If you already have a lift ticket, you get a few dollars off the lesson, but I would advise buying a lift ticket with your kid’s lesson because you get...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2026

Vail Ski and Snowboard School
600 W Lionshead Cir
Vail, Colorado 81657
(970) 476-3239

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Garfinkel's Restaurant and Bar

Restaurant | "Lunch in Lionshead "

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Garfinkel’s is a great option for lunch at the base of the mountain. In the Lionshead shopping area by the Eagle Bahn Gondola, it offers a wide range of foods and prices to suit the wide range of tastes that often exist in just about any big group. For $20+, you can order hearty entrees like a 12 oz New York Strip, New Zealand lamb chops, prime rib, etc. But if you’d like something lighter (and cheaper), you can order items like Santa Fe egg-rolls, teriyaki beef skewers, or chicken fingers. Everything on the kids’ menu is $10 and includes sides like fries and fruit. Of course there are salads and veggie plates for healthy eaters. A hearty bowl of soup might be plenty to hit the spot. ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 5, 2026

Garfinkel's Restaurant and Bar
536 East Lionshead Circle
Vail, Colorado 81657
(970) 476-3789

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Blue Moose Pizza

Restaurant | "Great Option at the Foot of the Mountain"

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The Blue Moose is a great spot for groups or families. Located next to the ice skating rink in Lionshead Village, it's at the base of the mountain. If you come here at noon, grab an Irish coffee at the bar because you'll probably have to wait for a table. What is the atmosphere like? This is a casual but nice place. The walls are a sky blue that matches the sky over the mountains. Framed paintings by children give the place a cheery feel. A giant blue moose statue with antlers ablaze with Christmas lights was in the middle of one room. Red and white checked table cloths are covered in butcher paper so kids may color while they wait for their food. What w...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2026

Blue Moose Pizza
675 Lionshead Place
Vail, Colorado 81657
970 476-8666

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Turntable Restaurant

Restaurant | "Brake for Breakfast"

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A short drive from Vail (about 8 miles) is the tiny town of Minturn. If you've rented a car, it's worth the drive to get breakfast one morning at the Turntable Restaurant. Located by a cheap hotel, this is a fifties-style diner. One of those cardboard cut-outs through which you put your face to get your photograph taken is located by the front entrance and transforms guests into Marilyn Monroe and Elvis. The inside is chockfull of personality. Kids will love it. So what does the interior look like? Every corner is colorful. There's a giant gum-ball machine in one corner. The vinyl tablecloths are different in different sections. Some have a football motif. Others have...Read More

A short drive from Vail (about 8 miles) is the tiny town of Minturn. If you've rented a car, it's worth the drive to get breakfast one morning at the Turntable Restaurant. Located by a cheap hotel, this is a fifties-style diner. One of those cardboard cut-outs through which you put your face to get your photograph taken is located by the front entrance and transforms guests into Marilyn Monroe and Elvis. The inside is chockfull of personality. Kids will love it.

So what does the interior look like?
Every corner is colorful. There's a giant gum-ball machine in one corner. The vinyl tablecloths are different in different sections. Some have a football motif. Others have large vegetables printed upon them. Christmas lights were everywhere when we visited. Look up and see a train run along the track near the ceiling. This is most certainly in homage to what brought the tiny town of Minturn into existence: a railroad. A certificate for "Best Milkshakes" hangs on the wall. A chalkboard displays daily specials. The older ladies who whip out their pencils to take your order were as part of the decor--the personality of the place--as Flo was in that old sitcom set in Phoenix, Alice. This is a great place for family dining.

How was the food?
There is a definite Tex-Mex influence to the menu, and we enjoyed it. Though the hotcakes looked tempting, we opted for a variety of breakfast burritos. Mine was called "The Christmas", which was stuffed with eggs and hashbrowns and covered with a mild chili sauce. I defy anyone to leave here hungry! These portions are HUGE. Afterwards, feeling especially indulgent, we topped brunch off with an additional treat... fried ice cream. (We were on vacation, I say! Vacation!!!)

How were the prices?
Very reasonable. Think IHOP or Denny's.

Best thing to recommend it?
This is a locally owned place that's unique. I love such finds while I'm traveling. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2026

Turntable Restaurant
160 Railroad Ave
Minturn, Colorado 81645
(970) 827-4164

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