Hotels:
The Sonnenalp- easily the best hotel in Vail. See photos on the left for pictures of the room. The room is so cozy, the bathroom is enormous, and there is a fireplace. Evan and I were in one of the smallest rooms... which when we first arrived, we thought the hotel upgraded our room to a suite.. jokes on us! If you stay here, guests have access to a locker room/ski rentals through the hotel. Lockers are free, and the spot is located right by Gondola 1 at the mountain's base. Turn down service is a must as they drop by the best cookies & water. The bed was so comfortable & it was hard to get up in the morning. Also, the hotel has some of the best restaurants and bars in the village. Grand Hyatt Vail- Located in Cascade Village. Be aware this is a trek from Vail Village by foot; however, this hotel offers a shuttle service. My friends stayed here and booked through AMEX. They received a great deal plus a daily credit! I went out and stayed with them one night. The room had a pull-out couch, king bed, and a huge bathroom! The Sebastian- review coming soon. Restaurants: Matsuhisa - I highly recommend going with the omakase if you are going to this sushi spot smack dap in the vail village center. If you skip the omakase, make sure to order something on the Matsuhisa specialty menu- the eggplant & sea bass dishes are some of the best. Make sure to grab a reservation early as this place books up fast! Stuberl- the "perfect mountain town fine dining restaurant". Located in the Sonnenalp hotel, this spot serves up a romantic setting with a high-quality food & wine list. Evan and I loved the "mushroom and grits" as well as the sea bass main course. The chef came out at the end of the meal to see how everything was. He redid the menu for winter 2020. It was truly a treat to eat here- at the end of the meal, the staff brings everyone a cotton candy tree with some sweets for dessert. Sweet Basil- In the center of Vail Village, this cozy spot has a great bar. The wine list is excellent. They had a cabernet franc on the menu, one of my favorite grapes but hard to find. The somm was well educated and helped us select a great bottle. See the picture on the left for the rec- Les Poyeux. For dinner, I recommend the Brazilian Seafood Moqueca. Evan ordered it, and I stole most of his dish. For apps, if you like seafood, get the tiger prawns. And if you are a cheese lover, try the whipped feta! It comes with homemade bread. We ended our meal with the Lemon & Honey. That and the Lime in the Coconut came highly recommended. Mountain Standard - an American restaurant in Vail Village. Books up quickly, so make sure to check out tock for reservations. Swiss Chalet - located in the Sonnenalp hotel, this spot serves up some fun fondue & raclette. Cocktails: Bad Kitty Lounge- a new cocktail bar in the village. Small bar with great craft cocktails. fun early 80s vibes. Not on google maps yet, so check Instagram or facebook for the address. Red Lion- an apres ski staple. This restaurant does not take reservations, so get there when it opens or be prepared to wait. Evan and I went during December 2020, and due to limited capacity, we waited around an hour and a half. Kings Lounge- a cocktail spot in the Sonnenalp hotel. Very cozy setting with excellent wine & spirits. Life music from 7-10 pm. Some local favorites like Shannon Tanner, Kevin Danzig, and John Dunn Hikes: Berry Picker- Hike up behind the gondola in lions head. This is a fun trail up the top of the main ski mountain. if you make it to the top you can take the gondola down. Be cautious as this trail merges with a few mountain bike trails. See a few more recs here. Snow Shoe Trails: Deluge, Gore Creek Trail: a drive from vail village. This is in East Village. In the winter the snow cats will dump the snow under the highway. Be prepared to park and walk to the trail. Immediately after parking and crossing the snow bank, turn left on the right under the highway. You will walk up the road to a sign of a map where the trail will begin. A winter wonderland trail. I would recommend poles, there are a few spots to cross water and go up and down hill. See my instastory for more. |