Vail's Mountain Haus

The Platinum-rated Mountain Haus boasts outstanding service, homey condos, and great access to the slopes. Situated next to babbling Gore Creek, across a quaint covered bridge from the rest of the ski village, Mountain Haus provides the perfect combination of a central location and a serene atmosphere. On your crew’s first ski day take advantage of the complimentary breakfast. Once everyone’s had their fill of waffles and omelets, head for the slopes! Gondola One is just a five minute stroll away, even in ski boots. Vail Ski Resort boasts 30 lifts and gondolas, almost 200 runs, and more than 5,000 acres of skiable terrain – not to mention the charming Swiss-style Vail Village. It’s no wonder Vail’s been on the Forbes Top 10 Ski Resorts in America list every year since the list began. The renowned ski school offers lessons for all ages and levels, plus special clinics like the women’s only Girlz On Edge program or the Ski Younger Now series, which focuses on teaching mature skiers low-impact techniques. Not to mention a top-notch daycare for infants and toddlers. Tell your crew to rendezvous at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola for lunch on-mountain at Bistro Fourteen. As the sun begins to set and the snow gets slick mosey back to Vail Village. Your crew can pick from a wide variety of après eateries, or head back to Mountain Haus for a tasty home-cooked meal (hooray in-suite kitchens!). Cap the day with a trip to the outdoor hot tubs to soothe your weary limbs (signs of a well-skied day) and look for shooting stars.

Individually-decorated suites at Mountain Haus are spacious and inviting, made to feel like home. Studios and one- to three-bedrooms all feature a fully equipped kitchen, great for homemade meals and midnight snacks. Private balconies let you scope out the slopes while you sip your morning coffee, while gas fireplaces up the coziness factor. Daily housekeeping means you always return to a tidy condo (no chores allowed on vacation). The pet-friendly policy means Fido can come along too.

Got some non-riders in your crew? Fear not – there’s so much more to Vail than awesome skiing. There’s the resort village classics like a tubing hill with magic carpet, snowmobile excursions (including mini ski-doos for the kids!) and an ice skating rink. Looking for something a bit more leisurely? Well, if you can walk, you can snowshoe! The Nature Discovery Center even has guided tours. Or, for a new and exciting way to have fun in the snow, sign up for ski-biking – the unique contraptions are half skis, half bicycle, and totally awesome.