Smugglers' Notch Resort Premium Residences

"One word: Fan-freakin'-tastic."

You know you've chosen the right place to start your next family adventure when your 6 year old screams "It's our new house!" repeatedly upon arrival. (To be fair, we are closing on our new house in a few weeks. The poor kid was just really, really, excited)

During our recent stay at Smuggler's Notch Resort, our family (party of 6; kids ages range from 4-11 years old) stayed at the North Hill Tamaracks building, room 57. Our unit was a three bed, 2 bath condominium on the second floor of the building, facing the village.

The views were spectacular. Oh, I'm not just talking about the mountain. Each room was tastefully decorated; my favorite feature being the two person whirlpool tub in the master bath. The secondary bedroom held a queen size bed and desk, perfect for our emo eldest to hideaway from the world and listen to The Cure. The third bedroom was a stroke of pure genius: four twin size beds laid across the perimeter of a large room, each with their own platform that housed a drawer for clothing/toys/whatever it is that my son keeps stuffing into his pockets storage. Each room housed a spacious dresser, closet and flat screen TV.

The living room had a large sectional couch that hid a pull-out bed ("Perfect for my in-laws!" I thought to myself), a couple cozy chairs, another flat screen TV, beautiful fireplace and large windows that really brought the outside in.

The kitchen came fully equipped, right down to the blender I had requested, so as to not interrupt our normal breakfast of "whatever I can throw together in 5 minutes that looks healthy" smoothies. There was literally nothing we could think of that Smugg's housekeeping services may have forgotten.

Each condominium "village" has its own shuttle line, and a friendly driver always greeted us with the usual pleasantries at each pick up. From North Hill, it's a quick 3 minutes to the Village, where three restaurants, the Country Store, the Fun Zone .... basically all the action is at. A neat perk was the Day Camp shuttle for our kids, leaving us a few extra minutes to enjoy our morning coffee on the back deck before heading to the mountain. If you're looking for a break from the mountain, head a little ways down the hill from your condo to the indoor pool and hot tubs. After a long day of falling on your heiny (I mean, CARDIO), that hot tub is like heaven. There's also a splash pad for the little ones so you won't feel too guilty about really, really enjoying your "me" time.

This place is a tremendous value when families book the Club Smuggler's package, even moreso on a super value block.

All praise aside, there are some handy tips you traveling families need to know before booking.
- The in-room washer only takes POWDERED soap. Don't learn this the hard way.
- No, you cannot dry your gear in the dryer.
- If you leave the fireplace on for an extended period of time, it will override the heating system and bedrooms get chilly real quick.
- Don't be afraid to call Guest Services if say, a rowdy bunch of unchaperoned-at-the-time teenagers are causing a ruckus downstairs. At midnight. Go ahead and make that call.
- If you're looking for a handy reference guide with in-resort #'s ... psst, it's on the welcome packet you received at check in. None of the numbers are posted on or by the phones in your condo.
and lastly,
- Check In is at 6pm during the snow season. Check out is 10am. Keep this in mind when making your reservations. You may be able to request a later check-out time, depending on the resort's scheduling.

Don't forget to come back here and tell me how much you loved that whirlpool tub!

*Disclosure: This review is based on a complimentary stay at Smuggler's Notch Resort. I received no other compensation aside from the hotel stay and Club Smuggler's Package, and the hotel did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view.