Vail Cascade Resort & Spa Destination Hotels & Resorts

"3 kids, 3 nights, 3 thumbs up"

Vail Cascade Resort is listed as one of the “World’s Best Family Resorts” by Travel +Leisure and lives up to this celebrated honor in any season.  Vail Cascade Resort is the only ski-in/ski-out resort located in Vail.  It is within steps of the Cascade Village Lift, which provides access to the largest ski resort in the United States.  In summer, the resort continues its honored designation as one of the best family resorts by offering an in-house kids’ summer camp and plenty of family-friendly recreation.  In August, my three kids (10, 7 and 2) and I tested out the resort’s summer season family-friendliness.  Overall, three nights with three kids resulted in three thumbs up for family fun at Vail Cascade Resort.

ROOMS  

We enjoyed two adjoined rooms including a 500 square foot deluxe mountain grand room with one king bed and sleeper sofa and a 475 square foot deluxe mountain view room with two queen beds.  Each room was equipped with a small refrigerator (no microwave), large flat screen television, table and seating area, plush bathrobes, fine linens, granite countertops and the resort’s own Aria Spa toiletries.  The deluxe mountain grand room included an inviting gas fireplace and library which beckoned visitors to curl up with a good book.  

My kiddos were so excited racing through the rooms that I barely had time to tip the bellman before they had already discovered all of their kid favorite amenities like the cushiony beds with piles of pillows and a gaming device hooked to the television. But, the resort’s best feature is the gorgeous mountain views with Gore creek rambling below.

SERVICE

The resort offers a 24 hour concierge service which was well equipped to answer any of my questions, such as “Does the shuttle require child car seats?” to “How do I find Vail’s pirate playground?” and “Is it really alright to roast marshmallows in the outdoor fire areas?”  We discovered exceptional service throughout the resort – from a valet willing to search for a pair of pink toddler shoes in my car, to a tennis pro willing to walk my child through the resort in search of his lost Mommy, and a shuttle driver spending extra time at a shuttle stop to make sure that we knew where to go from there.

ACTIVITIES and AMENITIES

THE ARIA SPA AND CLUB: Located at the Vail Cascade Resort is Vail’s largest fitness facility, a 78,000 square foot club offering rows of high-end fitness equipment, fitness classes, personal training, indoor basketball, tennis and racquetball courts and a heated outdoor swimming pool.  Child care is also offered for visitors enjoying spa services.

CASCADE KIDVENTURE: You know a resort is kid-friendly when you are provided a schedule of kids’ resort activities upon check in.  Vail Cascade Resort offers its own in-house summer camp called Cascade KidVenture for kids ages 5 through 12.  KidVenture is not really a child care center, instead it  offers free and nominal fee activities such as sports camps, tennis lessons, arts and crafts, supervised hikes and swimming, dive-in movies at the pool and my kid’s favorite, free daily snow cones at the pool.  My older kids enjoyed making crafts at KidVenture – perfect homemade souvenirs for their stay in Vail.  My 10 year old also raved about the beginning tennis lesson he received from the resort’s tennis pro.  

POOL: The resort offers an infinity pool located creek side on a beautiful patio, complete with fire pits and rocking chairs.  This pool area is the perfect balance between family fun and sophisticated relaxation.   One of my favorite memories from our stay was swimming with my kids, and then wrapping up my wet 2 year old in a plush pool towel and rocking her next to the relaxing outdoor fire pit while listening to Gore Creek below.

GORE CREEK TRAIL: This piece of blacktop running adjacent to stunning Gore Creek was my personal favorite feature of the Vail Cascade Resort.  I used this trail, with a jogging stroller in hand to explore the surrounding area.  Our family also bird-watched, trout-watched, creek-waded and wildflower- admired from this trail.  This trail made us feel like we were a million miles from civilization, yet we were only a few feet from our luxury resort.

SHUTTLE TO LIONSHEAD AND VAIL VILLAGES: Oddly enough, the Vail Cascade Resort’s shuttle is an amenity that I didn’t know I needed until I used it.  After driving several hours to get to the resort, it was awesome to hand over my keys to the valet and trust that the shuttle service would get me where I needed to be.  The shuttle service was heaven-sent allowing for easy transport to Lionshead and Vail Villages with no buckling up of car seats, no stepping over French fries lost on the floor, no getting lost while driving, and no fight for parking.  There was also plenty of room on the shuttle for a stroller.  Furthermore, free transport throughout Vail and Lionshead Villages is provided by the in-town bus service.

DINING

The resort offers two dining options: the Atwater on Gore Creek (see my review), offering fine American cuisine served creek side and the Cascade Village Market and Café (see my review), a casual deli offering baked goods and snacks.  

AWESOME SUMMER DEALS

This 4-star resort sounds expensive with its astounding location and refined amenities.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to see such affordable rates, starting at just $129/night with multiple night stay discounts and lodging packages available during the summer season.  Note that the resort does charge a $15 resort charge per room per night in the summer season ($25 resort charge per room for winter season) for access to the Aria Spa and Club as well as internet access, shuttle service, concierge, local calls and incoming faxes.  This fee is charged whether or not you utilize these services.  There is also an $18 per night valet parking fee.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Reservations can be made as far in advance as needed.  In fact, it is recommended that families make reservations at least six months in advance for in-demand times such as Christmas, President’s Day Weekend and the 4th of July.  Consider packing anything and everything used for outdoor entertainment - , plenty of sunscreen, a stroller, a day pack, water bottles and a good pair of walking shoes as there is lots to explore outdoors. I would also suggest having plenty of bills on hand in order to reward the resort’s staff for their exceptional service.

Disclosure: Although I received complimentary lodging, dining, and resort activities, my reviews are always my own opinions and are not influenced by hotel staff or its affiliates.