We totally lucked out with phenomenal early-December snow conditions, as Vail was nearly 100% open during our stay December 4-9. Inspirato's newest residence in Vail is "Bell Tower" which is a penthouse residence located directly above Lancelot restaurant in Vail Village. Nearly all of our previous Inspirato trips to Vail have been at the Solaris residences, but we thought we'd try something new this time.

Residence: https://www.inspirato.com/destinatio...es/bell-tower/

The residence itself is nothing short of spectacular. It is 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms and right at 3,500 square feet. The main level consists of a large mud room for ski storage, a huge chef's kitchen with 60" professional Wolf Range and Sub-Zero refrigeration, as well as a massive eating bar, as well as the two living areas, a dining room and two bedrooms. A spiral staircase rises above a wet bar with clear ice maker and wine cooler, and the second level consists of three additional bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as a loft space. Three bedrooms have king beds, one has a queen, and the other has two twins.

Inspirato's representative met us around 7pm on the evening of check in. He helped unload bags, give us a tour of the residence and show us where the parking garage is located. Since the residence is located above a pedestrian walkway, vehicles must check-in at "Checkpoint Charlie" to pull up in front and unload bags and gear. This residence comes with two parking spaces at the Founders Garage a short walk up the road. As always, Inspirato had our groceries stocked in the residence as well as a complimentary bottle of wine as the welcome/arrival gift. Unlike Inspirato's numerous Solaris residences, Bell Tower does not come with access to a private ski locker at the base of Gondola One. This is mainly because the residence has a mudroom, whereas ski gear is not allowed inside any of the Solaris residences. It's a fairly short walk to Gondola One from Bell Tower, but we do like the convenience of the private lockers, especially with 6 people (2 adults and our 4 young children). The location is absolutely killer in regards to proximity to some of Vail's best restaurants. Sweet Basil is literally right next door and Mountain Standard is just around the corner.

While we prefer Solaris for our young family (access to on-site pool & hot tub, shuttles to Golden Peak for ski school, private ski lockers at Gondola One, etc), this is a phenomenal new addition to the Inspirato portfolio, and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially those traveling as a large group or with other couples. The front & rear outdoor deck space is incredible...summertime would be great at this residence.