Score8

Stayed last week for 5 nights. Booked a 1-bedroom suite with a mountain/river view.

Room - very new and includes a full kitchen with very nice stainless Kitchen Aid appliances. Also includes a full battery of kitchen ware (knife set, silverware, dishes etc...). Granite countertops. Fireplace large seating area in the livingroom and a plasma with some high def channels. Bedroom was well appointed and there are lots of closets etc to accomodate longer stays.

View - this was a corner unit, but the best view of the mountain (Up to Beaver Creek) was only slight from a smaller window in the bedroom. The bulk of the view was down the valley (still very nice) and of the resort's gondola. There was a deck, but it was very narrow.

Staff - Varied from good to great. Very friendly without being obsequious.

Pool - Was a very nice salt water pool and the area surrounding it was nice as well.

Gym/Spa - didn't try any spa activities, but if the spa is as nice as the gym, then it should be great. The gym was one of the nicest and best equipped that I have been to in the *wood system - probably the nicest. In fact, it was nicer than most of the Ritz or Four Seasons locations I have been to. Didn't view the locker rooms either (sorry).

Food - There are a couple of interesting options with a restaurant as well as a grocery that carries both some staples as well as some prepared items (and ice cream). Had dinner one night without the kids at the restaurant and had great food and service. With a $35 bottle of wine, two entrees, and grat it ran about $100 or so. I didn't check out the kid's menu. While this is a great place, if I were to be critical, I would prefer another less expensive burger joint on site that would do less $ damage over a long stay. The prepared foods at the grocery would certainly help with that, but my kids love to eat out. There are some very good options within walking distance. For breakfast there is a Bakery (adjacent to Starbucks and BKing) that had great scones and other baked goods as well as killer lunch sandwiches (they don't open til 7am). There are some other options in Beaver Creek as well.

Activities - I love CO during the summer, so I am a little biased, but we had lots to do with the kids - Gondola rides (hiked down Vail afterwards), white water rafting etc...I find it to be a great, active summer vacation and infinitely less crowded and less expensive than the beach...

There's probably more to add, but I came in to work today to actually work

TerryK

Salt water pool in CO? Do they truck in tons of sea salt?

CMV

Anyone stay recently, i.e., 09-10 ski season? We're headed here shortly and am interested in the things to do, the things to avoid and anything else anyone wishes to share. Thanks.

RLG

Interesting discussion going on about this hotel here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...rd-room-2.html

Apparently, they make fewer than 5% of their rooms available for award reservations.

SPG thinks it's perfectly kosher.

What, you think SPG has no capacity controls? Apparently, you're mistaken.

orisky

Was hoping someone could help me out here. I've read several reviews and searched for maps, but couldn't find anything definitive.

If I'm staying at the Villas, how far is the walk to the Gondola? Then how far is it from the Gondola to the closest Ski lift? At the end of the day, do you take the Gondola back down, or can you ski down back to the hotel?

I have a little one who still takes naps midday so trying to figure out what my best stay options are.

Thanks!

onthewineroute

The gondola is at the door of the hotel. Once you take a quick ride up the Riverfront Gondola, you are at Beaver Creek Landing and are just a few feet from the Lower Beaver Creek Express which takes you to Bachelors Gulch area.

From here you can ski Bachelor's Gulch or ride the Upper Beaver Creek Express and that takes you over to Larkspur bowl via an easy catwalk and then you are at the main Beaver Creek Area.

At the end of the day, you ski towards Bachelors Gulch and at the bottom by the Ritz, you ski down Leave the Beav to get to the top of the Riverfront Gondola. No, you cannot ski all the way down to the Westin.

Link to a trail map:

http://www.beavercreek.com/~/media/b...res_final.ashx

orisky

Thanks for the info. So based on the map, even if we take the gondola up, I don't see a toddler lift/ski school unless we head over to the main village area right? Not sure how I would get a toddler (who's never skied before) up and down this area.

onthewineroute

Didn't realize this would be a first time for your child. You can take the Riverfront gondola up to Beaver Creek Landing and take the bus right up to Beaver Creek Village where the ski school is.

Sweet Willie

did you end up making your trip?

We are intereseted in summer feedback on activities as we are heading here in July.
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singtx

I didn't subscribe to this thread! Hence my late reply.

We ended up at the Sheraton and loved it...my review is posted in that thread.

However, we are staying here for one week starting at the end of this month.
The summer activities are outrageous! We went whitewater rafting - outstanding guide who let us do entirely too many cool things during the trip, which may or may not have been the safest - but was a hell of an experience.

Hiking to Hanging Lake and in Beaver Creek area. I suggest a good backpack and plenty of water and snacks...some of the hikes are 6 plus miles uphill. Biking was great. You can rent a bike and take it up on the gondola in beaver creek and ride down! How awesome!!
Went to Super Walmart (NEW) and bought groceries, beer, wine, and coal for a bbq.

Pick up one of the local magazines at any stores and they have a ton of coupons for every local joint there...we used the coupons every time we ate out.

We plan on doing rafting again, horseback riding, and testing out a 4 by 4 rental.

Is there a lounge at this property?

Will post report when we get back.

cheers

NewMexFlyer

Beautiful 1 BR suite after 2 hour battle with the obviously untrained FD staff. This property caters to family groups, if you are after 5* hotel, think uphill to Beaver Creek. Poor housekeeping, no restocking of coffee, amenities, etc. No management available upon request. This is a vacation ownership property, not to be confused with a luxury hotel/resort.

Keyser

wow....that's surprising....i had a fantastic stay there last year....my wife & i both loved the property....

sc flier

It depends on which property you're talking about. Which did you stay at?

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain is a condo-hotel. It is NOT an SVO property!

The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas, Beaver Creek Mountain is an SVO property. SPG upgrade benefits do not apply here.

TerryK

I concur with sc flier. I suspect you were in the wrong property. There are two Westins right next to each other; Westin Resort & Spa is a 5* SPG property while Westin Mountain Villas is a SVO property. SPG benefits do not apply to SVO properties. Westin Resort & Spa is a whole ownership condo-hotel, it is not a vacation ownership (timeshare) property.

sc flier

At SVO's, "upgrades, late check-out, and other in-hotel benefits are not available."

However, most SVO's now offer SPG award reservations, and Starpoints (and night/stay credit) can be earned at many of them. See the SPG T&Cs for details, but also check each SVO's Announcements page for the current participation info since the T&Cs are not always up to date for each of these properties.