confused by Lodging in Breckenridge

Or if this doesn't exist in Breck does it exist in Vail, we could stay there just as easily?

Have you tried vrbo.com?

Hi, lorenky, maybe you're just not looking in the right place. We considered overnighting one night in Breckenridge, but ended up making it a day trip and staying the whole time in Colorado Springs. I do know there were some nice looking lodge type places.

You can look under the "Destinations" tab on this website, then click USA, then Colorado, then Summit County. Or, hopefully this link will work:
http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/colorado/summit-county/hotels-nam_loc:659389.html

One Fodor's particularly likes: http://www.thelodgeatbreck.com/

There is a trip report under my name for our trip from last summer.
Good luck!
Five Alive

I am guessing but I think there could be 20 or 25,000 condo units or maybe more in Breckenridge. Only a few time shares so I don't know where you have been looking. Just google Breckenridge. There is a central reservation. And the vrbo is an excellent starting point. Other than the July 4th weekend, Breck will be pretty dead in July.

Agree with fmpden totally. There are numerous rental agencies for these condos. Breck probably doesn't have a lot of "hotels" as such. We rented for several days after son's wedding off season (not July). Reasonable.
Have you just googled Breckenridge real estate?

Breckenridge is the one town that VRBO type lodging is King. In my opinion, you definately want to rent a house/cabin/whatever from an individual here. You can rent from Beaver Run and other places on VRBO.com as well. I haven't been to Breck in the summer, just skied there several times. There are many house directly on or very near the slope, making ski in/out with a nice place to stay very easily done.

Have you looked into Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge in Breckenridge? This could be what you are looking for. Google it.

Marriott has big time share facility in Breck and I believe the Mountain Lodge is that facility. I don't think lorenky1 has a good concept of what Breck is since she compared it to Estes Park. Breck is a major ski resort and not a sleepy tourist trap.

fmpden is correct. There are many, many condos in Breckenridge available for rent and no clusters of cabins such as you find in Estes Park. Perhaps fmpden hasn't visited Breckenridge lately, but the town is far from dead in July.

I googled "condo management company breckenridge" and came up with several options of websites to try. I agree with Breckgal - the town will be far from dead in July. While I love to ski, I actually prefer the Colorado mountains in the summer. We've been going in the summer for years and there is a lot to do (hike, horseback ride, golf, raft ride, bicycle, etc. . . )

Have fun!

Wow, thanks for all your replies. I am not expecting Breck to be dead in the summer, anyway, we are planning on spending most of our time in the outdoors and not in town except in the evening. But then, I didn't think Estes park was a "sleepy tourist trap" either, I rather liked it, at least up in the Fall river area. I guess your replies do confirm that Breckenridge is different from what I am used to in that it is almost all condos, I'll look into the options that exist instead of looking for something that doesn't exist. Yes, I looked into the Marriott yesterday and that may be the best option for a "hotel like" situation if I want to go that way. I'm also re-thinking whether we will stay in Breckenridge at all, perhaps a different town would be a better fit. And I am a bit concerned about the elevation, since my husband can get affected by the altitude. I wonder if staying at or below 9,000 feet is a better idea. Everything in the area is very high elevation of course but perhaps a couple of hundred feet makes a difference, not sure. Still working out the itinerary. Thanks again for the many replies.

If you are prone to Altitude Sickness, then Breck and Keystone area might not be a fun trip. I haven't really been there in the summer(just a short pass thru), but Breckenridge is my favorite place in the winter. If you are wanting the typical Hotel experience then perhaps it isn't your best spot, but because it is different is what I like about it. Keystone and Winterpark are somewhat like this(but not nearly as much VRBO type lodging, but they don't have the downtown area to go with it. If you are wanting the traditional lodging it would be Vail, Apsen, Beavercreek. I wouldn't worry so much about the lodging if I had some things planned outdoors that I wanted to do at any of these places. I wouldn't change my plans, you will find good lodging in Breck. Have you looked on www.vrbo.com??? tripadvisor has over 500 vacation rentals in Breck, most of the same thing that vrbo has.

For the altitude, DRINK DRINK DRINK WATER. Do not go anywhere without a water bottle in hand. Take it easy a day or so. There are some meds you can take, and aspirin may help also. I suppose you could stay in Frisco, but it is all pretty "high" up that way. I think moderation will help you enjoy this gorgeous area.

"Dead in the Summer" is probably a relative term. It is certainly more laid back, less crowded, and less other activities in summer than winter. But the hiking, especially biking, boating,etc., are all available.

Altitude sickness is not well understood either cause, prevention, or treatment. The condition is mostly related to lack of oxygen in the blood stream. I could give a longer medical explanation but it would be boring. A person can be fine for four trips and sick on the fifth. A couple hundred feet will not make much difference but a thousand feet or two would. The body adjusts at about a 1000 feet/day so if coming from near sea level to 9000 feet you would need at least week or more to become adjusted.

Just had a thought. If you are looking to repeat your Estes Park lodging experience but deeper in the mountains you might try the Minturn Inn (minturninn.com) Minturn is a quirky little town in the gap between Vail and Avon (Beaver Creek. Love the Country Club (no golf course and no club) for steaks. You could easily base out of Miniturn with day trips as far as Glenwood Canyon and Springs, Leadville, etc.

fmpden, that Inn looks great! That's just the kind of place we like. Thanks for suggesting it, I'll give them a call. Prices aren't bad either. I think we are going to try to get something like that, and though I'm still looking at Breck I think odds are much better in the Vail area. We're looking at Tivoli too, which is in Vail of course. 9600 elevation just seems like it may be a bit much for my husband who seems to get tired and headache above around 8,000. We're thinking about staying in Vail area after all and spending a day over at Breckenridge and Dillon lake, etc. We'll keep you posted, but you are right on the mark, that's the kind of places we love.

Is or was your husband a smoker? Does he have any medical condition that would decrease the efficiency of his lungs? Problem is you are looking at the heart of the Rockies and it is a problem to find low ground.

Not a smoker and no medical problems. We just notice that he wants to sleep more and gets a mild headache at above 8000 feet. Nothing we have had any problems with, he did fine coming over Trailridge Drive last time, but we are at sea level so coming straight up to 9600 started to get us thinking, and I've heard that it's really sleeping at that elevation that can make it tough. I'm still working on the itinerary and will post a separate post for feedback on that, but for now I think we may do this: First day - Estes Park(we've been there before, but loved it so much I just wanted to be there again briefly), day 2 - drive over Trailridge Drive to Vail, stay in Vail(or nearby area, still have to call the Minturn Inn). Third night Vail. Day 4, drive Independence Pass to Aspen, Nights 4 and 5, Aspen. Day 6 - Frisco(a little lower elevation than Breck, less complicated lodging, and it's right on the lake for a relaxing last day), Day 7, drive back to Denver. I think that plan brings the elevation up slowly and gives us a sampler of all the places we wanted to see. Anyway, thanks again.

Not to confuse you more, but you might consider Steamboat Springs. The elevation is lower, @ 7,000 feet. Tons to do in the summer there - hiking, tubing, hot springs etc.

http://www.steamboat-chamber.com/info/facts.asp

Thanks, I think I found good lodging at all the places we are staying, Mountain Chalet at Aspen, Sitzmark at Vail, Marriott at Breckenridge and Castle Mountain at Estes Park. They all seem to have good cancellation policies and have sitting areas that we were looking for, and are generally wihin our price range. But I haven't booked yet so if anyone has opinions on these places let me know.

There are several hotel/motel options in the Frisco area. We have stayed at the Holiday Inn a couple of times, and while not rustic or anything, found it perfectly adequate. It has a large indoor pool, hottub area, and is right near Dillon lake. We have a cabin across Hoosier pass (south of Breck) and frequently drive through Breck and over to Frisco for lunch at the Butterhorn cafe, and maybe some shopping or a movie. Thus, you can explore that whole area (Breck-Keystone-Dillon-Silverthorne-Copper)from one place. In fact, when we are there in the summer, we take day trips to all the locations you mention, even to drive Trail Ridge Road, and Estes Park, or to drive Independence Pass to Aspen. I am just suggesting that you probably don't need to change lodging as often as you think. You could rent a nice cabin or condo through VRBO for a week and use it as a base camp for doing most of your itinerary. Whatever you decide, I hope you love it as much as we do. We never tire of Colorado in the summer.

Hi, yes, I am definitely re-thinking things since everyone is pretty insistent on Frisco and on not moving around quite so much. I looked at the drive times today and realized Breck really doesn't make sense as much as Frisco. The thing is we were wanting to stay in Vail one night, it just seemed fun. We are even thinking of Vail for those three nights and driving back and forth to Frisco, or as many have recommended, giving up Vail and staying in Frisco all three nights. It's only a half hour drive between the two, correct? We are going to move around some, because we want to stay in Aspen a few nights. Looking more throughly into Frisco lodging, the Best Western looked okay, as did the Galena Inn. I'll look into the others. We liked the look of the Sitzmark in Vail too. I guess I should read some Vail vs Frisco posts, or start my own

It is 35 miles between Frisco and Vail -- more in the range of 45 minutes and you have to go over Vail pass everything which can be a little slow. Good thing it is not winter.

Oh, thanks for letting me know that, Mapquest said 1/2 hour, they seem to so often be wrong. That makes a difference. If that's the case 3 nights in Vail is out, we'll either split it like we planned or spend all three nights in Frisco. Glad I've got some time to figure this out. I'll keep working on it. Thanks again.

Between Vail and Frisco, I'd choose Vail--and head on west for the scenery, as has also been suggested. We've been "through" Frisco and I'm not sure I consider it a "destingation" (except maybe for reasonable lodging. The ambience "on a mountain" is so much more fun for a vacation. And Breckenridge really fills that bill also.
I think there is a VERY good restaurant in Frisco--name anyone? Has a degustation menu?
But once you are at Frisco/Silverthorne, the mountains are all very available and distances/times are not great.
Altitude sickness, as someone said, is unpredictable--I have had the initial parts of trips spoiled (even in Denver) by going to bed with "flu-like symptoms" and others have just breezed through. The real real deal is WATER--drink drink drink--carry it with you--force it. And aspirin (for an easily obtained med). I get a boring headache. And of course, shortness of breath until you acclimate. Totally worth it for the beauty of Colorado!!

To be a bit more clear about what I was saying, and if I am wrong, I know folks will come correct me. Frisco is a little town just off the highway/interstate--good services, ski rentals, housing, etc. It is not a ski area, and if your house has a balcony you'll be looking at mountains "over there". I would choose it to save money on ski lodging--not for a "real" vacation.

This discussion is getting a little prolonged and bit silly. With two threads on the same subject. it is hard to keep track of who said what. I don't think Gretchen lives here but does visit frequently.

Gretchen, I have no idea of the points you are trying to make with comments like, "mountains over there." "real vacation," etc. Frisco and Silverthorne are generally not viewed as being together since they are separated by five or six miles but Dillon/Silverthorne is a common reference. These three communities do rap around the northern end of the Dillon Lake. Dillon and Silverthorne are pretty ugly. Silverthorne is the old construction camp that never went away after the dam was built. The original Dillon will actually buried by the lake and the new Dillon was moved to the hillside above the lake. No history at either place.

Frisco is a small town but it a bit more than that. It is really the hub of Summit County. From there it is ten miles south to Breckenridge, ten miles east to Keystone, and ten miles west to Copper Mt. The Summit Cty bus system connects through Frisco to all of other areas. The bike trail system does the same. And a hundred years ago it was the rail hub. In fact, many of the bike paths follow some of the old railroad beds.

Since we were discussion a summer vacation and not ski vacation I recommended Frisco for the convenience since you were looking at a number of activities centered in Frisco.

Unfortunately the more modern hotels are location right on I-70 which is not very scenic. But there are a couple of old motels -- from the 50s -- right on main street And, of course, lots of condo. Some in very nice settings. I think you can have a real vacation in Frisco. I know we have on several occasions.

As far as Mapquest accuracy, it might depend on where Mapquest thinks that Vail is. Vail stretches along I-70 for a good eight to ten miles because it sits in a very narrow valley. Second, getting over Vail pass in the summer can be slow going because of the traffic, especially truck traffic, and tourists.