My family is flying to Denver, arriving there after 7 PM.

They need to book a hotel ASAP for one night, before driving to Snowmass the following morning.

A mid-range hotel will be fine, with family rooms if possible.

There are a handful of hotels near the airport, or off I-70, the main highway your family will be taking to reach the mountains. Here's a page with a list of them and links to their websites:

http://www.flydenver.com/guide/local/hotels.asp

I've heard very good things about a new hotel called The Timbers, right off I-70 at the Peoria exit. It would be about a 20-minute drive from the rental car pickup, and very convenient to getting out of town in the morning.

Thank you, tekwriter. I'll check it out.

The area around the Denver airport used to be great Priceline territory. Haven't had an opportunity to check it out in a few years, but maybe someone who has will add to this thread.

If you want to learn how to use PL, go to www.biddingfortravel.com to learn the PL bidding process.

As Betsy says, do a PL for an airport hotel.Should be cheap.

Be aware that PL rooms are usually for two people. If there are more in your party, you may be able to get two rooms for less than the amount you'd pay for one if you book through PL.

You might look at Quality Suites® at Evergreen Parkway. It will put them in the Foothills about 40 min from the Airport. That way they can get a bit of a jump on the drive to Snowmass. If they are driving on a Sat or Sun morn be aware that traffic can be very bad. Get up early and go.

Quality Suites at Evergreen Parkway
29300 U.S. 40 , Golden, CO, US, 80401
Phone: (303) 526-2000

Coskier is giving you good advice about Saturday/Sunday morning traffic. We usually leave the Denver area by 6 am for weekend skiing. Last year we made the mistake of leaving around 7 am and it was bumper to bumper traffic until we made it past Idaho Springs. A 1 1/2 hour drive was closer to 3 hours.

Hope your family enjoys their trip.

Thank you, Betsy, Gretchen, Coskier and Wtm003.

They will be driving from Denver to Aspen on Friday, 12/29 in the morning.

How bad can the drive be? The drive is, under normal weather and traffic conditions, a 4 and a half hours journey, as far as I know. I've never been to that region, although my SIL, who is driving, has, many years ago..

The drive is not bad at all - unless you are driving during a snowstorm or blizzard conditions (I've done both).

Ceci, check out PL for Boulder, which would put you west of Denver.

You dont want Boulder. Too North for 1-70 route.

Lightfoot, if I don't want the Boulder, what about the Quality Suites suggested by Coskier?

It looks like a good idea to save some of the next day driving to Aspen.

Thanks for all the answers.

Sorry for the mistakes made by a non-English speaker.... I meant to reduce some of the next day driving..

I'm not familar with the Quality Suites at Evergreen but the location is good for a head start up to Snomass. Anywhere in west Denver just off I 70 would work as well.

You definitely do not want Boulder and the traffic can get bad on the weekends with or without a blizzard/snowstorm.

If you are going west, then try for a motel in Idaho Springs. It isn't far and is exactly ON I70 and an hour into the trip.
Boulder is NOT, and I don't even think Evergreen is, although I haven't looked at the map. However, I have driven to Vail and Aspen a lot from Denver.
The airport hotel option is not bad. We don't know what day of the week they are arriving. Just get up early and go. It is about a 3 1/2-4 hour drive to Snowmass.
I believe the toll road will take them away from the I70 Peoria exit and the toll road is closer for getting to I70West to the mountains.

http://www.flydenver.com/maps/tofrom/routes.asp
This is a map of the roads out of DIA. HOpe it helps. I think the 470 toll road to I76 and down to I70 will be a great help to you.
Two rooms (you mention family, as someone else did) at an airport hotel through PL will undoubtedly be less than a motel on the road. However a motel on the road might let you all fit in--just don't know your situation, BUT we've done it all ways!!

I recently reserved a suite for 2 adults and 2 children at the Comfort Suites DIA for $89 + tax. Do you think PL would be better for 2 rooms?

FYI--the Quality Suites Evergreen is right on I-70 at the Evergreen Parkway exit (formerly the El Rancho exit)>

Pick a hotel/motel on the I-70 corridor. Anyplace west of Wadsworth Blvd should be fine and give you a jump on the next morning. Traffic should not be that bad heading up into the mountains on Friday morning. Friday evening and Saturday morning are a different story.
The actual town of Evergreen is about 8 miles south of the I-70 corridor. El Rancho and Bergen Park are along the same exit, but closer to the freeway. If you're looking at a place with an Evergreen address, I'd do a mapquest search to see just exactly where it's located.
From my home in Northglenn, it takes me about three and a half hours to get to Snowmass on dry, clear days in winter (including a stop in Glenwood Springs to gas up). But knowing that stretch of highway as well as I do, I drive just a bit over the limit (wink wink, nudge nudge). For someone who isn't familiar with it, I'd suggest being a bit more cautious and plan on a four hour trip.
Adverse conditions can lenghthen the time cosiderably. If you run into snow....slow down and take your time. They don't salt the highways here during a storm like they do where I came from in the midwest, so snow and ice can accummulate quickly. Snowmass will still be there waiting for you.