12 Best Hotels in Vail Valley, Colorado

Rooms at the Four Seasons are large and attractive, in a contemporary alpine style (with warm hickory-wood and limestone accents); every room has at least one gas-burning fireplace and a balcony. Guests appreciate the 14,000-square-foot spa and a dedicated ski concierge located right at the Gondola One chairlift (they've got rental gear and maps, and can even hook you up with ski lessons). On-site restaurants and lounges offer creative cocktails and seasonal eats.

This upscale boutique hotel on Gore Creek is perfectly located for outdoor enthusiasts, but its private fireplaces and featherbeds, as well as the sprawling spa and fitness center, may tempt guests to spend the entire stay indoors. Rooms feel like a home away from home thanks to spacious living areas and large bathrooms. Soak in one of the deep bathtubs or in one of the indoor or outdoor hot tubs. The 18,000-square-foot fitness center has a hefty lineup of group fitness classes and Peloton bikes. Park for free in the public lot across the street and walk into town in just a few minutes.

You can't get any closer to a ski run in the United States than the Osprey, unless you sleep on the lift. This sleek, chic slope-side hotel is steps from the Strawberry Park Express high-speed quad lift. The rooms in this truly boutique property (there are a mere 45 of them including a two-bedroom penthouse suite) are refreshingly spacious and airy, illuminated with a cozy gas fireplace. Couples can enjoy tapas at the bar next to the "living room" lounge.

With magnificent antler chandeliers, and towering windows opening out onto the mountain, the lobby of this slope-side hotel manages to be both cozy and grand. Rooms are small and simply furnished but the resort is designed with skiers in mind. Perhaps the ultimate in pampering is stepping into your warmed and waiting ski boots. With two gondolas just outside, this is a true ski-in ski-out property. Once the boots are off, enjoy a hot toddy or s'mores by the outdoor fire pits. Village-view rooms with balconies offer sunset vistas and great people-watching in the square below. The on-site Exhale Spa and the nearby Beaver Creek Golf Club (with preferred tee times for guests) also make this hotel popular with nonskiers.

Here towering wood beams highlighted by stone fireplaces make for a grand scene in the lobby and on the outdoor terrace, where a fire pit ties together the cozy scene. Charming rooms feature fireplaces and panoramic views of Beaver Creek Mountain or Vail Valley. The 21,000-square foot spa focuses on treatments using Colorado-sourced ingredients (like locally mined activated charcoal), while the fitness center offers group classes and cardio machines facing the majestic mountain. The numerous on-site restaurants and bar near the pool make it easy to stay put when not on the slopes.

Manhattan chic meets Colorado ski lodge at this boutique hotel, where you will find the work of Mexican abstract artist Manuel Felguérez throughout, and the lively Lounge at Leonora with its craft cocktails and street-fare-style bites. Rooms are sleek, contemporary, and artsy. Enjoy free in-room snacks, fruit, and beverages—not that you'll spend much time in your room once you discover the heated outdoor pool and rooftop hot tubs with mountain views. Slope-side, there's the Sebastian Basecamp, a ski concierge at the Gondola One lift where you can grab your gear and hot coffee; in summer, pick up your bike. Leonora restaurant has a large wine selection and serves stellar food.

Surrounded by shops, restaurants, and galleries, and just steps away from the Eagle Bahn Gondola (which runs right to the top of Vail Mountain), The Arrabelle is a star in Lionshead Village. The decor evokes a sophisticated, cozy, European-style chalet. Rooms are spacious and romantic, many featuring fireplaces and a lavish floor-to-ceiling drapery canopy over the bed. Besides the rooftop pool and hot tubs, the resort has a large spa with whirlpools, steam rooms, saunas, and a 24-hour, state-of-the-art fitness center.

A large atrium that doubles as an art gallery on the first floor grabs all the attention at this modern hotel a few hundred yards from the lifts. Rooms are moderately decorated and generously proportioned and nicely split between a bedroom and living room with kitchenette—you'll get more space for your money here than at most other properties in the heart of the village, which makes it great for families. Creekside views are pricier but tranquil, especially if you have a balcony.

This luxury lodge in a quiet part of Vail Village maintains a low profile, which is just the approach its hard-core skiing regulars prefer. There are five large condos with various configurations (19 bedrooms overall) that can be partitioned off into smaller spaces. All these apartments are spacious, luxuriously decorated, and have kitchens with all the latest gadgets.

One of the first hotels to open in Vail, in 1962, the sprawling lodge is popular with skiers and families because of its fabulous location only 150 feet from the village's main lift, the Gondola One. Ski valets ready your skis every morning and collect your gear for drying in the evening. The quality and size of the rooms varies tremendously: smaller, individually decorated rooms feature a homey feel, while larger suites have modern touches like heated marble floors in the bathrooms and fireplaces. Two hot tubs, fire pits, and a pool with an outdoor bar and kitchen are perfect for relaxing after a day on the mountain.

This Swiss-style ski-in ski-out lodge is a winner for skiers, combining upscale accommodations with an unpretentious attitude. The aura of laid-back luxury comes from little extras such as afternoon tea or hot chocolate by the fireplace in the lobby; there's even an on-site ski shop. Rooms are clean and light. They vary in size—ask for a corner room facing the mountain, as these have an extra sofa (with foldout bed) for contemplating the views from the large windows. Some rooms have balconies overlooking the ski area. The lodge is also known for its fine restaurant, the much-lauded Grouse Mountain Grill.

It's the sense of family tradition and European elegance that makes the Sonnenalp Resort the most romantic of all the hotels in the faux-Tyrolean village of Vail. Four generations of the Faessler family have worked in the hotel business, and the Sonnenalp showcases their expertise not only in the Bavarian architecture and style (stucco walls hatched with wood beams and balconies with flower boxes) but also in the impeccable manners of everyone from front-desk receptionists to the waiters at three on-site restaurants. Room configurations vary from two-story suites to cozy rooms barely bigger than the overstuffed beds. The first-floor spa is set around an alcove fireplace, but the indoor heated pool flows outdoors and fronts a beautiful garden beside Gore Creek.