Review of the New Doubletree Vail Hilton Hotel By a Colorado Skier
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
I am a huge fan of using hotel points to secure lodging close to ski resorts during the winter as cash prices are usually sky high and location is everything when skiing with a family. I get to as many new points-friendly ski properties as I can each winter, including visiting the new Hyatt Place Keystone and the Hotel Talisa in Vail earlier this year, but I can't get to all of them as quickly as I'd like.
One ski-friendly hotel I have written a little about, but not yet visited, is the new DoubleTree by Hilton Vail that is located about in West Vail about two miles from Vail Mountain. This hotel is housed in the same building that used to be known as the Holiday Inn & Suites Apex Vail until that property closed its doors in 2016 to undergo a big renovation and reopen in late February 2018 under the Hilton flag.
A long-time Mommy Points reader, Gabriel, skis quite a bit throughout Colorado and beyond. He was able to squeeze in a stay at the new Doubletree Vail towards the very end of the Vail ski season. To help get everyone's ski plans in order for next season, he was nice enough to share some of his thoughts and photos of the property here with us today.
Guest Review of the Doubletree Vail Hotel
Overall, this property greatly exceeded my expectations, which is nice, considering that there was a lot to be desired from the former Holiday Inn. My opinion of the old Holiday Inn was that it was overpriced, didn't offer much value for what you got, and you were simply better off saving money by staying a bit further down I-70 in Avon and paying for parking at Vail.
However, the Doubletree Vail updated a lot of what was lacking at the old Holiday Inn. The staff was extremely friendly and attentive. I believe a valet-only option for parking is a bit ridiculous, and in fact, inconvenient, but that doesn't detract from the rest of the stay. Right after you drop off your car at the valet, you're welcomed by a rather impressive lobby lounge that is very open, warm and inviting.
You can also find seating on the other side of the lobby next to the ski valet and shop. Whereas the old Holiday Inn felt stuffy and cramped, the renovation and high ceilings of the Doubletree completely changed the feel of space. You can see how this is a place where you may want to enjoy your evening with a drink and listen to live music, which is precisely what my brother-in-law, wife and I did while lounging on the couches next to the large fireplace.
The hallways and elevator entries also got a great facelift as part of the rebranding and renovation.
The room greets you with a nice entryway to the bathroom, with plenty of nice toiletries and towels, which is much appreciated as I do not enjoy having to ask for more of either.
The beds are definitely nice and comfortable, and four pillows for each bed means you have plenty to do as you please to adjust your sleeping situation. I got a good night's sleep on the bed.
The entertainment center/dresser drawer was also of high quality, with a built-in workstation to maximize the usage of space.
Unfortunately, I forgot to get a photo of the bench/chaise lounger that was along the wall next to the bathroom, as well as the mini-fridge located in the closet between the bathroom and bedroom. However, I did visit the workout center and pool area. The pool and hot tub area was very nice with a good water temperature. As an added bonus, music was being pumped outdoors with a thoughtful spacing of the speakers so that it wasn't too loud, yet you could easily hear the music wherever you were in the pool area.
My biggest complaint about the old Holiday Inn was how big of a fiasco it was to use the ski shuttle. Seeing as the snow report showed only 2" when we woke up, and with the hotel capacity being on the lower end thanks to it being the end of ski season, we elected to use the shuttle. I'm not sure how well this would work in the middle of ski season, but the shuttle worked out amazingly well for us. They took note of our time we wished to depart, put us on a list, and we actually left as soon as we got our gear for our choice of village location in Vail.
Previously, with the Holiday Inn, they would only drop off at the Bus Station in Vail Village, to which I would have preferred Vail's Red Line instead. The Doubletree shuttle driver asked us where we wanted to go and was happy to take us to the Golden Peak base to use Chair 6. When we were ready to leave, we just gave her (the shuttle driver) a call from the top of Riva Ridge saying we'll be down in seven minutes or so, and to our surprise, she was waiting for us right as we arrived at the base. It couldn't have worked out any better.
The price we paid for closing weekend at Vail was 38,000 Hilton Honors points per night. At that price, I'd chose the Doubletree Vail anytime. I believe it's regularly 80,000 points per night during peak winter season. At 80,000 points per night, I would have a harder time justifying a stay unless I was swimming in Hilton points as you can easily get the Doubletree Breckenridge for 60,000 points per night. That property is located within a very short walking distance of Peak 9 base. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the Doubletree Vail, and perhaps even impressed. My wife and I plan on coming back with our kiddo sometime over the summer to do some hiking around Vail, especially since we can use the lifts for free thanks to our EPIC passes.
Earn Hilton Points for a Stay at the Doubletree Vail
Thank you so much to Gabriel for sharing these thoughts about the new Doubletree Vail. I hope to use some Hilton points to check it out on a future ski trip. If you want to stock up on Hilton Honors points or weekend award nights for a stay next season, then don't miss the current Amex Hilton offers that are increased for a limited time until June 27, 2018.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 125,000 points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within the first 3 months of card membership.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card — Earn 125,000 bonus points after after you use your new Card to make $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Hilton Honors Card from American Express: 75,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. No annual fee. (See Rates & Fees)
If you are considering a trip to Vail next season, be sure to check out my posts on Cheap Eats and Worth-it Splurges in Vail as well as Using Miles and Points to Book an Affordable Vail Ski Trip. Thanks again to Gabriel and let's start counting down to next ski season...
For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex Card, please click here.