Brian Head Lodge

We were always met with a friendly, responsive front desk. The hot tub has strong jets and sits beside the pool under the stars. It usually wasn't busy, and 8-9pm seemed like the best time. Rooms have a rustic look, good storage and table space, plus a small fridge and microwave. Keep those on 3-4 so things don't freeze. The AC worked well for heat and drying gear. You'll likely bring and cook most of your meals. There were plenty of towels and bath amenities. The rustic restaurant is a good size, though its hours are limited, and there's a lounge bar with TVs.

The mountain location is great, but I probably won't book here again and can't recommend it after this stay. I reserved two nights for a snowboarding getaway. Since I have animal allergies, I appreciated being asked about them while booking. Still, I’m pretty sure we were put in a pet room, because my allergies flared up as soon as we arrived. They had allergy medicine at the front desk for $1, which helped, but I didn't understand why they asked about allergies if it didn't affect the room assignment. The noise was worse. Banging from upstairs woke us around 6am and continued until about 9am. We went snowboarding and tried to ignore it, but when we came back around 5pm to nap, it started again. I texted the front desk and got no reply. About an hour later I called, and a woman said she'd come check. She arrived 20 minutes after that and heard it herself. She said she'd reach out and thought it might be children. I asked to change rooms, but she said they'd consider options if the noise continued. It carried on from 5pm to 8pm. I asked again to move because we had to drive home the next day and didn't want another early wake-up. They ignored that request and told me to let them know if it acted up again. At 5am, the banging woke us once more. If you stay here and want to relax, I'd ask for a top-floor room. Maybe the walls are just thin, but nobody wants to pay for a stay and have their sleep interrupted.

The shuttle to the ski resort was handy, and there was plenty of parking. We had a fun ski weekend and a great stay for three nights, costing $622. The room was very clean, the fridge and heat worked well, and room service was quick. I liked being able to text requests and getting prompt replies. The slow elevator was the main downside. Food isn't included, and the restaurant is pricey: dinner cost us $110 one night and breakfast was $50. Bring your own food if you want to save. I prepped meals and used the microwave, which worked great.

The coffee shop stayed closed during my visit because its espresso machine was broken. The resort was fully booked over Christmas Week, but the staff's professionalism still made the experience enjoyable. The place has the timber cabin look you'd expect in a ski town, with two fireplaces in the lobby. It's near the Navajo lift, though you can't ski straight in or out, and walking in ski gear is a bit of a stretch.