Lakeside Village by Vail Resorts

We walked in with our family and were really let down. The place had been advertised as cute and homey, but I felt the listing gave a false impression. There’s no AC, just box fans in the windows, and some outlets are taped over so you can’t use them. The doors had holes, the furniture was worn, and there was a strange smell. They also charged us a $1300 fee instead of the $200 we were expecting, then said nothing could be done. Honestly, it was the worst vacation I’ve ever had.

The amenities were good, and it’s close to the mountains and plenty of fun. But the location didn’t work well for us. Our room faced the rice rink, where music stayed loud until 10 pm, which got in the way of our bedtime when we were hoping to wake early, catch the shuttle, and ski. The big windows also had no blackout curtains, so all the outside light made it hard for me to sleep. We could hear the room above us too, which seemed to be busy all the time.

The unit was warm and acceptable, but old, dated, and dirty, with nothing that really stood out. We couldn’t use the lodge amenities even though we checked in at the lodge, and our building was three buildings away from the pool and hot tub, a long, cold walk. Parking was a mess after hours, and several times we couldn’t park right outside our unit. The location is great for skiing and rentals, but I’d try somewhere else next time.

The view was gorgeous, and the location was great. Those were the only things that made the stay tolerable. Check-in was at 4, but our calls went unanswered. When we drove to the office at 6, they said cleaning would take another 10 minutes. My husband and I waited outside with our three hungry toddlers, luggage, and groceries that had already been out for two and a half hours. We finally got in around 6:40. They offered a bottle of cheap wine for the delay. The rooms were very dated, nothing like the beautiful room in the picture, and the TV didn’t work either. We told the front desk, and they noted it and gave us another cheap bottle of wine. We did like having a kitchen, though it was VERY outdated. We asked for sheets for the pull-out bed while we went out to run errands, expecting them to leave the set outside the door. When we got back, the sheets were on the bed, but my wedding ring, which I’d stupidly left on the coffee table after taking it off to put lotion on my dry hands, was gone. I thought I might have misplaced it, but after turning the room upside down, I never found it. I don’t want to think the person who brought the sheets took it, but it was strange that it disappeared during that hour. I wouldn’t return to these condos. The hotel lodge and spa was much better in my opinion. Also, don’t be surprised if you see random people sleeping in the ski locker area. Such a strange place. Won’t be back.