Lodging
Downtown Winter Park is located a few miles from the base of the Winter Park Resort. Here are my favorite places to stay and some reviews:
Snowblaze
My friends and I own a condo in the heart of downtown Winter Park. I prefer to stay in the downtown area where I can walk to a wide selection of bars, restaurants, and ski shops. Winter Park provides convenient bus service to and from the resort. Snowblaze often has a private bus on the weekends.
There is a nice athletic club with pool and hot tubs. Many of the locals buy memberships to use the facility. If you have energy left after skiing, you can workout on the cardio machines, do some weight training, or even play racquetball.
Please contact us directly for the lowest rates! Email snowblaze@belniak.com
Bed and Breakfast (B & B)
Before we purchased a ski home, we always stayed at a charming family-owned lodge located downtown. The Arapaho Ski Lodge provides a hearty breakfast and dinner to fuel your skiing. Over the years we have come to know the family and miss their company and cooking when we stay at our condo.
There is something that is so relaxing about a ski vacation when no thinking about the daily schedule is required. A typical day begins with a wakeup call. Every day is a typical day…The family prepares and serves a hearty breakfast. A private shuttle awaits to take you to the resort for the day of skiing. The driver reminds you to check for lift tickets, lunch money, gloves, goggles, sunscreen… After a long day of skiing, the shuttle returns to the lodge where hot snacks, drinks, and a cozy fireplace await. Enjoy the game room, book collection, hot tub, pool, and sauna before they ring the dinner bell. Then savor a freshly prepared gourmet meal. Unfortunately, you cannot dine at the Arapahoe if you are not a guest. Otherwise, it would be my favorite Winter Park restaurant.
The Arapahoe is a great place for a family vacation. Book your reservations early!
Ski-In Ski-Out
There are a couple of ski-in ski-out alternatives at the base of the Winter Park Mary Jane resort. I have stayed at the Iron Horse Resort and can recommend it, especially if you plan to ski mostly the Mary Jane. The Zephyr Lodge has a better location otherwise. After all, there is nothing like skiing right back into your hotel bed after a day of challenging runs. On the other hand, there is a limited selection of après ski activities at the base. I often would drive downtown for dinner anyway.