Colorado Question

[Serina]

We are Marriott owners and looking to trade via II into a Marriott owned resort in Colorado - specifically to explore the Rockies and surrounding area. Any suggestions?

 

[sponger76]

We are Marriott owners and looking to trade via II into a Marriott owned resort in Colorado - specifically to explore the Rockies and surrounding area. Any suggestions?

There are the three Marriott Streamside properties in Vail and Marriott Mountain Valley Lodge in Breckenridge.

While not Marriott in the strictest sense, under the Marriott timeshare umbrella there are the Vistana properties. The Sheraton Steamboat is in Steamboat Springs. The Sheraton Mountain Vista, Sheraton Lakeside Terrace and the Westin Riverfront are in Avon (close to Vail and Beaver Creek).

There are also the Ritz-Carlton Clubs in Vail and Aspen Highlands, but they are not in II. If you have Abound points, you are able to book them that way.

If you are going to the Vail area, I personally prefer the Westin Riverfront in Avon over the Marriott Streamside properties. I actually like the Sheraton Mountain Vista better than Streamside as well, but there is no a/c, which for some people is uncomfortable during summer. I have yet to check out Lakeside Terrace, but they don't have a/c either. Speaking of which, the Evergreen building at Streamside has a/c, the other Marriott Streamside buildings do not. None of the Vail area properties are ski-in-ski-out, but it's pretty quick and easy to get to the Beaver Creek and Vail slopes. From Westin Riverfront, you can take the gondola across to the Beaver Creek area, which is cool, but realize it is not the main Beaver Creek Village that it takes you to. Sheraton Mountain Vista and Sheraton Lakeside Terrace are within walking distance from Riverfront.

I like Marriott Mountain Valley Lodge due to location, location, location. Breckenridge is a really nice town. If you're going in the winter, the resort is right by the Peak 9 lifts. If you're going in the summer, there are lots of hiking trails nearby, and it is right on Maggie Pond, where you can fish, paddle board, etc. And at any time of year, it's right at the edge of Main Street, so easy access to shopping, dining and other activities. However, the resort only has studios and 1-bedrooms, no a/c, and no in-room laundry.

Sheraton Steamboat is really great during winter, it's ski-in-ski-out right at the base of the slopes/lifts. If you get one of the Morningside Tower villas, they are awesome. The rooms/villas in the rest of the resort are *ok.* Steamboat Springs in general is just one of my favorite towns, so much to do any time of year, from hiking to soaking in hot springs and every other outdoor activity. In addition, the downtown area is pretty cool.

 

[rickandcindy23]

We love Steamboat. It's still a bit of a drive to Rocky Mountain National Park, but worth a long day to get there and drive through to Estes Park, then back again another way.

The Ranahan is not really a Marriott, it's Hyatt, but it's the newest resort in the Colorado Mountains. Westin Riverfront is also pretty new and probably not going to be hard to get in summer.

You have lots of time to attempt a trade. I have never been to the Marriott in Breck, but our daughter-in-law is crazy for that one. The one bedrooms sleep up to six.

 

[claraj]

I've stayed at the Hyatt Residence Club at Breck the last 2 ski seasons, which is right next to the MVC. I am looking forward to staying at MVC this season. I echo the location aspect and MVC is even closer to the lift.

 

[sponger76]

We love Steamboat. It's still a bit of a drive to Rocky Mountain National Park, but worth a long day to get there and drive through to Estes Park, then back again another way.

The Ranahan is not really a Marriott, it's Hyatt, but it's the newest resort in the Colorado Mountains. Westin Riverfront is also pretty new and probably not going to be hard to get in summer.

You have lots of time to attempt a trade. I have never been to the Marriott in Breck, but our daughter-in-law is crazy for that one. The one bedrooms sleep up to six.

I've thought about exchanging into the Ranahan to check it out, but I don't like that it's not right near Main Street or any of the lifts. I may try Hyatt Main Street Station at some point since it's right next to MVL but has, from what I have seen online, much better units.

I've stayed at the Hyatt Residence Club at Breck the last 2 ski seasons, which is right next to the MVC. I am looking forward to staying at MVC this season. I echo the location aspect and MVC is even closer to the lift.

How are the units there? Amenities and size-wise, it would seem to be better than MVL. Plus it is slightly closer to Main Street which might appeal a little more to non-skiers/snowboarders.

 

[claraj]

How are the units there? Amenities and size-wise, it would seem to be better than MVL. Plus it is slightly closer to Main Street which might appeal a little more to non-skiers/snowboarders.

I've stayed in a 2BR unit and a studio unit. The decor is befitting of a ski lodge feel and look. The 2BR is adequate size but not as large as the MVC villas I've stayed in (Cypress Harbor and Crystal Shores). The fireplace didn't work in the 2BR but worked really well in the studio and the room gets too hot if you forget to turn it off.

As far as amenities at the Hyatt, the only ones I'm aware of is the gym and hot tubs, plus access to Marriott's pool and hot tubs. There is also ski equipment rental and storage right downstairs, which is really convenient.

I almost stayed at the Ranahan because Main Street Station wasn't available but switched to Main St as soon as something opened up because of the location.

 

[sponger76]

As far as amenities at the Hyatt, the only ones I'm aware of is the gym and hot tubs, plus access to Marriott's pool and hot tubs. There is also ski equipment rental and storage right downstairs, which is really convenient.

I was thinking more in terms of in-unit amenities, such as washer/dryer and fireplace for winter. Kind of disappointing that there's no a/c there either for summer.

 

[claraj]

I was thinking more in terms of in-unit amenities, such as washer/dryer and fireplace for winter. Kind of disappointing that there's no a/c there either for summer.

The 2BR unit had a washer dryer. The studio did not. The studio has a kitchenette. The 2BR has a bigger kitchen but I did not use it. They did not have large balconies. I believe just enough to stand out on. Let me know if you have other specific questions.

 

[Serina]

Thanks for all the replies and great information! We are going September 2024 specifically to explore Rocky Mountain National Park so we were hoping to stay less than an hour drive from an entrance. Any additional suggestions to stay near RMNP are appreciated.

 

[sponger76]

Thanks for all the replies and great information! We are going September 2024 specifically to explore Rocky Mountain National Park so we were hoping to stay less than an hour drive from an entrance. Any additional suggestions to stay near RMNP are appreciated.

If you're looking at using a Marriott (or Sheraton/Westin) timeshare, I don't think any are within an hour from an entrance. The closest might be the Sheraton Steamboat to the Grand Lake entrance, but that is still about an hour and 45 minutes. You might want to exchange via II into a non-MVC/Vistana resort in Winter Park or Granby.

 

[kozykritter]

Thanks for all the replies and great information! We are going September 2024 specifically to explore Rocky Mountain National Park so we were hoping to stay less than an hour drive from an entrance. Any additional suggestions to stay near RMNP are appreciated.

The only Marriott affiliated properties within an hour of the park are hotels. You can find a bevy of them in Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont and Boulder right on the front range and within 1 hour of the eastern entrances to the park. There is a WorldMark timeshare right in Estes Park but it trades in RCI. WorldMark also has a property on the western side of the park in Granby. You can check Redweek and other rental sites for these.

 

[dougp26364]

If you’re looking to explore the Rockies (not specifically the National park), Breckenridge or Vail would be a good base of operations. However, Breckenridge is at the 9,000 foot elevation while Vail is a little over 8,000 feet. Both can take time to acclimate if you’re not used to the elevation.

We spend time in Breckenridge every year.it’s part of the Ten Mile range. Breckenridge has a rich history a# a mining town and has a bunch of hiking trails within a short distance. Great for exploring the mountains on foot. There is also a lot of biking, including mountain biking in the area. White water rafting and fly fishing are also popular. You can drive to Georgetown and ride the historic Georgetown loop narrow gauge railway and take a tour of a silver mine. There are narrow mountain pass roads you can drive over. Glenwood Springs is a pleasant drive through the mountains down I-70 and has their famous hot springs and is the burial place of Doc Holliday. St Elmo is a nice drive through the mountains and is a pretty cool ghost mining town. There are hot springs on the drive up the mountain to St Elmo. FairPlay is a short drive and has a great historical park called South Park (yes there is a real South Park CO) with old building from the mining history of CO. Frisco is a nice town and has the easy Rainbow Lake trail and the more challenging Mount Royal hike.

We’ll go to Vail in a couple of months to explore that town. Vail doesn’t have the history of Breckenridge as it’s pretty much a ski town, but the location still serves as a good spot to explore the mountains. Next year we’ll go to Steamboat Springs. Steamboat is a completely different part of the Rockies and lower at just under 7,000 feet. I wish there was better access into the Estes Park or Grand Lake areas, which would be perfect for exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, but Marriott has nothing really close to that part of the Rockies. There are two other National parks in CO that are a long day trip from either Breckenridge or Vail, Sand Dunes and Black Canyon. We have yet to attempt either of those so far but I keep them on my radar for future trips.

 

[craigc]

Breck is our go to in Winter and Summer (we live in Denver), we love the location at the end of main street. The 1 bedroom is a good size with 2 bathrooms so good for 4, the studio is good for 2 comfortably. They have a great heated pool and the gondola is free in Summer. Vail charges $50 per person unless you have Epic ski passes for all family members. Its a great walkable downtown with great food.

We have stayed at the Ritz in Vail and it is a great property also, but I do not believe you can book there unless you use points. The Ritz is in downtown Vail and very walkable, the MVC timeshares (Streamside) are a shuttle to downtown Vail, not a deal breaker but just be aware. If you end up in Breck, Vail is a short drive for a day to walk around and have lunch etc.

Tons to do in Summer......google or tripadviser is your friend. If you are coming form sea level, consider a night in Denver to acclimate before driving up. Going 0 - 9000 ft can be brutal on some. And if you can avoid I70 on the weekends, thats a plus......it used to be a easy drive but as Denver has grown and the 2 lane highway has not, it can be slow going....... brutal during the ski season.

 

[claraj]

I echo the comment about elevation changes.and altitude sickness. I am coming from NYC and skiing in Colorado always does a number on me but so worth it! I don't think it effects everyone though.

 

[Superchief]

I defini

I echo the comment about elevation changes.and altitude sickness. I am coming from NYC and skiing in Colorado always does a number on me but so worth it! I don't think it effects everyone though.

I definitely notice the altitude change much more in Vail than Park City. We usually spend a night in Denver or Glenwood Springs prior to Vail and don't do any strenuous hike the first day.