Mountain Valley questions

[jdunn1]

Hi everyone. Going to Mountain Valley in a few weeks and am very excited. This will be my first ever, Marriott timeshare stay -- after a year and a half or so of ownership.

Some questions for anyone who has been there:

I'll be taking my six year old and I am sure he will want to swim a lot. Is there a better room to request for swimming. Would it be better to be closer to the slopes? We will only be skiing for two days, so not sure if asking to be close to the pool or trails would be better.

I think I remember reading that to get to the pool you have to go through a parking garage?

Some of the rooms look like they are seperate from the main towers. The rooms look to be only three stories tall and closer to the lift? Are these more desirable rooms?

I don't exactly plan to eat out much, not with a six year old. Are there pizza places or quick service places to eat within walking distance? More likely than not, I will stop at a grocery store on my way there and get some meals for us, but I can't tell if there is a mall or something that is "Main Street Station"?

And will I be charged for parking? My II confirmatin says I will, but none of the trip advisor posts mention this.

Any info about this place would be nice. I retraded into this resort. Had Grand Timber Lodge booked, but when a Mountain Valley studio appeared, yesterday, I grabbed it. Thought maybe the pools are better at Grand Timber but the Marriott seems to offer a much nicer/larger studio unit and the location is better?

Thanks everyone.

-Jim

 

[ondeadlin]

I'll be taking my six year old and I am sure he will want to swim a lot. Is there a better room to request for swimming. Would it be better to be closer to the slopes? We will only be skiing for two days, so not sure if asking to be close to the pool or trails would be better.

I think I remember reading that to get to the pool you have to go through a parking garage?

Some of the rooms look like they are seperate from the main towers. The rooms look to be only three stories tall and closer to the lift? Are these more desirable rooms?

I've stayed here three or four times and there's really not a big advantage IMO to room location. No place on the property is what I'd consider far from either the pool or the slopes or a big advantage over any other room.

I don't exactly plan to eat out much, not with a six year old. Are there pizza places or quick service places to eat within walking distance? More likely than not, I will stop at a grocery store on my way there and get some meals for us, but I can't tell if there is a mall or something that is "Main Street Station"?

Main Street is an easy walk from the property and there are a ton of food options - I'd recommend Rasta Pasta, but there's a wide variety of places to choose from. You can also order pizza, Thai, whatever. The City Market supermarket is right on your way into town. It's a little overpriced, but most ski town groceries are. Main Street Station is just a collection of shops and restaurants.

And will I be charged for parking? My II confirmatin says I will, but none of the trip advisor posts mention this.

I don't remember being charged for parking, but I was a Marriott owner at the time - that might have had something to do with it.

Any info about this place would be nice. I retraded into this resort. Had Grand Timber Lodge booked, but when a Mountain Valley studio appeared, yesterday, I grabbed it. Thought maybe the pools are better at Grand Timber but the Marriott seems to offer a much nicer/larger studio unit and the location is better?

It all depends on what you want. Overall, Grand Timber is a much, much nicer resort IMO, but the Marriott does have a larger studio with a full kitchen, you can walk to Main Street and Mountain Valley is truly ski-in/ski-out, while Grand Timber isn't, particularly with a 6-year-old.

Both are nice properties and I think you'll have a great time.

 

[sfwilshire]

It has been several years so I don't recall too much about the resort. I do remember liking it and finding it very roomy for a 1br unit. The only complaint I recall is going down the hall to use the laundry facilities.

Has your son been in high altitudes before? My youngest, who was about that age, got altitude sickness and wound up on oxygen while we were there. The front desk had the name of a local clinic and they made all the arrangements for us. My middle son also felt symptoms. I guess our normal 600' altitude here didn't prepare us for Breckenridge.

Sheila

 

[scootr5]

It has been several years so I don't recall too much about the resort. I do remember liking it and finding it very roomy for a 1br unit. The only complaint I recall is going down the hall to use the laundry facilities.

Has your son been in high altitudes before? My youngest, who was about that age, got altitude sickness and wound up on oxygen while we were there. The front desk had the name of a local clinic and they made all the arrangements for us. My middle son also felt symptoms. I guess our normal 600' altitude here didn't prepare us for Breckenridge.

Sheila

Yes, try to drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration.

 

[jdunn1]

Wow. I didn't even think about the altitude and my son getting sick. The altitude has never bothered me, except for one time at Breckinridge climbing up one of the bowls. I couldn't keep up with my younger cousins, who had no problem hiking up the mountain. Even then, I never felt sick, just I couldn't catch my breath. Now, I am a little scarred for my son.

I think I read that you can requet or maybe the rooms come with a humidifier and this is supposed to help? I am going to call and request one for sure, now.

Thanks for all the info about the resort. My take aways from tripadvisor is that this is a great resort and the best part about it is the location. However, when I read negative comments, the resort sounds terribly dated and very plain. I'll be happy if my studio unit at Mountain Valley is similar to the Residence Inn studio I stayed at this past fall in Princeton, NJ. The pool area does look very plain, but if the water is heated well enough and all four hot tubs are open, my son and me are going to be happy campers.

...any problems leaving early? I am only going to use four nights of my week, so I am planning to leave on Tuesday, when my check-out is Friday. I'd like to get credit for all seven days, so should I just leave on Tuesday but not say anything and then on Friday I'll be checked-out automatically. Or, I could call from home on Friday to say I have left?

 

[Old Hickory]

It's a small property so room placement is not a big deal for the pool or the slopes. But yes, you might have to leave your building and walk outside to get to the pool but there is a locker room for changing. The pool is indoor/outdoor with a swim/through but I think the hot tub is outdoor.

You share the pool with another TS property, maybe the Hyatt, and it is all within the Main Street area with other private condos, shops, restaurants, stores, ski rental, etc. The Marriott has a ski rental within the building and the Main Street ski lift is a short walk away.

We were not charged for parking but the garage is a bit tight for big ol' SUV.

Just make sure everyone is well hydrated and stays well hydrated. A day of acclimation (not going up to 10,000+) is a good idea. Breck is at 9,000 and it does have the highest ski lift in the U.S.

 

[ondeadlin]

I've been bringing my kids - now ages 11, 8 and 5 - to Breck for 8 straight years now. None of them have ever struggled with the altitude.

Hydration is a big key.

 

[feed the otter]

Wow. I didn't even think about the altitude and my son getting sick. The altitude has never bothered me, except for one time at Breckinridge climbing up one of the bowls. I couldn't keep up with my younger cousins, who had no problem hiking up the mountain. Even then, I never felt sick, just I couldn't catch my breath. Now, I am a little scarred for my son.

I think I read that you can requet or maybe the rooms come with a humidifier and this is supposed to help? I am going to call and request one for sure, now.

If you are not used to the elevation, staying hydrated--to the point of seemingly OVER-hydrated--can make a huge difference in helping your body adjust and fight off the altitude sickness. Every trip we make to Breck (once or twice a year) coming from our much lower altitude, always includes driving ourselves crazy drinking water constantly starting the day before we start our trip. It may seem obsessive, and certainly makes for way too many bathroom stops, but we have yet to lose a moment of our trips there to altitude sickness.

This is by no means a guarantee, but it's worked well enough for us that it might be worth trying. Good luck. I hope it helps.

 

[momeason]

If you are not used to the elevation, staying hydrated--to the point of seemingly OVER-hydrated--can make a huge difference in helping your body adjust and fight off the altitude sickness. Every trip we make to Breck (once or twice a year) coming from our much lower altitude, always includes driving ourselves crazy drinking water constantly starting the day before we start our trip. It may seem obsessive, and certainly makes for way too many bathroom stops, but we have yet to lose a moment of our trips there to altitude sickness.

This is by no means a guarantee, but it's worked well enough for us that it might be worth trying. Good luck. I hope it helps.

We were at Mtn Valley in Dec 2011. Service was excellent and friendly. Location is great. Property is not luxurious but we loved the atmosphere and location. My DH and I both had some altitude sickness. We did hydrate. We live at the coast so it was a 9000 ft difference. We ended up going to an oxygen bar..helped some.

 

[momeason]

Parking was free!