Overall, we were happy with the hotel. Like other people said, the rooms were a bit expensive but its vail so theres not a lot of budget motels around. They offer several rooms from regular hotel rooms to the multi-room suites and you get exactly what they tell you...nothing more, nothing less. Rooms were clean and washrooms are well stocked with towels etc. Bedding was super comfortable.

The pros: On site ski rental with 20% off and valet service to the base of the mountain. Walk-in, walk-out skiiing (apx. 4 minute walk to base). great location within Vail. Very close to several good restaurants (moes, little diner, and a few others). While vail village is typically more sought after, this location in Lionshead is definitely more practical for most skiers and casual dining. Overall service was on par with Marriott- expecially the valet who were very friendly. The free in-town shuttle stops right at the front door and is very convenienent. Free hot chocolate, apple cider and cookies in the afternoon is a nice touch.

Cons: While the valet staff was very attentive and freindly, they are terribly slow and there is no self parking. I am the type of person that usually does not call ahead but valet was often 20 minutes or longer so definitely utlize the call ahead feature. The restaurants on site are not the greatest and the bar area was small and not particularly comforatble. Your better off finding another spot for afternoon drinks.

I have been to this Marriott 5 or 6 times over the years, in every season, and always look forward to returning. The combination of location (at the western end of Vail, close to the river, and on the town shuttlebus route), attentive personnel, great food, amenities, and comfortable rooms are hard to beat. In summer, it is close to the valley walking trails, and the concierge can arrange a large variety of tours and raft trips. In winter, it is close to the lifts, and you can hop a cab to the well-groomed, challenging XC center at the golf course. Finally, Vail boasts a large number of really fine restaurants that supplement the hotel food options, some within a short walk, and all bus accessible. One winter trip, it was about -20 F at night, and in the teens days, so hoar frost formed every night, and the snow squeeked as you walked on it. Despite the intense cold, the hotel was warm and comfy, and the staff really looked out for the guests to be sure they stayed that way. No matter what the weather, come prepared with proper clothes, and you will have a fine time at this Marriott.

Although we were very excited about planning our trip to Vail at the Marriott, I was a little concerned over the mixture of reviews. Some positive, some saying they would never return again... Well, we hoped for the best, and headed out to Vail from Virginia, and so glad that we did. We had a wonderful time with our family of four, and my parents that are in their seventies.

We made reservations for a 3 bedroom "condo" with a full kitchen in the Marriott hotel. It was actually 2 rooms that were connected with a small hallway, and then that was attached to a very large den/kitchen area, with a master bedroom on the other side. It had a long balcony that over looked the mountain and the pool area. We really could not have asked for anything better. The decor was a "rustic" look, but done very tastefully, has plenty of room, plenty of seating, fireplace, 3 bathrooms, whirlpool tub, flatscreen TV's in every room, etc. The hotel is actually very close to the slopes---it's just a 3 min walk from the bottom floor of the hotel.

The Marriott also has ski rental and storage right at the bottom floor of the hotel. All you have to do is stop by on your way out to the slopes to pick up your equipment, and you are all set. When you are out on the slopes, and you get to the basin of Lion's Head and are ready to head back to the hotel, there is usually a "carrier" waiting ready to take your equipment back to the hotel so you don't have to worry about it. He can take your equipment, and then you can continue walking around the village through shops/restaurants while your equipment is taken care of for you.

While we were there, we actually got groceries to keep in our kitchen. We cooked quite a bit for breakfast and some lunches, (oh! and our Thanksgiving dinner we cooked in). For dinner, we went to several places in the villages, and all were great. We also headed to Beaver Creek one night for dinner, and that was very nice also. Dinners in the very nice places were generally $300 for the 6 of us, and around $150-250 for the more casual sports tavern restaurants.

As far as activities, we were basically skiing and snowboarding all week. We got our lift tickets through "epic pass" online. We also tied our credit card number to the pass when we purchased them, so we could use our lift passes throughout Vail to pay for anything we needed throughout the resort. This saved us from carrying around wallets, etc. The pass could pay for everything. My parents (in their 70's) did the snowmobiles, which the concierge helped them arrange. They were taken by shuttle to a back mountain, given additional coats for warmth, etc and they followed a guide for a 2 hour tour. They had a blast!

I think that is about it.. we had a great trip, great food, great time. The rooms were very clean, very well kept, and service was wonderful!

Typical of marriott brand. Suite rooms are good size - mini kitchens, fold out couch - bed, good bathroom size. Not too impressed by restaurant. Spa services great. Staff friendly, helpful - drove me to hospital when I rec'd an allergic reaction (ending up getting an epipen!). Like the bellmen greeting all the guests upon entering the hotel - classy.