Beaver Creek is an excellent ski and snowboarding destination within the United States and we found the ski school to be quite good for all ages.

How long to stay?

Some of this ultimately depends on your own desire to ski or snowboard in the Beaver Creek area. If you love hitting the slopes, you might be tempted to stay a week or more. We stayed here five nights over Christmas and thought four nights would be a good amount of time here, which would give you three full days at the resort (assuming you don’t live nearby and need to fly in/out of the region).

Transportation

I thought I would call this out as a separate section because we had very different experiences on the ride to the Beaver Creek resort and the ride back to the airport. We flew into and out of Denver International Airport and needed transportation for the roughly two hour journey to get to the resort (check out the excellent United Club Fly at DEN as you pass through). An alternative option would be to fly to Eagle County (EGE) airport, which is closer to a 30-minute journey, but prices were higher and we didn’t want to deal with weather delays.

On the journey to the resort, we used Mountain Star Transportation. The driver was professional and friendly, noting that he has made the journey many times and it will be a smooth experience. Car seats were provided and installed for our children, with pick-up being very prompt and plenty of communication prior to the date of travel. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for travel to the region.

On the way from the resort to the airport, we used Epic Mountain Express, partly drawn in by the 20% discount for having an Epic Pass (more or less a must if you want to go skiing at Beaver Creek). Communication was quite poor, with dispatch not remembering we had a reservation on the day of travel, and then sending a van that did not have car seats already installed. The driver resisted giving us any car seats, instead telling us to place our children on pillows or luggage, until we firmly pushed back. Part of the problem came about because I-70 was temporarily closed due to the weather, which caused a problem taking the main route for a short period of time. Rather than rushing us to the airport (we thought we had enough time leaving four hours before our flight for a two hour drive) on an alternative route when we told him we were in a rush, the driver instead took us on a tour of houses in the area for half an hour, causing us to nearly miss our flight if we didn’t run to the check-in counter and gate. Even if I adjust for the weather event that obviously wasn’t their fault, the service appeared disorganized and the driver seemed unprepared. I wouldn’t recommend using them for your transportation needs.

What we did

Skiing and Snowboarding

As if it isn’t already obvious, if you come to Beaver Creek in the winter as we did, the main thing to do here is hitting the slopes. The resort allows for both skiers and snowboarders on the mountain, which is nice if snowboarding is more of your thing. There are a variety of routes depending on your level of expertise. Naturally, you’ll find more crowding around the various magic carpets in the beginner areas and we were blessed with plenty of fresh powder coming in practically our whole stay here.

For younger guests, one thing the resort is missing is a snow play area. You can try to make do with the snow in the area to create your own snowmen, but to the best of my knowledge, the closest snow tubing area is in nearby Vail.

Ski Lessons

Both five-year-old Alex and I tried out the ski school here at Beaver Creek. This was my first time skiing, having long had a fear that I would ultimately break a leg on my first attempt going down the mountain. I’m happy to say that I did not in fact break my leg on this trip, so by that metric it was a success. The ski school instructor was incredibly patient with all of us and seemed quite content helping a group of random adults learn how to stay upright as long as possible.

Ski school wasn’t cheap (at the time it cost $300 for a one-day lesson, equipment rentals, and a lift ticket), but it was an enriching experience. Some went on to enjoy skiing for a second day but my feet didn’t fit the rental shoes properly (I got feet problem, what can I say) and I had no capacity to ski a second time. But don’t let that scare you off–it’s overall an excellent experience.

There is a rather large children’s ski school located at the resort where you can easily check in your children and get them geared up. It’s similarly expensive for kids (we paid $700 for a two-day lesson, rental, and lift ticket), but I think the resort does an even-better job with the younger ones with allowing them to feel comfortable on the skis before taking them up the mountain.

If you’re just putting your child into ski school without any experience, don’t plan on anything longer than a one-day class. Alex, despite having done an introductory class earlier in the year at Lake Tahoe, ended up rather distressed halfway through the second day due to fatigue and we had to go collect him during lunch. This isn’t something where you’ll want to push your child too hard until you know their limits.

Still, I’d rate the ski school for children as excellent with impossibly patient instructors who seem to care about your well-being.

And if you want to be nosy after the kids go up the mountain, you can go spy on them yourself while they are in school. Just don’t get in their way.

Ice Skating

What trip to a ski resort isn’t complete without some ice skating? Can I be honest and admit that I personally had little interest in ice skating until this trip where a light bulb came on and I suddenly knew how to ice skate? I never learned how to skate and always needed to cling to the wall (sadly that persisted for me into adulthood) but taking that ski lesson inadvertently also taught me how to ice skate as it’s a similar motion. I’m sure that was obvious to most of you already, but it took me more than 30 years to figure that one out.

The ice skating rink here is pretty popular at night and the kids loved capping the night out on the ice. There’s something very comforting about being in a beautiful outdoor rink at night, surrounded by a cute village and plenty of lights.

Swimming… in the snow

Nearly the complete opposite activity is going for a swim. Even in the winter with snow falling all around you, there’s an opportunity to take a dip in the water so bring your swimsuit if your hotel has an outdoor hot tub or heated pool. Just remember to leave your towels and shoes nearby because it will get a little chilly once you get out of the water.

Smores

Again, another staple of life on the mountain is the nightly smores. There are many firepits around the resort, so if you’re still hanging out after night falls, feel free to cozy up and heat up your marshmallows.

Here in the summer?

My understanding is there is still a decent amount to do in the summer. You could hike some trails and get some outdoor exercise, go horseback riding, or rafting. You could also check out Adventure Ridge in Vail to have some fun at the pseudo-amusement park there. But full disclosure–we haven’t been here in the summer yet to check out anything ourselves.

What we ate

Beano’s Cabin

The best meal we had here was up the mountain at Beano’s Cabin. There are a few options for you if you want that cabin experience on the mountain and we ultimately settled on Beano’s based on reviews of the food. I would second the suggestion that the food here is quite good. But before the meal starts (and after it ends), you’ll be whisked away up the mountain on a giant snow cat. Note there might be a wait to get on one given this is the only method of transport available between the restaurant and the resort. You’ll absolutely need reservations to dine here.

Once inside, you’ll be faced with tough decisions to make for your five-course meal. Everything we ate here was delicious. The ambiance inside adds to the flavor of the food as it feels like you’re a guest in someone’s big, warm house and I think the food reflects that.

For those wondering, yes, there is a separate menu available for children.

Eating elsewhere on the mountain

You’ll find plenty of eateries around the base of the mountain and at various spots on the mountain. I think the food is simply fine, with plenty of comfort food options to choose from. The meals are mostly meant to be enjoyed by someone who wants to hurry up and eat to get back on the slopes, and I think it works. Just don’t be expecting world-class food and you’ll be fine.

There are also restaurants in the village itself, though I have to admit that my notes aren’t all that good on what we had. If we return at some point, I’ll provide an update.

Where we stayed

Park Hyatt Beaver Creek

There’s only one reason to stay at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek and it’s the proximity to the mountain. Quite literally just outside the back door is where the slopes are located, so it’s the most convenient hotel in the area. Now that might not be a fully accurate assessment of the property as the rooms are also nice, and they do offer a cute amenity for kids if you give them plenty of notice you want it placed inside your room. Breakfast is good, but incredibly crowded so make reservations for breakfast well in advance of your stay.

However, the one area where the hotel significantly suffered was in the service it provided. Beyond not meeting what I would expect to be the Park Hyatt standard, the hotel failed to provide items requested to the room during our stay (required too many repeated attempts to get someone to provide), many employees seemed overwhelmed and disinterested to assist, and some policies didn’t make intuitive sense. At the time, I felt it was a Park Hyatt that provided the service typical of a Hyatt Place, and I came away from a conversation with the general manager at the hotel that he had no serious interest in improving it.

We tried not to let the many service failures bother us during the stay, and if you happen to be here over Christmas, you’ll likely also run into Santa wandering the hallways looking for someone who will listen to his stories.

The bottom line: come to the property for the proximity to the mountain but otherwise don’t expect much, which is sad to say of a Hyatt hotel sitting amongst the most expensive in the portfolio (now a Category 8 property).

Check out our review of Lake Tahoe for another ski destination.

Have you skied at Beaver Creek before?