Sonnenalp Resort Of Vail Hotel

Reviews - Sonnenalp Resort Of Vail Hotel
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Historical Traveller Reviews of Sonnenalp Resort Of Vail Hotel
Wow!
from A TripAdvisor MemberSonnenalp -- A compact paradise in Vail Village
from MarhabaIt is always nice to stay on this side of the hotel (called "Creekside" by the hotel). With a massive hotel expansion project proceeding on the other side of the hotel, I STRONGLY recommend that you specify and get guaranteed a creekside room. The construction on the Sonnenalp expansion project begings at 8 AM (or earlier), is noisy and also blocks the views from the non-Creekside rooms (unless you consider watching ironwork go up a view). We have stayed at the Sonnenalp many times and love it, but would not stay at on the construction side of the hotel without a massive discount. Actually, the work is so disruptive and vacation is so precious, there might not be any discount price that I would take to stay on this side. I see enough construction in NY -- I do not need it in Vail. That being said, apart from the absence of on-site parking (they valet it for you for $10/day), we were barely aware of the construction at all from our room or the other resort facilities. The spa, pool and restaurant all face the creek, so apart from a glimpse of some condo construction in the distance, we were peacefully removed from the large-scale construction going on at the Sonneanalp during our stay. The hotel claims the construction will be done by year-end 2005. I doubt it. At this stage in August, they are still putting up the steel framework of the four-five story new wing being built on top of the old parking lot. My guess is sometime in mid-2006, but maybe construiction in Vail is faster than my contractor in NY.
The rooms at the Sonnenalp are nicely furnished and the beds are cery comfortable. Housekeeping is twice a day, with cookies and complementary bottled water left at night. Bathrooms, at least in the suites we ahve stayed in, are large, with a huge tub that comfortably accomodates two adults and a large seperate shower stall and toilet cubicle. Lots of fluffy towels and bath products. A new additon this year are 42" plat panels in the living room and bedroom (I don't know if this is unique to the Gore Creek suite we stayed in).
The spa is not huge, but has everything you need. Good exercise room with treadmills, cycles, a spinnign bike and weight machines and free weights. There are seperate mens and womens steam, sauna and a cold plunge (be warned -- it is cold!). There is also an indoor and outdoor whirlpool. The indoor outodor pool is not huge, but more than adequate for the size of the place and has a nice creekside location. Big fluffy towels are everywhere for the taking -- at teh indoor pool, the locker room, the steam/sauna area, etc. No tacky towel sign-outs or towel rationing here.
Included in most rates is a buffet breakfast. A large assortment of fruit, cheese, cereals (hot and cold), bread and the usual American breakfast items -- sausage, eggs, etc. Omletts can be made to order. A bountiful display and enough to get you through to dinner.
A final note -- there are lots of free activities. Daily bike rides and hikes with guides are free, as are bikes (mountain or cruiser) and kids trailers for the day if you want to take them around town. We took a 45 minute van trip to Glennwood Canyon and then a 2 hour ride through a gorgeous canyon on a paved bike path apart from the highway. Price for non-guests -- $75. Price for us, including two bikes and two kids trailers -- $0 (but a tip for the guide is nice). Another day, a trip down vail pass, another day just borrowed the bikes for the day (with trailers). All free and the bikes are in good condition (18 speed mountain bikes and cruisers).
I have stayed in 20+ four seasons and many other great hotels. To put ths resort in context, my favorite resort hotel is the Four Seasons Sharm el Sheikh and my favorite urban hotel in the US is the Peninsula Chicago. I mention these to let you know the context of my comments on the Sonnenalp -- my comparison set is not cheesy Caribbean resorts. With this said, I consider the Sonnenalp one of the best hotels in which I have stayed. While perhaps not quite up to the standards of the best of the best Four Seasons, it comes very close. And in many ways it is more charming than either a Four Seasons or Pensinsula-type hotel. I just hope the expansion, which will increase the room count by 50% from 80 to 120, does not spoil it.
s the Big Deal?
from asj928I would describe this hotel as somewhat average. It is nice. The decor is nice. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and clean. The breakfast that is included with the cost of the room is good. The staff was ok. The cookies at turndown -- nice touch! But honesly, nothing super spectacular.
The location can't be beat, but I would opt to stay at a less expensive resort, further from the center of town... and take that savings and walk into town and treat ourselves to a wonderful dinner at Sweet Basil, overlooking Gore Creek. We have always stayed at the Vail Cascade, and on our next visit to Vail over Labor Day, that is place we will return to.
Above average: The bed linens and pillows. Incredibly soft! And the large bathrooms with huge tub for two was great also. The pianist at the lobby bar was great!
Below average: The pool area is very small for the size of the resort. (but the pool area itself was very nice). The air conditioning in our room didn't work. The elevators were slow. The view of the construction site was a huge bummer. The 2 waitresses at the lobby bar unfortunately also served as the bartenders which made for poor, unfriendly and slow service. Being a holiday weekend and the hotel being full, this was surprising... maybe the bartender called in sick that night???
Word of advice: There is major construction going on next to the resort - East of the resort. Our room overlooked this and it was dissapointing (and we paid full price to have this wonderful view)- and since the resort was apparently booked, we could not change rooms. If you make a reservation over the next several months, I would SPECIFICALLY ask to have a room that faces anything but the construction site (cement, dirt, cranes, steel, etc. - I see enough of that in Dowtown Denver and would rather not see that on a mountain get-a-way)
Wonderful Hotel, caring owner!
from JemimagoldThe only problem we had this stay (or indeed ever) was with the Food and Beverage Manager, [name removed], who rudely shouted and me and other guests who showed up for breakfast one morning at 10:30. Even though when we called the Front Desk to double-check the end of breakfast service (they said 11 am), [name removed] decided to shut down the breakfast service at 10:30 to get Ludwig's restaurant ready for a wedding. Given that breakfast was included in our room rate ($350 pn), neither we nor the other guests felt it was fair to deny us breakfast, especially since we had specifically called to check when breakfast would be over. We spoke up about this which greatly annoyed [name removed] and led to a lot of unprofessional shouting and general rude behavior on his part. What made the situation even more ridiculous is that as [name removed] continued to shout at us, more people kept arriving saying the "Front Desk sent us here to have breakfast and that it is served til 11 am" which only enraged [name removed] further.
Fortunately, I was able to discuss this situation afterwards with Mr. Faessler the Sonnenalp's owner who immediately apologized for the incident and could not have been more gracious and polite about the ordeal. He assured me that he would immediately address the issue. Mr. Faessler seems to have a very hands-on approach to hotel management and it shows in the quality of Sonnenalp's decor, staff (apart from [name removed]) and ambiance. Also, for the rest of our stay numerous Sonnenalp staff kept apologizing for the "incident with [name removed]" which tells me that they really care about their hotel and keeping guests happy.
We will definitely be returning!
Terrible Beds
from A TripAdvisor MemberGreat resort
from A TripAdvisor MemberLife of luxury at Sonnenalp
from A TripAdvisor MemberWonderful place
from A TripAdvisor MemberOne of the best hotels I have ever stayed at. Beautiful to look at with a stunning view, the hotel has everything. Great restaurants, wonderful pools, golf course and restaurants.
s absolutely magical!
from A TripAdvisor MemberThe only place to stay in Vail
from A TripAdvisor MemberTop Local Tips for Vail
Free buses Outside the Sonnenalp is a small bus station, the city of Vail runs a free bus throughout the village and neghboring lionshead and copper creek. Great for those cold days in the winter
Mud Season Closures If you just want a relaxing get-away (as we did), with no skiing, limited shopping, just relaxing, late April to late May is a great time to go for the money. However, be aware that a lot of the shops and restaurants will be closed, and there won't be a lot of people around in general. This can be a good thing!
Going biking We went bike riding and just loved it. The trails we went on anyone can ride (its not like mountain biking) and there are paths everywhere. I felt like I was in Europe riding from town to town. Also, when you are riding the bike it helps you develop a sense of the area and location of things.
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Other names for Sonnenalp Resort Of Vail Hotel
- sonnenalp resort vail
- sonnenalp hotel vail
- Address: 20 Vail Road - Vail - Colorado - 81657 - United States
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