We had two connecting rooms. When booking online, it’s called “2 Bedroom / 2 Queen / 1 King / 2 Bathroom.” The kids stayed in a 2 queen bedroom. That room connected to ours, which had a beautiful living room, kitchen, and upstairs loft with a king bed and full bathroom. Our room also had one pull-out queen sleeper sofa and one twin sleeper sofa! Since we had a full kitchen, we got groceries to have breakfasts in the room and lots of snacks. The grocery store is less than a 5-minute drive away from the hotel, which is very convenient! The Steamboat Grand has a lot of great amenities like a heated pool and hot tubs, fitness center, multiple restaurants, and a place to get fitted for your ski rentals!
We rented a car for this trip, and while I don’t think its 100% necessary, I’m glad we did. We had the flexibility to get in the car and make the quick drive into downtown, grab items from a pharmacy or grocery store if we needed to, and to go to restaurants off-site. There are also free buses that goes all around Steamboat, if you don’t want to rent a car. I saw it at the hotel entrance quite a few times, and it looks like a great way to get around and save some money.
The mountain itself is huge, with 165 trails. It is one of the biggest ski mountain resorts in North America. It’s 3,668 vertical feet and 2,695 skiable acres of terrain. The summit elevation is 6,732 feet. The snow is described as “champagne powder” – it is so soft and fluffy! It snowed a few days when we were there, and it was absolutely gorgeous. As a whole, we felt this was a really great place to ski. Lift lines weren’t crazy long, but if it was a busier day, they moved very quickly. As a beginner, I don’t have anything to compare it to, but Greg said there was lots to ski and never get bored. He mentioned that it was a little more difficult than Winter Park, but that there was a lot of variety for all skill levels. One thing we found incredibly helpful was the Steamboat mobile app! You can track your activity, access trail maps, dining, shopping, calendar of events, and more.
There are multiple locations around Steamboat Resort to rent your ski gear. We found it especially convenient that we could get fitted for our rentals right in our hotel at the Steamboat Grand. Storing rentals was also easy, and right at the base – no need to lug heavy gear to and from the hotel room. Our whole rental experience was easy and a breeze!
Steamboat has an amazing program for those who want to learn how to ski and snowboard! Group lessons are divided into ages 5-12, 13-17, and 18+. The girls were in a beginner class together, and had great instruction. Lessons were from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Private lessons are offered at Steamboat, and a private instructor can work with up to 5 people. I had a private instructor for this trip, and she was seriously amazing! If you ever go to Steamboat and get a private lesson, ask for Laura Fisher. She was patient, so friendly, helpful towards everyone around her and was like a 6th family member by the end of the second day.
The Happy Camp program at Steamboat Resort was a huge draw for us. Luckily, Happy Camp makes that easy! It is a day camp and beginner ski lesson hybrid for ages 12 months – 4 years old. I thought Logan was going to get a little ski lesson, but it turns out he did not, which is totally fine! He’s only 2.5 and we have many more years ahead of us for him to learn. But he had two awesome days of guided activities, playing, and lots of fun in a really professional environment.
Downtown Steamboat Springs is a short five-minute drive from the resort! On Lincoln Avenue, you’ll find fun shops, local small businesses, restaurants, sports gear stores, souvenirs, apparel, and more. It’s easy to park and very walkable. It’s a great strip to walk around if you have some down time, and we loved going downtown for dinner. You definitely have to check it out while you’re in town!
Mazzola’s – In downtown. Super yummy Italian restaurant serving up all sorts of family-friendly dishes. Try the bison lasagna! Definitely our favorite, we got it twice! One night we ate in the restaurant, and another night we got a few pizzas and at them in our hotel room (since we had a full kitchen and a dining area, it only made sense)! If you’re dining in, reservations are a must.
Salt & Lime – In downtown. We are Texans who love our Tex-Mex, but this was a fun place for unique and new Mexican-inspired dishes. Lots of good taco options and yummy margaritas. I got the Frito pie, which was a fun street food inspired dish. Stoker – At the top of the Gondola in Thunderhead Lodge. We ate lunch here on our first day of lessons. It was a nice warm break, and there were lots of yummy options. This is a good option if you’re skiing!
Timber & Torch – In the base area of Steamboat Resort. I’d describe this as foodie American, haha! Upscale casual, but lots of skiers in their gear there during the day. Lots of yummy options. I had the Olympian Crispy Chicken sandwich and really enjoyed it! Since we had a full kitchen and dining area in our hotel room, we stocked it with breakfast foods, snacks, bottled water, and more. We ate breakfast in the room every morning to save on time (getting out the door with 3 kids in ski gear takes much longer than I thought) and this also helps cut on costs!