The best Breckenridge lodging options for families

Where you stay when you’re on a ski vacation with your family is the most important choice you’ll make. Seriously. If you’ve got kids too young for ski school and don’t want to put them in nursery every day, you want a ski-in, ski-out place so you and your spouse can easily swap kid duty and face shot duty. If you’ve got tweens (I don’t, but I’m a keen observer of friends who do), you want access to age-appropriate entertainment (more on that in a minute). And if you want to save your money for lift tickets and cocoa—or après ski Guinness—you can find surprising deals with no-frills condos….you might be astounded at how many people you can shove into a one-bedroom. Breckenridge has a lot of lodging options for families. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Village at Breckenridge

Located in the heart of the town of Breckenridge, this expansive condo complex features regular hotel rooms, condos, and ski-in/ski-out access. It is probably the most affordable of all these options, as each condo features a full kitchen, eliminating the need to dine out. Kids (older kids, that is…not my preschoolers) will love the independence this location affords—it’s only steps from downtown and the mountains. And parents will also appreciate that there’s no need for a car when staying at the Village.

DoubleTree by Hilton

Since kids could give a hoot about luxury amenities (see above), but they love swimming pools and hot tubs, the DoubleTree by Hilton might be their first choice. Since you’re footing the bill and therefore make the final decision, you’ll love this hotel across the street from Peak 9 for the following reasons: Complementary ski valet (no more yelling at the kids to pick up their skis!), complementary ski school pick up, which means the ski school bus swings by the hotel and grabs your kids so you don’t have to drop them off, and pre-ski yoga. Plus the rooms are enormous and the access to town and the mountain is easy.

Crystal Peak Lodge

You know how when you shut your eyes and envision a mountain house you see vaulted ceilings, elk antler chandeliers, dark wooden trim and floors, and overstuffed leather furniture? So do the designers of Crystal Peak Lodge. This luxury property offers one to four-bedroom condos for rent or purchase, and it’s gorgeous. Located at the base of Peak 7, Crystal Peak is ski-in/ski-out, and is equal parts rugged and refined.

One Ski Hill Place

Full disclosure: I stayed here on a press-related junket and did not pay for my room. Another disclosure: if One Ski Hill Place, a RockResort located at the base of Peak 8, were in my daily budget, I would stay there every time I came to Breckenridge. Here’s why: luxury hotels know how to take care of families. They’ve got many able-bodied workers to schlep gear and luggage to your gorgeous hotel room, which is cleaner and nicer than your master bedroom at home. The concierge is a godsend when it comes to picking the right restaurant, afternoon entertainment, and giving directions. And (and this is specific to One Ski Hill Place), the hotel is perfectly situated in the heart of Breckenridge. The Breck Connect gondola unloads steps from the back door, in the spring there are concerts outside, there’s the T-Bar and Ski Hill Grill, and it’s walking distance (with older kids…) to downtown. Check out their lodging specials and book your trip to Breck now!

– Rachel Walker