March 2019
Last year we were able to experience a ski trip in Vail for the first time. Vail is a winter wonderland full of fun things to do for both skiers and none skiers. Vail is extremely pet friendly! In fact the sidewalks are heated which makes them dry and non slippery for your four legged family members. It is easy to get around in Vail as all the fun is packed in a relatively small area. Vail is luxurious, but, not extremely bank busting if you know where to look. Further, Vail Mountain is a huge with tons of wide trails for every ski level. So, weather you are an avid skier, Aprés lover, or just a Disney’s Frozen castle lover with a fur family member who cannot be left home, Vail is the right place for your next vacation.
Where to Stay
Vail is full of pet friendly hotels. The best way to find them is to use Hotels.com and apply the “Pet Friendly” filter to your search by the city where you will be going. We stayed at the Vail Mountain Lodge. The rooms are really nice, ours included a fire place, a humidifier, a fridge, nice skin and hair products and carpet where the puppies loved to do zoomies. The service was great, the price was reasonable. The location is also great, super close to the main gondola in Vail Village (Gondola One) and the hotel is steps from the Vail In Town Bus stop which is super convenient. All in all the Vail Mountain Lodge was a great place to stay with a dog or doggies with one exception….. The manager of the restaurant is a straight up bitch! On our way out we glanced in the direction of the restaurant which for some reason pissed her off. Sneering at us she proclaimed in the nastiest way possible that dogs were not allowed in her restaurant. I called and left a message for the manager of the hotel about her rudeness, never heard back from anyone. Followed up with the front desk, still nothing.
What to Do
In addition to skiing on the mountain you will not be board. There are so many fun things to do in Vail Village. The shopping is wonderful, the restaurants are amazing and if you stroll through the village during the day you will see many dogs in sweaters roaming around both on and off leash. In terms of shopping Gorsuch is a must! It is a beautiful shop and the employees are friendly and professional. Almost all of the employees asked about our boys and told us how cute they are, some even showed me pictures of their dogs and helped me get photos of B&C on their chairs or their sofa. It was such a great experience. There are also cute novelty stores around the village where you can purchase matching hoodies with the word VAIL on it, or Colorado socks. We opted for Vail hoodies and a beer glass with VAIL written on it. There is also a pet boutique! Named The Pet Boutique of Vail you will find some cute gear for your fur family members. It is located near the Lululemon and the Cos Bar for all the mommies that want to triple score. The Pet Boutique of Vail carries higher end food and treats, some cute dog sweaters and jackets, and also dog booties and carriers. We got B&C matching Colorado collars. Bonus if you stop into Pategonia they will offer your pup a high quality treat from The Vail Pet Boutique.
Where to Eat
First you want to make reservations at least a week in advance. Two to three weeks in advance is sufficient with the exception of Game Creek that must be booked three months out. I use the app Open Table, I browse the options sorted by distance and look at the amount of $ dollar signs next to the restaurant and then look at the menu. It’s easy and convenient. Just remember to modify or cancel so you don’t get in trouble! You cannot leave Vail without trying a hot chocolate at the Four Seasons. This $16 hot chocolate is rich and decadent and you will dream about it every winter. Dogs are not allowed at the restaurant in the Four Seasons but there is a lounge area where you can enjoy your cup and hang with your dog – just be careful your fur baby doesn’t try to sneak a taste. We ate at Russel’s where the steak and baked potato are delicious and just what you’ll want to replenish your tired and cold body after a ski. The Swiss Chalet is just amazing as well. I highly recommend the Käsespätzle and the fondue desert. Neither, however, are pet friendly options so fur babies will have to stay in the room for these dinners. During the day there are several restaurants with patios, it just a matter of walking a few feet and you will find one. Bart & Yeti’s in Lionshead is a dog friendly restaurant and so much fun.
How to Get There
We fly Southwest with our dogs. Per their pet policy dogs and cats are $99 each way per pet. The dog or cat must fit into a carrier that tucks under your seat. There is no weight specification only that the pet must be able to comfortably get up and make a full turn. Bradley is 9 pounds and has plenty of room in our Rio wheeled carrier from Muttropolis. https://muttropolis.com/collections/pet-carriers/products/ptt-rio-classic-black we never go on any trips without it. We can easily skirt through a busy airport not worrying if our dog’s paw will be ran over by someone’s luggage. He is so comfortable in it. Plus the wheels come off and it fits perfectly under the seat. Chandler is four pounds and fits into a purse style carrier also from Muttropolis. We fly into Denver and take an Uber into Vail – it’s about a 2 hour drive. You will want to get there early and give yourself time. If the road is wet they close the highway in between Denver and Vail or take it down to one lane causing lots of traffic. On a dry road 1.5 – 2 hours and you are there. It is difficult to get an uber back so arrange a car from your concierge. I would love to tell you to take the Epic Mountain Express but it is not pet friendly. It’s so unfortunate but the uber/ car service was awesome. Way cheaper than renting a car that you will literally not see until you check out.
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