Hotel at a Glance: Vail Racquet Club Mountain Resort
Vail’s usually snowcapped mountains become a playground for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding in summer and autumn. A 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award winner set on 20 acres in the Vail Valley, Vail Racquet Club Mountain Resort provides its guests with easy access to outdoor adventures as well as onsite diversions. While here, you can play tennis on outdoor courts with views of waterfalls and mountain peaks, then decompress with a sports or deep-tissue massage.
- Roomy condos have full kitchens, barbecue grills, and fireplaces.
- Blu’s Restaurant serves roasted lamb and miso-marinated salmon in addition to pizza and half-pound burgers.
- Heated outdoor pool and two hot tubs open year-round
- Free yoga, Pilates, and spin classes in a 2,800-square-foot fitness center outfitted with a tennis-training machine and Cybex cardio equipment<p>
Vail, Colorado: Mountain Playground in the Heart of the Rockies
Set among ponderosas and snowcapped mountain peaks, The Vail area isn’t just for skiers. The Vail valley offers year-round adventure options for all including zip lines, rafting, hot air balloon rides, and fly fishing. In August, Vail mountain opened an array of new fun things to do on the mountain, for any season including fall. A 20-minute drive from the hotel, White River National Forest is awash with crystal-clear waters and flower-flecked meadows that sit below the towering Rocky Mountains. The 2.3-million-acre woodland plays host to innumerable wildlife habitats and recreational ventures, allowing travelers to take in fresh mountain breezes while biking, fishing, or stacking boulders. Travelers may also tote their tackle boxes to the nearby Vail Nature Center for fly-fishing tutorials, guided hikes, and photography classes in 7 acres of meadows.
Dwarf evergreens, crocuses, and waterfalls lend to the meditative vibe at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, which retains its status as one of the highest-altitude botanical gardens in the world. After a day of alpine adventures, sylvan sojourners can stop at the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum to learn about the evolution of icy sports. On Wednesdays and Sundays, historic Vail Village walking tours branch out from the museum and wind throughout its notable thoroughfares.