Everyone knows that Colorado is one of the worlds premier destinations for winter sports, and that Vail Valley reigns king among Colorado ski resorts. In August 2007, the VenueQuest team learned what the locals already know, and that is that summer is an even better time to visit. We held VenueQuests Annual Team Meeting at the Beaver Creek Lodge in Beaver Creek. This is a 72 room boutique hotel owned and operated by the Kessler Collection.
It is important to us that we point out that the creation of this featured destination review came about as a result of our experience at this hotel, and was not part of our negotiations with the hotel. We paid for our rooms, meeting space and catering just like your group would. And by the end of our stay, we were so happy with the hotel, the staff and the destination, that we felt we needed to let everyone know how great it is. |
Beaver Creek Lodge - from the Kessler Collection
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| Now, Beaver Creek is not the place to book your sprawling national conference or tradeshow. The largest meeting room in town is 8,631 square feet and second largest is7,200 square feet. Approximately 1,000 lodging units are distributed among the 22 hotels and lodges. Many of these are individually owned condominiums and townhomes, which often do not easily lend themselves to coordinated group roomblocks.
However, if a mid size conference, board meeting or incentive trip is on your to-do list, your program stakeholders will be showering you with praise after experiencing this world class resort. Beaver Creek is a private resort community located adjacent to Avon, Colorado. Avon is an attractive little town alongside I-70, about 10 minutes west of Vail and 20 minutes east of Eagle. Visitors to Beaver Creek will first navigate through the many traffic circles in Avon to reach the gate controlled entrance to Beaver Creek. After passing through the security gate, a long road winds its way alongside the Beaver Creek Golf Club as you climb higher and higher up the mountain.
The village of Beaver Creek itself is a European style walking village. Cars are not necessary to get around, and escalators are in place to ease the stress of climbing stairs at over 8,000 feet of elevation. In the center of the village, families can enjoy an outdoor ice skating rink that is open year round...yes, even in August! At this altitude, the weather stays mild, even in the middle of summer. Our team loved the feeling of the crisp evening air, after enduring a long summer of heat and humidity.
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| Transportation |
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| Accommodations and Meeting Planning |
Hotels  Meetings |
Transportation
Major Airports: There are two main airports which provide service to Beaver Creek. Denver International (DEN) and Eagle County (EGE). Denver is a major airport with direct flights serving all major cities, but is located 130 miles from Beaver Creek and driving time is typically 2 - 3 hours. However, much of that drive is through incredibly gorgeous mountain ranges and time passes quickly. Eagle County airport is only 27 miles from Beaver Creek, but is only reached from 13 cities including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, New York and Philadelphia.
Ports/Harbors: None
Public Transportation: Once inside the Beaver Creek Resort Village, guests have access to complimentary shuttle transportation anywhere in the resort and to Avon.
Eagle County provides county-wide bus transportation called ECO transit. Buses connect Eagle Airport with several stops in the towns of Avon, Vail, Beaver Creek and West Vail. Fares are $5.00 per ride or $25 for a 3-day unlimited pass.
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Accommodations and Meeting Planning
Hotels: There are approximately 1,000 lodging units in Beaver Creek. That number comprises a variety of hotels, condominiums and townhomes. At the base of the ski area, there is a village with several shops, restaurants and galleries. Many of the larger hotels in Beaver Creek are clustered around this village making it easy for attendees to walk from place to place. Rates are highest in the peak ski season months of January - April. During these months, availability can be limited and hotels will likely be strategic in the way they book group business in order to maximize occupancy and revenues. During the high season, room rates in Beaver Creek can run from $250 - $700 per night for a hotel room, to $800 - $1,300 per night for a condo with 4 bedrooms. Alternatively, great deals abound in the summer months when hotel rooms at the same luxury properties rent for $100 - $250 per night.
The largest hotel in Beaver Creeks' main walking village is the Park Hyatt with 190 guest rooms and an 8,631 square foot ballroom. During our teams' visit, we opted to stay at the smaller and more intimate Beaver Creek Lodge which has 72 rooms and three meeting rooms ranging from 1,092 to 1,344 square feet. You can read more about Beaver Creek Lodge in our Featured Hotel section.
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Meetings: Beaver Creek is an ideal destination choice for an upscale board meeting or medium sized conference (50 - 250 people). The largest ballroom in Beaver Creek is 8,631 square feet and therefore cannot accommodate more than about 400 people in a classroom setting. The rest of the meeting rooms in the area range between 1,000 - 3,000 square feet, so there are not very many other options for assembling a large crowd.
With world class golf and skiing, miles of mountain hiking trails, jaw dropping scenery, fresh mountain air and genuine western hospitality in a modern setting, Beaver Creek will please everybody. If you would like to make plans to hold a meeting in Beaver Creek, please contact VenueQuest for assistance and some great suggestions.
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