Being a travel blogger with a strong focus on Colorado, I know of all the best hotels and resorts across the state: from the off-beaten path yurts to the over-the-top lavish resorts and spas speckled across Colorado. Of all the incredible places to stay (and to partner) with, The Sebastian Vail has always been at the top of my list. A privately owned boutique hotel and private residence club in the heart of Vail Village – sounds like a dream right? Well, it is!
We arrived at The Sebastian super early on a Saturday morning to get in a full day of skiing. While we got our ski gear together, our car was unpacked and parked for us by valet. It’s about a 5-minute walk to the gondola but we opted for a complimentary ride to Base Camp, The Sebastian ski valet shop. Base Camp is located right across from Shakedown Street near the fountain, just a few steps from the gondola.
After a long but fun day of skiing, we dropped our gear back at Base Camp and hopped the shuttle back to the hotel.
The Sebastian Executive Suites and Private Residence
The hotel is a mixture of privately owned residence suites and hotel rooms. When an owner is not staying at their residence these suites can be rented out to guests, which is a great option for families or those looking to make a longer trip. Each residence suite comes with a kitchen, fireplaces and balconies and range from two to four bedrooms.
We stayed in an executive suite that was so big and spacious, with a separate living room and two bathrooms.
Après Ski Time at The Sebastian
Clay and I have gotten our après-ski routine down. Ski hard all day, then put on our robes and slippers and slip down to the hot tub with a drink to chill. Personal pet-peeve… hotels with one hot tub. Chill-time does not include kids in my book. Luckily, and obviously (duh), not an issue at The Sebastian! The pool area is rather big with three hot tubs and a pool.
Really, is there anything better than a hot tub after a long day of skiing?
P.S. The Sebastian robes and slippers get an A+. I brought my slippers home and have been wearing them around the house in the morning… I’m allowed to do that, right???
After hot tub time, we headed to the Frost Bar for après-ski and catch the March Madness games.
The lobby was buzzing with people enjoying the live music, sipping cider and eating cookies. Off the lobby is the Library, which was hosting a private après-ski for the Owners Club – just one of their many perks.
We settled up to The Frost Bar and ordered our usual – tequila for me and bourbon for Clay. I tried the hotels take on a Paloma, the Veloma. Y’all, this Paloma was perfect! Sometimes they are too sweet and this was perfectly tart.
The Sebastian’s Private Art Collection
A little while later, Jon, the director of sales, gave us a tour of the hotel. The hotel is privately owned by a couple from Latin America so the hotel has a rather large draw from that area. The owners are also major art collectors and have some of their private collection on display throughout the hotel. Leonora Carrington, a sculpture artist from Mexico, has some of her work scattered throughout the hotel and the hotel’s restaurant is named after her as well.
Insider Tip: Ask for the art guide when you check in. This gives you photos, history, and descriptions of each piece around the hotel.
After drinks, we headed back to the room to get ready for our dinner at Leonora.
Tapas Dinner at Leonora
The restaurant is centered around a giant two-story circular class wine cellar that is simply stunning. All of the tapas looked so yummy but we let our waiter guide us to the most important and popular pieces on the menu.
Here is what we had:
Small Plates
- Shrimp Al Ajillo
- Flash Fried Brussels Sprouts
Pintox
- Honey Pork Belly
- Yuzu Shrimp
Plates
- Octopus Asador
- Soy-Glazed Beef Short Ribs
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- Leonora @ Sebastian
The octopus is said to embody the entire idea of the restaurant and y’all it was so damn good. I love seafood and I really love octopus. I fell for it on a trip to Madrid a few years back. Anyway, it’s delicious. We ate everything in sight but each took long savoring bites of the octopus.
Given that we were dining in the middle of Vail Village at The Sebastian, I found the menu prices to be pretty reasonable. I will definitely come back here again. If you’re looking for a great date night or fun group dinner (bachelorettes), this is the spot to go.
After dinner, it was time to hit the town! We had heard there was a great band at Shakedown so we headed straight there and danced the night away and even bumped into some friends from Denver! It’s about an 8-minute walk to the center of Vail Village or you can get the hotel to shuttle you over too.
On Sunday, Clay and I slept in and indulged in some room service breakfast. Breakfast is also served downstairs at Leonora.
The Bloom Spa
After skiing, hot-tubbing, après-ski, dinner and dancing, my little body was pooped, haha! So off I went to the Bloom Spa for a deep-tissue massage with hot stones and CBD. Y’all it was dreamy! I mean the combo of hot stones and CBD made all my aches and pains totally melt away. As you can see in the video below I have lines all over my face from melting into the table lol.
After my massage, it was time to hit the road and head back to Denver. It was such a nice day I wish we could have skied and done it all over again.
Time to book your trip? I thought so! You can call and book at 888.284.6150 or click here and reserve online. If you are interested in learning more about ownership in the Private Residence Club, contact the sales office at 866.677.3996
Colorado Residence Special Offer
P.S. Right now The Sebastian is offering a great staycation deal for all Colorado residents! Enjoy 30% off and a $30 food and beverage credit for any two-night stay from now until December.
