Last week, I went on a press trip to the amazing Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe, California. It was amazing for the following reasons:
- Makes the tumult of getting your kids on skisand to the slopes very easy
- The room is very well suited to putting your kids to bed and still keeping the lights on for yourself
- The service is impeccable
Skiing with little kids is not the most fun you'll have in life. Squaw Creek solves a lot of the issues. You can rent skis, purchase ski lift tickets and even get right on a chair lift, just steps from the resort's swimming pool. That's how close everything is. If you want to get your kids to lessons at Squaw Valley, there is a free shuttle from the lobby that takes you to the door. (It's a short walk, otherwise.)
At the end of the day, when you ski down to the hotel, there is a ski concierge waiting for you, to take your skis off your hands. The next morning, you can call to have them ready and waiting for your arrival. It should always be this way -- at least on vacation.
Our room was actually a suite. The bathroom had 2 doors which opened to the master bedroom or to the suite. There was a kitchenette with a DISHWASHER (!!!), refrigerator and a set of dishes, pots, pans, coffeemaker, etc. It was loaded. The couch pulled out into a double bed and the windows looked over the ski lift. In retrospect, I might take the "forest view" room, which is less money, because at night I would hear the bulldozers grooming the slopes.
We ate at a few different restaurants in the resort: the
deli, the
pub and the
fancy restaurant. The service at all three was truly outstanding. The food was very good, but stopped short of a meal you would remember. You can tell that they train their staff in a serious way -- to be friendly, helpful, outgoing, but not too friendly. They really walked the line of fine service. This is not common - even at some comparable resorts - and must be commended.
They have a great deal this season whereby you present your boarding pass on the day you arrive and you get a
free,
half-day lift ticket. Sweet!
And the
skiing at Squaw: it's world class, gorgeous, well-groomed, A+ ski resort. When it's clear and you get a view of the Lake from the top of the mountain and ski down a beautifully groomed, expansive bowl -- what could be better?
OK,
skiing with Jonny Moseley on this gorgeous mountain is the gravy.
