Best of the Best in Breckenridge

- March 24, 2017

The village of Breckenridge is one of the most unique places in the world. This small, historic skiing village is flanked by gorgeous white topped mountain views from the east and fantastic snow ski trails on the western side. You can actually stand in any location, facing any direction and have incredible views of majestic mountains.

What makes Breckenridge different from other ski destinations is the historic charm of the village. A vital downtown district is home to incredible dining at all levels, arts, pubs, entertainment and more. You won't find fast food or chain restaurants (except for Starbucks) in this quaint town. Of course, modern times are encroaching with the opening of several cannabis shops. These shops, however, are not on the main drag, rather they are located further out on Airport road in a more industrial area.

Embarking on a ski vacation can be quite expensive when considering flight from Denver International Airport, lodging, dining, ski lift tickets (run by Vail Ski Resorts and virtually impossible to find discounts) and ski rentals. Because of these high costs, finding the best lodging, activities and meals are very important.

Lodging

Finding lodging is easier than ever and difficult at the same time. With sites like Hotels.com, AirBnB and VRBO, you'll have no shortage of lodging choices. In the town of Breckenridge, most lodging consists of condominiums and private homes. There are only a few hotel choices and a few bed and breakfast options.

Since most visitors come for the ski slopes, proximity to the lifts is incredibly important. However, there is almost no bad place to stay because of Breckenridge's free bus system. Breck Free Ride is a free service which covers virtually the whole town with stops at all of the lifts. However, since the optimum is ski-in/ski-out, there a few locations which can't be beat. Here are some of the best ski in/ski out lodging choices:

Beaver Run Resort and Conference is a resort at the base of the Peak 9 lift, a favorite of Breck skiers. The resort has great amenities with free ski storage and guests merely step outside the entrance to board the free buses to visit other parts of town.

Mariott's Mountain Valley Lodge is at the base of the QuickSilver lifts with a ski rental and ski storage booth only feet away from the lift. The resort has been converted to a time share facility but can be booked through the Marriott website and guests can earn reward points for their stay. The room choices include studios and king suites which sleep 6, both with full kitchens and balconies.

The Grand Lodge at Peak 7 is a gorgeous resort, high up on the north side of town. If you stay at this resort, you not only have access to fabulous amenities but you are at the base of the Peak 7 lifts as well as the free gondola which takes guests from the historic downtown area to Peak 7 and 8. The local free buses also take resort guests to other parts of town.

There are a few other lodging choices in town with great proximity to the slopes. The Doubletree Hotel is across the street from the Beaver Run Resort with all of the amenities of a hotel stay. There are many great condominium choices but one that stands out is Park Avenue Lofts which is just off the corner of S. Main and S. Park Avenue. The building has it's own ski rental and storage company with an option for guests to rent from the condo lobby. There is free parking in the basement in the building and the location is only about 100 yards from the base of the Quicksilver lifts. The units are spacious and great for families.

Dining

Dining is Breckenridge is one of the best reasons to choose this ski resort. When looking for restaurant recommendations, you'll find that you will rarely have a bad meal at any location. Some of the stand out restaurants include:

Best Street food: Crepes A La Cart

Best Burger: Empire Burger or The Canteen Tap House and Tavern

Best Wings: The Canteen Tap House and Tavern

Best Fine Dining: Relish

Best Pizza: Fatty's Pizzeria

Best Italian: Giampietrlo's Pasta and Pizza

Best Seafood: Hearthstone Restaurant

Best Colorado Green Chili: The Canteen Tap House and Tavern

Green Pork Chili -- The Canteen

Best Dive Bar and Grill: Downstairs at Eric's

Best Brewery: Broken Compass Brewing

Best Distillery and Tour: Breckenridge Distillery

Activities

Of course, there is no question that the mountain ski slopes are the biggest and best draw for visitors to Breckenridge. Skiing is not the only activity. Snowmobiling, dog sledding, nordic skiing, sledding and even snow tubing are available in the area. There are many to choose from but there are a couple of stand outs:

Best Snow Mobile Tour: Mountain Top Action Tour by High Country Tours