The Sebastian – Vail

HOTEL OVERVIEW

I’ll be honest – when I first pulled up to The Sebastian, I wasn’t expecting much from the outside. It’s right there on Vail Road, which can get pretty hectic during ski season, but once you step inside, it’s like someone hit the mute button on all that chaos. The lobby has this understated elegance thing going on, sort of contemporary mountain chic without being too precious about it. You know what I mean? No fake antlers or over-the-top rustic nonsense.

What really won me over was how the staff actually seemed to know Vail inside and out. The concierge didn’t just hand me a generic map – she told me about the back entrance to Blue Sky Basin that most tourists miss, and mentioned that Giuseppe’s gets slammed around 7 PM but if you show up at 5:30, you can usually snag a table without the two-hour wait. Little things like that make such a difference when you’re trying to make the most of a few days in town. The rooms are genuinely impressive too, though I should mention the mountain-facing ones can get pretty warm in the afternoon if you’re visiting in summer (the AC handles it fine, but just be aware). I loved the heated bathroom floors – honestly, stepping onto warm stone after a long day on the slopes is one of those small luxuries that hits just right.

The location is actually perfect if you think about it strategically. Yeah, you’re hearing some traffic from Vail Road, but it dies down completely after 10 PM, and you’re literally a three-minute walk to the Eagle Bahn Gondola. No shuttle needed, no schlepping gear across the village – you just walk out the door and boom, you’re there. During the summer, you’re right in the heart of everything for the farmers market and all those outdoor concerts they do in Ford Park. I stayed here in both winter and summer, and while winter obviously has that magical snow-covered Vail thing going on, summer might actually be even better. Fewer crowds, easier parking (which is stored in their heated garage, by the way), and you can actually enjoy the mountain views without squinting through a blizzard. The spa situation is solid too – not huge, but the hot tub area opens up to this little outdoor space that feels almost private. Pro tip: if you’re here during peak season, book dinner reservations before you even arrive. The Sebastian’s restaurant is good, but honestly, you’ll want to explore the village, and everything fills up fast when the powder hounds descend on the place.