Vail Travel and Things to Do Guide

Consistently ranked as a top ski resort town, Vail possesses its own unique architecture, creating a Colorado version of a Swiss Alpine town, including cobblestone streets. Planners choosing Vail in the central Colorado Rockies get a mountain destination with thousands of square feet of meeting space. From convention resort hotels to creek-side condos, Vail event venues include many new or renovated meetings-friendly accommodations.

Vail is just 90 miles west of Denver. Attendees may transfer at Denver International Airport (DEN) to the Eagle County Airport (EGE), which is minutes from Vail and provides nonstop air service to 13 major U.S. cities. Six car rental and two ground transportation companies allow planners to coordinate stress-free access to the meeting facilities in Vail.

Alongside Gore Creek is the AAA Four Diamond, 292-room Hotel Talisa, the largest of Vail convention sites to date. The meetings-friendly resort features a state-of-the-art conference center with 45,000 square feet of meeting and event facilities. Other hotel venues in Vail include three renowned luxury properties: The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail, The Sebastian-Vail, and the Sonnenalp. These have formed a partnership to provide meeting and event facilities, banquet facilities, and world-class catering for groups up to 300 attendees. The 344-room Vail Marriott Mountain Resort & Spa is also primed for events with its 21,000 square feet and 21 breakout rooms.

The Vail Ski resort has four terrain parks, seven bowls, and 5,289 acres of free-ride terrain, as well as two gondolas and two outdoor ice rinks (not including Dobson Ice Arena). Vail event venues such as the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Ski Hall of Fame, located in the heart of Vail Village and housing more than 1,500 photographs, artifacts, and pieces of equipment, reflect the area's heritage. For larger group events, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater is a popular outdoor space with breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains. Planners can reserve it for a private function or take advantage of an array of cultural offerings, including the Vail International Dance Festival, Bravo! Vail, and numerous headliners.

Vail offers unique dining with a view at the signature Game Creek Restaurant in a European chalet at the top of the mountain.

Groups might come to Vail for the winter, but summer, with opportunities to enjoy hiking, rafting, biking, fly-fishing, and golf, is also a season to convene. Vail Valley has 14 championship golf courses within a 38-mile radius, including top designer courses at Red Sky Golf Club.