As the first luxury hotel to open in Vail in 25 years, The Arrabelle at Vail Square opened amid high expectations. As a leader in the mountain town's “Billion Dollar Renewal” plan, the hotel aimed not only to lead the citywide renovation charge, but also to set new standards for upscale lodging in the area.
And set new standards it has. Those who expect their ski-town lodgings to come with highly personalized service, sumptuous décor, hearty French cooking, heated floors and a full menu of spa services will find all that and more at the Arrabelle.
The development, which opened in January 2008 and also includes residential units, is one of the cornerstones of the town’s effort to completely revamp older areas of Vail with chic new lodging, restaurant and shopping options. The location in Lionshead, which along with Vail Village makes up the main parts of the resort town, is just steps away from the base of the Eagle Bahn Gondola. The hotel is truly ski-in, ski-out — something of a rarity in Vail.
The facade borrows from the iconic architecture of European cities like Innsbruck and Salzburg. Common areas, decorated in a clean Biedermeier style, are punctuated by distictive sculptures and other hand-picked objet d’art, much of it by Rocky Mountain artists like Melissa Cooper, who sculpted the life-size bronze bear in the lobby.
A blazing two-story stone fireplace in the lobby casts a warm glow onto guests coming in off the slopes while the ski valet — never failing to greet guests by name — whisks equipment away for storage, boot warming and overnight express waxing. The hotel, a RockResort property, also will help arrange shipment of ski equipment so guests can avoid hauling large bags to and from the airport, or risk losing their sticks in transit.
Inside, the thirty-six 550-square-foot guest rooms have heated floors and fireplaces to keep your toes toasty in winter, and large decks with mountain views for summer months. Rich red draping over the windows and the bed lends a regal air to the alpine décor, and hefty leather and wood furnishings feel welcoming after a day in the expansive back bowls.
Nearby Vail Village (to which the hotel provides free chauffeurs) is better known for its raucous après-ski scene, but recent renovations to the Arrabelle’s Lionshead, reinvented as a European-style square, means there is now plenty to keep guests occupied when the lifts shut down. Freshly baked croissants, gourmet hot cocoa and gelato lure hungry skiers across the way at Rimini (675 Lionshead Place); if snow sports aren’t your thing, exercise your good taste at nearby Arriesgado (675 Lionshead Place, 970-476-4590) for fashion-forward denim from designers like William Rast and Chip & Pepper, or Avalon (675 Lionshead Place, 970-476-4112) for Diane von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs, among others. Indulging at the new 10,000-foot spa in the Arrabelle, or ice-skating in the whimsical, old-fashioned rink just outside the hotel’s doors are other options.
Vail is a family-friendly place, as is the Arrabelle. Ski nannies will get the kids to lessons in the morning and keep them occupied with snacks and games post-lesson so mom and dad can sleep in, get a full day on the slopes and even indulge in an après ski drink before gathering the brood for dinner.
Centre V, the hotel’s restaurant and the only brasserie-style eatery in Vail Valley, is a good option if you’re craving filling French staples like rack of lamb persillade, steak au poivre, or duck confit. Given the state’s landlocked status, tasty, chilled platters of fruits de mer were a refreshing and unexpected find on the menu.
675 Lionshead Place, Vail. 866-662-7625; arrabelle.rockresorts.com