더 바이킹 로지 - 다운타운 윈터 파크, 콜로라도

As adult ski bums, we tried out 4 Winter Park inns under $200/night in this season. Viking Lodge is our favorite and the least expensive. It is an old lodge and exactly what they advertise: a very basic room with private bath and a refrigerator. If you can enjoy an old fashioned ski lodge, this is a perfect place. (If you need glamour and upscale, this is not your place.) The room was very comfortable with lots of extra pillows. There is no breakfast (same as 2 of the other lodges we stayed at), but they have coffee, tea, a microwave and surprise amenities of free snacks and real dishes and silverware for guest use to prep their own breakfast. A great benefit of staying at Viking was the proximity to the ski bus—the pick up is just across from the hotel parking lot, and the drop off is just across the street. All of the shuttle bus lines stop there. The management (husband and wife) were lovely and took care of our needs. There are a few things that would be nice additions, but not serious shortcomings; more on the level of adding a second towel rack in the bath. For comparison, the other places we stayed are Gravity Haus (modern decor but not very clean), Valley-Hi (a second favorite for the old wooden hot tub and a barely-adequate breakfast), and the Winter Park Mountain Lodge (great location but a HORRIBLE, run down place that has major safety issues and a COLD hot tub). If you want a comfortable stay for a reasonable price, we recommend the Viking Lodge.

Great place

Great room and great price for a winter stay. Convenient location.

Clean and met basic needs for a short ski trip. Quaint, rustic ski lodge decor a plus. Be aware it's an old building lacking in some comfort. Even though we had a king bed, it was a small room with a tiny bathroom, and was missing the little amenities common in chain hotels - for example, no in-room microwave and coffee service (though both were available in the lobby area). No box of tissues in the room. No lotion, so if you have dry skin bring your own. No hooks for towels in the bathroom. Toilet paper holder so close to the toilet that it was awkward to use, especially for a larger person. Noisy plumbing when other guests were showering/flushing, and we could hear footsteps from the room above us, as well as voices from nearby rooms. No A/C, which was not a problem in winter obviously, but wouldn't want to chance it in the summer. Lots of ice during a late February stay that made for treacherous trips to and from the car. (Only saw a tiny bit of ice melt applied in one spot during our stay - surprised not to see more attention given to this basic safety issue.) No hot tub - something that other hotels nearby do have , and we found we really missed not being able to soak our tired muscles after a day on the slopes. The biggest plus was the location - right next door to a number of restaurants, and close to the ski area, with bus service right outside.

Could not be more convenient. Free Lift shuttle transit stop just outside the back door in Cooper Square. 10 min shuttle to and from Winter Park resort, every 20 min. Plenty of shopping & restaurants, bakeries, bars etc within 5-10 min walk. I've stayed here 3 times. All the rooms are clean, well-maintained, great Wifi, cable etc. Free coffee/tea, snacks, instant oatmeal etc available in the common area 24 hrs. Owners and front desk staff are friendly, efficient, helpful. Great price!