Smugglers' Notch Resort

Spread across five
communities and comprising modern, condo-style apartment buildings, this
resort is massive. The heart of the resort is The Village, which includes 3
Mountain Equipment ski shop, the Club House, a bike shop, and many of the teen and kid
zones. The resort’s lobby is purely functional and has all of the charms of a car
rental counter, but there are plenty of places for guests to mix and mingle
throughout the property, including outdoor water parks, restaurants, bars, and
activity rooms. The low-rise properties scattered throughout the resort vary in
shape and size, but have the pre-fab, quickly-built look of so many mountain
throughout the Northeast. Many of the public areas here have a slightly dated
quality, though families and even couples return year after year to enjoy the
proximity to three skiing mountains and the plethora of outdoor activities on
offer year-round.

Smugglers' Notch Resort
is its own self-contained world situated at the base of Morse, Madonna, and
Sterling Mountains (with 67 ski runs between them). There’s not much else in
the immediate area, though, and guests looking to see more of Vermont’s Green
Mountains will need a car. The Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory is a
35-minute drive and is popular with guests of any age, while the Magic Hat
Brewing Company is about 55 minutes away by car. Stowe, a quintessentially
picturesque mountain town, is about 25 minutes away by car and has several
quaint cafes and restaurants for guests needing a change of pace from the fare
at the resort. Burlington is the closest major city (an hour’s drive), and has
a thriving arts scene as well as the closest international airport.

Every unit offered in the
five communities that comprise this resort is a complete apartment with a full
kitchen that includes a coffeemaker, full-size refrigerator, microwave, and
stove. Units range from Studios to Five-Bedroom Apartments, and though they are
comfortable and clean, with rustic, country elements, the overall effect
is outdated. Soft-colored walls, light berber carpets, and light oak or
wedgewood blue furniture combine with overstuffed couches, country crafts wall
art, and patterned drapes to create the cheap look of busy time-share
communities throughout places like the Poconos and Catskills. In addition to
the full, tiled kitchens and dining areas, all apartments also have flat-screen
or older tube TVs, wall-unit air-conditioning, telephones, stereo systems, and
plenty of closet space, and some units also include balconies or patios. Beds
are fine, but the dated and bright bedspreads don’t do anything to up the style
factor. Tiled bathrooms are spotlessly clean and vary in attractiveness from
unit to unit, though all include towels and generic toiletries, large vanities,
bathtub/shower combos or walk-in showers. Several units include washer/dryers and
fireplaces, though noise from neighboring guests can be an issue. Guests should
also keep in mind that housekeeping is not provided on a daily basis, though it
is available for a fee.

This family-friendly
mountain resort offers plenty to keep kids busy, including Treasures, a
supervised daycare center for children up to age three, Funmeister’s Clubhouse and
Snowsnake Video Game Room, which have games and activities like ping-pong for
older kids, and the FunZone Family Entertainment Center, with obstacle courses
and climbing walls that turns into a teen zone in the evening. Various day
camps and supervised activities take place year-round as well, including ski
and snowboard lessons, arts and crafts sessions, movie nights, dance parties,
and sporting tournaments. This is to say nothing of the outdoor playgrounds, eight pools, and four waterslides on-site. The indoor pool with
hot tubs that we visited lacks natural light, but is a fine enough place to
unwind, though the blue inflatable canopy that covers the entire space is
unattractive. The resort sits at the
confluence of three major skiing mountains and adults have plenty of chances to
stay active here as well. Skis, snowboards, and snowshoes are all available to
rent, and there are zip lines, rock climbing, and mini golf available. The
property has an on-site spa, Mountain Massage Center, which offers a full line
of spa and beauty treatments and there is regularly an array of classes on
offer, including wine tastings. The resort also features an on-site fitness center
and tennis courts as well as fishing, canoeing, and kayaking.There are five
restaurants, two bars, and a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop located
throughout the property. The main restaurant is Morse Mountain Grille, which
serves decent a la carte breakfasts, lunches, and dinners and has a pub with a
fireplace. Another popular spot for families with kids is Riga-Bello’s, serving
classic Italian dishes including pizzas. Regardless of the venue, all dining
and drinking establishments on site are extremely casual and some offer live
entertainment at night. There is also an on-site sporting goods shop, 3
Mountain Outfitters, and a country store for any forgotten last minute items or
mementos as well as a toys, snacks, drug store items, wine, and beer.Guests should keep in
mind that many activities based on packages chosen at the time of booking
meaning that there are fees involved, especially for kids camps, zip lining,
and the like. Additionally, Wi-Fi is not free and daily charges can be
expensive. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk and there are meeting and
conference rooms on site, while parking is free throughout the hotel and there
is a shuttle that operates throughout the resort, including the ski areas.