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Apartments, and though they are comfortable and clean, with rustic, country elements, the overall effect is outdated.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.