The Osprey at Beaver Creek may be the closest you can sleep to a chairlift in North America. This 45-room boutique hotel stands just a few steps from the Strawberry Park Express, so you can be riding up the mountain minutes after breakfast. Inside, it mixes clean, modern design with warm mountain touches: vaulted ceilings, picture windows, fireplaces and steam showers. Add a heated pool deck with mountain views and a cosy fireside bar, and it is the most stylish small hotel in Beaver Creek.
The Osprey at Beaver Creek may be the closest you can sleep to a chairlift in North America. This 45-room boutique hotel stands just a few steps from the Strawberry Park Express, so you can be riding up the mountain minutes after breakfast. Inside, it mixes clean, modern design with warm mountain touches: vaulted ceilings, picture windows, fireplaces and steam showers. Add a heated pool deck with mountain views and a cosy fireside bar, and it is the most stylish small hotel in Beaver Creek.
Location: Beaver Creek, Colorado
The hotel sits at the top of Beaver Creek Village, at the foot of the Strawberry Park Express chairlift. The lift is about 26 feet from the hotel's ski valet, and Fodor's has joked that you cannot get closer to a ski run in the United States unless you sleep on the lift. The village's shops, restaurants, ice rink and the free afternoon cookies are a short walk downhill.
Beaver Creek is Vail's quieter, more exclusive neighbour, about 16 kilometres (10 miles) to the west. Its gated, car-free village has outdoor escalators up to the slopes, immaculately groomed runs, and a famous tradition of free, warm chocolate chip cookies handed out every afternoon. The mountain also hosts the Birds of Prey World Cup downhill each December. Eagle County Airport is about 35 kilometres away, and Denver is around a two-and-a-half-hour drive.
Rooms and suites at The Osprey
With only 45 rooms, The Osprey has the feel of a private lodge rather than a resort. Rooms are generously sized, with vaulted ceilings and large picture windows looking onto the slopes or the forest. The style is modern mountain: white and earth-toned walls, dark wood, soft textiles and comfortable chaise lounges, with fireplaces and steam showers.
For families or groups, the two-bedroom penthouse sleeps up to six. Ask for a slope-facing room, where you can watch the first chairs of the morning swing up past your window.
Facilities at The Osprey
The heated outdoor pool, open all year, sits on a heated deck with views up the mountain, and there is a hot tub beside it, perfect after a long day on the slopes. Inside, there is a steam room, sauna and fitness room.
The Osprey Fireside is the hotel's restaurant and bar, a relaxed spot with a big fire, an evolving menu and dishes such as the Osprey Burger and dry-aged ribeye, and it is a favourite for après-ski. The ski valet stores and prepares your equipment, so mornings are effortless. As a RockResorts property, owned by Vail Resorts, it also makes booking lift tickets, rentals and lessons easy, and guests can use the facilities of its sister hotel, The Pines Lodge, nearby.
The mountain moment
The defining Osprey moment is first chair. You finish your coffee by the window, collect warm boots from the valet, walk a few steps and ride the Strawberry Park Express straight up into the morning sun, while most of Beaver Creek is still in the lift queue. By three o'clock you are back on the heated deck, in the hot tub, watching the last skiers come down.
Why The Osprey is one of the best mountain hotels
The Osprey earns its place for location, intimacy and design. Its position at the foot of a chairlift is unbeatable, its 45 rooms give it a calm, boutique feel, and its modern-rustic style is fresher than most of Beaver Creek's larger hotels. There is no full spa and only one restaurant, so for a big-resort experience you will need to look elsewhere. But for skiers who want style, peace and the lift on their doorstep, it is the best small hotel in Beaver Creek.
For a grand log lodge with a full spa, see The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. For a stylish Vail alternative, try The Arrabelle at Vail Square.
When to go to The Osprey
Beaver Creek's ski season usually runs from late November to mid-April, with the most reliable snow from January to March. The Birds of Prey World Cup races in early December bring top downhill racing to the mountain. Christmas, New Year, Presidents' Day and spring break are the busiest and most expensive weeks, and the hotel's small size means it books up early.
In summer, the year-round heated pool comes into its own, and Beaver Creek offers hiking, mountain biking, golf, fly fishing and concerts in the village. Late September brings golden aspens and quiet trails.
Questions, answered
- Is The Osprey at Beaver Creek ski-in, ski-out?
- Yes. The Strawberry Park Express chairlift is about 26 feet from the hotel's ski valet, making it one of the closest hotels to a lift in North America.
- How many rooms does The Osprey have?
- The Osprey has 45 rooms, including a two-bedroom penthouse that sleeps up to six.
- Does The Osprey have a pool?
- Yes. There is a heated outdoor pool, open all year, with a hot tub on a heated deck with mountain views, plus a steam room and sauna.
- Is The Osprey in Beaver Creek Village?
- Yes. It is at the top of the village, beside the Strawberry Park Express, a short walk from the shops, restaurants and ice rink.
