Valentine’s Day weekend is, for obvious reasons, the most popular time of the year for romantic weekend getaways. Hotels, resorts, and B&Bs are all too happy to entice couples with romantic deals and packages for Valentine’s Day; any frequent traveler’s inbox is surely as deluged as mine is with hotel offers regarding champagne and spa treatments this month. But no matter how enticing the travel package or deal may be, the most important thing for a couple planning a romantic getaway is the destination. Here are some of The Vacation Gals’ most recommended spots as this year’s 5 best romantic weekend getaways in the US.

ColoradoGal Kara Williams loves to escape to Denver, Colorado from her rural home. It’s a few hours’ drive, so it feels like a getaway, but of course there are a plethora of things to do in Denver (it helps that she’s already acclimated to the elevation). For couples, she recommends the historic and sophisticated Brown Palace, located right downtown. Otherwise, for couples wanting a more remote location, she suggests a B&B. She says, “Since 2009, when I last stayed at Highland Haven bed and breakfast outside of Denver, the owners have built fantastic new treehouse lodging! In between two huge blue spruce, you’ll find 850 square feet of ‘romantic luxury in the trees’: a king bed with multi-colored glass chandelier hanging above, fireplace, two-person steam shower and a hot tub! I loved this creekside inn before, but now that it has this private little love nest for visiting couples, I recommend it even more!”

For West Coast couples looking to splurge on a long weekend of luxury (okay, maybe a week, because it’s quite a trip from the mainland), ColoradoGal recommends Lana’i. This is the least populous of the main travel destination islands of Hawaii, and there are only a couple of lodging options — but the Four Seasons Manele Bay or the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele are excellent options. Stay at one, but enjoy signing privileges — and all of the amenities — at the other. As pampering and luxurious as any Four Seasons resort, the privacy added by Lana’i being relatively remote and quiet makes it a top choice for a swanky Valentine’s Day.

TwinCitiesGal Beth Blair chooses Niagara Falls, New York for an ideal romantic destination in the US. It’s very cold in upstate New York and Ontario in winter, of course, and the famous Maid of the Mist boat ride is closed for the season, but lookouts for viewing the majestic falls are all open. While Beth last traveled there with her family, couples can indulge in a Niagara wine tour. Skylon Tower at Holiday Inn is a revolving dining room restaurant right next to Niagara Falls, and 775′ tall. It’s a spectacular view, and the only one like it in the region.

As for me, one of my favorite places for a best romantic weekend getaway in the US is Napa Valley, California. It has some of the best restaurants in the United States, if not the world: Thomas Keller’s French Laundry is world famous, and while it’s a bit over our affordability level, his Bouchon and ad hoc restaurants are fantastic, wonderful substitutes. The romance of sweeping vistas, rolling hills of vineyards, and wine tasting appointments throughout the day cannot be overstated. Try Niebaum-Coppola’s Rubicon Estate for a mix of wine tasting and viewing old-timey movie memorabilia. There are a lot of great places to stay in Napa Valley; for a sense of privacy and luxury, I recommend the Carneros Inn. Unlike the more famous Auberge du Soleil, each room at Carneros is its own cottage.

Sedona, Arizona holds a special place in my heart for vacations as well. It’s almost the opposite, geologically, of Napa Valley. No rolling green hills and cool ocean breezes; instead, red rock formations against the clear blue sky make for some of the most beautiful vistas in North America. “Red Rock Country” has attracted New Agers for decades — some say the Vortex here is a center of spirituality. Active couples can hike, bike ride Sedona (though not on the rocky cliffs!) or go on a jeep tour to see more of Sedona’s backlands, while the Southwestern shops on Rte 87 provide a mix of tourist claptrap and unique, special crafts. Go with the crafts, they’ll be more memorable than that Red Dirt t-shirt.  My top pick for the best romantic place to stay in Sedona is Enchantment Resort. Its spa, Mii Amo, is absolutely one of the best spas I’ve been to, ever — and that’s taking into account the goggle-eyed swooning I was feeling during the couple’s massage there. For added romance, check out the Suite Romance Package.

Now, The Vacation Gals’ picks for 5 best romantic getaway spots in the US is by no means extensive; narrowing it down to five was hard. New York City, Boston, even theme park wonderland Orlando can make for pretty terrific romantic getaways if the lodging and attractions therein appeal to you as a couple.  Wherever you go for Valentine’s Day, the most important aspect of the weekend is that you have fun and enjoy each others’ company. Have a great trip!

If your family is like mine, you’re regularly traveling with several handheld electronic devices. For us, typically, that’s 3 smart phones, 1 cell phone, 1 iPod Touch, 1 Kindle, at least 2 cameras, 1 GoPro and sometimes 1 Nintendo DS. (Don’t judge.) Inevitably something needs charging along the way, when we’re in a plane or car — usually it’s a phone or an iPod Touch. While we, of course, always travel with our car charges and wall chargers, I love the idea behind a portable unit that can be used in instances when a) we can’t find a coveted wall outlet at an airport or b) we’re on a long plane ride.

Enter the Enercell High-Capacity Universal Portable Power Bank. This handy item, combined with the Duracell Instant Charger we already own, keeps us charged when we’re on the go. It’s a handy little product that is great for those instances when you need emergency power. (And I’d call an iPod Touch going dark on a six-hour transpacific flight an emergency; I’m looking forward to bringing our Enercell with us on our long plane trip to the Big Island this spring!)

The Enercell — smaller than a deck of cards — gets its power when you swing the USB plug out to connect with a USB port (say, in your laptop; we also have a USB port that plugs into a wall outlet). You’ll know its done charging when you press a little button and all four LEDs turn green.

When you need to charge your handheld device, simply connect to it from the Enercell Portable Power Bank using the included USB cable (and micro USB adapter if necessary). If it’s an Apple product you need to charge, a USB cable is included for that, as well (or use the one that came with your iPhone or iPod Touch. Voila! Your device is charging and/or ready to use.

Marketing materials say the Enercell Portable Power Bank can provide up to 8 hours of “extra talk time.” I haven’t quite put my devices to the test, but I do know that when I plugged in my Droid phone (when its power had been depleted to 10 percent), the Enercell Portable Power Bank charged it full of power in just over one hour (and the Enercell was depleted of juice, so I had to charge that up again).

I have a small, zippered cosmetic case in which I store the Enercell and the two cables (and mini USB adapter) for travel. Otherwise, those cables would go missing in a heartbeat! For future versions made by Enercell, I’d recommend selling a small pouch to store the product and cables — then again, an additional piece would jack up the price a bit. I suppose I don’t mind supplying my own travel case.

The Enercell Portable Power Bank retails for $49.99 and is sold at Radio Shack.

I received a complimentary product for purposes of review.

Jen, Beth and I are delighted to announce that The Vacation Gals earned three different prizes in the 2011 North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Annual Awards. Most significantly we placed in the Best Travel Blog category, earning a Bronze designation, following our friends Tim Leffel, who won Gold for his Cheapest Destinations Blog, and Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere, who earned  Silver.

I also won a Gold award in the Budget Travel category for my service article, Affordable Aulani: How to Vacation at Disney’s Hawaii Resort on a Budget, and Jennifer Miner picked up a Silver in the Eco Travel category for her thoughtful Saving Endangered Sea Turtles in Costa Rica.

We congratulate all of the travel writers, editors, photographers, podcasters and visitors bureaus in the full list of NATJA 2011 Award Winners!

It’s no secret that one of The Vacation Gals’ travel passions is a dolphin and whale watching cruise. From seeing orcas breech in Alaska, to fin whales and dolphins surfacing along the coast of California, to humpback whales seemingly showing off for whale watch cruises in Hawaii, it’s clear that a whale watching tour enhances a coastal vacation. When a press invitation for a new movie about whales called Big Miracle came along, it was one of the fastest RSVPs I’ve sent in recent years.

Big Miracle tells the true story about California gray whales trapped in ice in Northern Alaska in the 1980′s. A Greenpeace activist and a local on-camera newsman worked together to get the story, and the whales, out. While I only have the vaguest of memories of the actual event, an observer wrote a book, Freeing the Whales, on which this movie is based.

Now, some of story in Big Miracle is fictionalized for dramatic storytelling purposes, but this much is true: Three California gray whales were stuck off the coast of Barrow, Alaska in 1988, prevented by ice from their annual migration south. From one on-camera report, the story rippled wider and wider until national correspondents from news headquarters in NYC were sent to freezing, comparatively barren Barrow to cover the story themselves. There are some amusing scenes about the culture clashes that occurred, in Big Miracle, that help set the light tone of the movie. I enjoyed the humor inherent in those scenes.

Even the office of President Ronald Reagan got involved, and when the federal government’s humanitarian effort (or should it be, “marine mammalian effort?) was unsuccessful, a Russian icebreaker was used to free the whales. Back in the 1980′s, during the Cold War, this was no easy feat. Saving the endangered California gray whales became an international affair, which is fitting, since animals don’t exactly recognize national borders.

Big Miracle‘s “bad guy” is an oil tycoon interested in drilling in Bristol Bay. But keep in mind, this is a children’s movie. Even the bad guy isn’t too bad! Ted Danson, who portrays the Texas oil man J.W. McGraw, clashes with Drew Barrymore’s Greenpeace activist, but eventually becomes as committed to saving the whales as she was. During the press junket I attended last week, Ted Danson talked about how his own environmentalism helped him fill out the character, since his ecological-mindedness has led him to meet several men on the other side of the table, so to speak. Knowing and liking them as people, despite having vastly different views regarding the importance of protecting endangered species, led him to create the character as less evil-guy-twirling-his-moustache, and more well-rounded. There’s an amusing scene in which his wife (portrayed by Kathy Baker, an underused actress if there ever was one) subtly convinces him to help save the whales in Alaska, from their home in Texas. It boiled down to good public relations, and as Ted Danson told us, “people had to act within their own self-interests to connect for the right thing.”

Big Miracle isn’t all humor and light, though. There are some serious moments (none too upsetting for children). Drew Barrymore’s Greenpeace activist character, Rachel Kramer, represents the true emotional core of the movie. She’s seen whales in Alaska up close, and understands the true power and beauty of the animals. Her character is one of the few that’s not an amalgam of several real people. Rachel is based on activist Cindy Lowry. Drew Barrymore talked with us about getting to know Cindy very well, and how much respect she has for the environmental activist. “Cindy Lowry is a true activist,” she said, “she’s funny, she’s real and she’s tough.”

Kristen Bell portrays a television news reporter in Big Miracle; her character is a comedic one, aspiring to succeed in what was then a man’s world, yet intensely worried about her image. She told us about filming in Anchorage when it was around zero to 15 degrees out (as much as possible, Big Miracle was filmed in Alaska). This was quite a switch from her previous film locations, which include Hawaii and Bali! As a travel writer, I was excited to hear about all the disparate places she’s been, however, Kristen Bell describes herself as more of a homebody at heart.  It seems traveling for work is a different experience than traveling for the sake of discovery, or simply for a fun vacation.

There are some other important characters in Big Miracle – Dermot Mulroney plays Colonel Scott Boyer, the Alaska National Guardsman who coordinated efforts to deliver an icebreaker to Barrow, and Vinessa Shaw plays White House staffer Kelly Meyers: these were two real people (Tom Carroll and Bonnie Mersinger) who met, fell in love and got married as a result of the California gray whale rescue in Alaska. But it’s the casting of Alaskan natives — not professional actors — to portray the indigenous Inupiats of Barrow, Alaska, that truly adds a sense of reality to this movie about the politics and environmental aspects of saving the whales. The Inupiats, northern Alaska natives, are portrayed truly and without condescension. Several key scenes in the movie are seen through the eyes of an 11-year old Inupiat boy, who feels conflicted between the traditional whaling culture of his family, and the modern world encroaching around him.

Big Miracle is a sweet movie. It can serve as a realistic introduction to the importance of protecting endangered animals, no matter how large, as well as a well-rounded look at the conflicts future environmentalists can expect to encounter. The film hits all the right notes for children — even young kids — whose parents are looking for a wholesome family film. It’s my hope that today, different countries could still come together to help save endangered species, and make the world a better place.

Universal Studios treated me to the screening and subsequent press junket day in Santa Monica. However, the views expressed are (as always!) my own.

Beaver Creek has long been a favorite Colorado ski resort for families. New programming dubbed Beaver Creek Loves Kids emphasizes the resort’s family-friendly nature even more with special events that take place during peak winter holiday weeks. Fun activities include Disco Skate Nights, Family Friday Afternoon Club and Rail Jams. Teenagers aren’t left out of the fun with Beaver Creek Loves Teens events, such as a Pizza & Snowshoe Party and Teen Trick Class at an Anti-Gravity Center. (Can adults sign up?! The trampoline center sounds cool.)

Even if you aren’t at the resort during peak family-vacation times (Christmas holidays, President’s Day Weekend and spring break weeks), Beaver Creek always rolls out the red carpet for kids with ongoing events and activities, as we found during our late January stay. Events are detailed on “This Week @ Beaver Creek” flyers found at lift-ticket desks and other places around the resort. Check out the schedule for kid-friendly activities like on-mountain story time, a glowstick ski-down that ends with fireworks (!) or complimentary family snowshoe tours. This coming weekend is focused on adult fun, with the Beaver Creek Food and Wine festival taking place January 26-28. But I’m certain more kid programming will return for the rest of ski season and again in the summer months!

I saw firsthand last weekend how Beaver Creek appeals to families. Here’s a peek:

Family FunFest: Under white tents in Beaver Creek Village, my tweens played carnival games to earn tokens that they could turn in for prizes. This took place from 4 p.m. to 5:30 on Saturday afternoon, and it was an entertaining way for visiting kids to pass some time after the chairlifts closed for the day and the dinner hour arrived.

Chocolate-chip cookies every day at 3 p.m. Toward the end of the ski day, chefs in white hats share platters of freshly baked cookies with guests at the base of the mountain. Like flies to honey, everyone flocks to the sweet treats! Somehow my kids each nabbed two cookies; daughter snagged one that had fallen into (clean) snow!

Haymaker Tubing Hill: This tubing adventure — with a covered conveyor belt lift so you don’t have to schlep your tube up the hill — is ideal for younger kids, say, ages 4 to 7. My 9- and 11-year-olds found it a bit tame, compared to the much steeper tubing runs at Vail and Keystone. The Beaver Creek tubing hill is for kids who are 36 inches or taller; there are even small tubes for preschoolers (unlike the other Vail Resorts hills that only have big tubes and are for anyone 42 inches or taller). When we were at the hill last weekend it was snowing, so that slowed our rides down; it’s faster in the late afternoon when the sun’s out and the chutes get a bit slick with melting snow.

My kids actually had more fun playing in neighboring Marmots Maze — a series of plastic slides and big tubes through which children (and adults) can crawl. The game became, “Let’s run down the hill, on the slides and through the tubes and try to beat Dad to the bottom.” Indeed, it was all fun and games until my daughter slipped and smacked her leg at the top of a slide. (No harm, no foul; just a bruised shin.) Marmots Maze is open to families who have paid for tubing ($29 per person for an hour); Children’s Ski School participants also go and play in the maze when they need a short break from the slopes.

Ice skating. Our plan for Saturday called for some late-afternoon skating at the huge ice rink right on the Beaver Creek Village plaza, but the bruised leg coupled with the dumping snow, we decided to pass. It’s open daily through the ski season from noon to 9 p.m., with skate rentals available (only $5 entry if you bring your own skates). Here’s a shot of the ice rink I snapped before it opened, and before the flakes started to fall.

Ski School: My kids didn’t ski last weekend, but we saw plenty of munchkins enrolled in the Children’s Ski & Snowboard School. The Ranch at the top of the Buckaroo Express is the new 4,000-square-foot on-mountain center (where the kids in group lessons eat lunch) surrounded by awesome beginners’ terrain. At the very base of the ski mountain, the littlest ski school participants can sample the slopes via a magic-carpet ride before even hopping on a lift. Group lessons are available for kids ages 3 to 14, and during holiday periods, teenagers can meet others their age at teen group lessons (otherwise, ages 15+ are grouped with adults).

With all of the family-friendly activities and programming at Beaver Creek it’s hard not to have fun at this upscale alpine resort! My family certainly had a ball on our Beaver Creek weekend getaway, and I’d recommend it to others in the winter months, for sure.

Thanks to Vail Resorts for providing tubing tickets!

“Rare” is the best word to describe the romantic getaways I get to take with just my husband. Even on the occasion when my parents are available to stay with our kids, finding a destination we both like remains a challenge. The Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut — a property owned and operated by the Native American Pequot tribe — is a great couples romantic getaway with plenty to offer. It ticked all the boxes for both of us. Our three-day stay included gaming, spas, shopping, cuisine, and deluxe accommodations. All the right ingredients for a weekend romantic vacation in the Northeast!

An added bonus: most of the Foxwoods facilities are open 24 hours a day, and nearly everything is connected indoors, making it all accessible regardless of time or weather. These are important considerations for a long winter weekend away in Connecticut.

The Foxwoods Resort

There are four hotels at the Foxwoods Resort, ranging in style and price points, from the Two Trees Inn at the budget-friendly end, to the upscale MGM Grand Resort. With 30 floors, you’re nearly guaranteed a great view from your room at the MGM Grand. Our wall of windows overlooked a horizon of woodland. The modern décor was grounded by dark wood furniture with nickel finishes, and blue accents in pillows and art. The amenities included a flat panel TV, refrigerator, mini bar, free wi-fi, and a clock with iPod docking station. Granite and tile in neutral brown tones carried through the bathroom, including the shower with a built in granite bench. I was surprised there was no bathtub, however. If you want one, you need to request a handicap-accessible room, or a jacuzzi suite.

The Foxwoods Resort Gaming

Foxwoods isn’t one large casino, but actually a string of smaller casinos connected by the hotels, shopping and entertainment corridors. The Rainmaker Casino was the first, and is still the largest casino, but there are also casinos connected to the lobbies of the Grand Pequot and MGM Grand hotels. While slot machines get the most real estate, you can find all the table games, from roulette to black jack, as well as a separate bingo hall. Minimum bids depend on the time of the day, and are lowest during slow morning hours.  My husband spent most of his time gambling in the World Poker Tour hall, with hundreds of tables in a non-smoking venue. He had the option of playing Omaha, Texas Hold ‘Em, Stud, and other games, with varying levels of risk. During busy times, you have to sign in and wait for a spot at a table.

The Foxwoods Resort Dining

I was pleased with the wide variety of eating options throughout the resort, in a range of cuisines and price points. We were able to pick up casual snacks – my favorite being the Asian buns at the Fay Da Bakery – but we also got to dress up for a fine-dining experience at Shrine, a chic Asian restaurant known for its sushi. Had we more luck at the tables, we would have treated ourselves to aged steaks at Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak or the AAA Four Diamond Paragon.

The Foxwoods Resort Spas

At Foxwoods, there’s enough demand for not just one, but two full-service spas. Each has a distinctly different vibe. At the G Spa, designed by Gretta Monahan with a sleek, modern vibe, I enjoyed treatments inspired by Native American culture – including a maize and mountain laurel body scrub. I also enjoyed a “Chocolate Overload Spa Pedicure” at the Norwich Spa at Foxwoods, which is associated with the Spa at the historic Norwich Inn. It is more traditional in its approach, treatments, and décor, which includes marble columns and an indoor pool under a ninth floor solarium.

The Foxwoods Resort Entertainment

Foxwoods brings in top-tier entertainers to perform in the MGM Theater and at COMIX comedy club. Aretha Franklin, Kelly Clarkson, and Jay Mohr were all scheduled to appear in the weeks following our visit. It’s worthwhile to check the calendar online and plan your visit around a concert, if you can. There is also a Hard Rock Café and several bars offering live music.We spent a morning at the Pequot Museum, the world’s largest Native American Museum. It’s not connected to the main resort, but you can take a complimentary shuttle. We were both impressed by this expansive, modern facility, which tells the history of not only the Pequot tribe, but also the larger story of pan-American tribes from the 16th century to present time.

The Foxwoods Resort Region

Foxwoods is part of the Mystic Country region of Connecticut, and is just 15 minutes from the north shore of Long Island Sound. If you have time to extend your visit, head down to Mystic for shopping along the main street, or visit the Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium.

All photos but guest room courtesy Foxwoods Resort. Thank you, Foxwoods, for offering us a media rate during our stay, as well as complimentary spa treatments.

“GoBIG Gal” Traci L. Suppa drags her small-town family to see a quirky array of the “world’s largest” attractions, and blogs about it at Go BIG or Go Home.

Humongous fireplace and hearth in Antler Hall, where Park Hyatt guests gather for apres-ski drinks, snacks and entertainment.

I’ve long been a fan of the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek for it’s incredible Allegria Spa, spacious rooms with dark wood and sophisticated accents, and its enviable location at the base of the Colorado’s Beaver Creek mountain — easy access to skiing in the wintertime and hiking in the summer. I think I’ve overnighted at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek four times now (yes, I love the resort hotel that much), but last weekend was the first time I brought along the kids. They, too, give it double thumbs’ up. Here’s why the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek is so family friendly:

1. Welcoming atmosphere for families in the huge lobby and lounge area. As soon as I walked into the Park Hyatt to check in, I noticed just how many kids were clomping around in ski boots, sprawled on overstuffed couches and snacking on apres-ski treats in Antler Hall. It was about 4:30 p.m., and an acoustic guitar player was entertaining the crowd, engaging with guests: “First person to come up here with red hair wins a prize!” The roaring fireplace, giant antler chandelier, huge floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the mountains outside and friendly bartenders just set a welcoming scene — not only for adults, but kids, too.

2. Five hot tubs and heated outdoor pool. My family and I weren’t skiing last weekend, so we spent late morning Saturday just hanging out in the outdoor hot tubs and heated pool. We nearly had the place to ourselves at 11 a.m., since everyone else was on the slopes! The kids had a ball, creating some game that involved snow on the bellies. Then there was a “throw the snowballs at Mom and Dad in the hot tub” activity. I swam laps in the large rectangular pool (with a rope set up to designate a lap lane). What a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours with the family!

One of the five Park Hyatt hot tubs has a waterfall.

Snow on the tummy is hilarious!

3. Camp Hyatt. We didn’t take advantage of this babysitting service, but I can appreciate that the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek has a big, colorful on-site room for child care. It’s staffed with counselors (5 kids to 1 counselor ratio), with arts and crafts, board games, toys, video games and other activities. Outdoor fun might include making snow angels and scavenger hunts around the property. Yes, it costs: $60 for a half-day session; $90 all day. But if you do want to spend some time on your own, sans kids, and they’re not into ski school (more expensive than Camp Hyatt), this might be a place where they can meet other children and be cared for in a safe, secure environment.

4. 8100 Mountainside Grill. This is a hotel restaurant that both kids and parents will love. The seasonal dinner menu is exquisite — just try to pick only one side dish from the array of goodness: Organic Bleu Cheese Grits, Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Grilled Leek Mascarpone Risotto to name a few. Entrees from awesome wood fire grill include Espress0 Chili Crusted Filet of Beef, Berkshire Pork Chop and Organic Shetland Salmon — hearty food with a slight Southern twist from Chef Christian Apetz, who’s been at the helm of the kitchen for the last seven months. Kids can choose from standard hamburger, hot dog and pasta, or perhaps a nice flat iron steak or skinless chicken breast. Breakfast brings a generous a la carte menu, as well as a hot buffet and continental cold breakfast. I enjoyed my custom omelet; my daughter was a fan of the oatmeal with brown sugar and pancakes with chocolate chips (surprise, surprise).

Check out the wood-fired grill in the exhibition kitchen. Bacon wrapped asparagus, lobster tail and steak - yum!

Savory charcuterie tray available at the lively bar (or just ask for it at your dinner table). Delish!

Pork chop topped with a vanilla cider poached plum. Yes, it was incredible.

5. S’mores at 4! Every day at 4 p.m. during ski season, the Park Hyatt lays out a spread of graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate and homemade marshmallows for guests to roast around a fire pit, then make their own s’mores. While we were there, the kitchen made orange, mint, vanilla-bean and coffee-flavored marshmallows — and yes, I believe my children sampled each one! (Store-bought “regular” marshmallows are on hand, too.) The fire pit was packed at 4 p.m. when staff brought out the extra-long skewers for roasting — good thing, though, since the fire pit was roaring hot!

Make your own s'mores by a roaring fire at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek.

Indeed, those are orange-flavored marshmallows in a big ol' bowl. (No dearth of supplies for s'mores making here.)

Who needs a graham cracker when you can eat a burnt marshmallow right off a stick?

Other nice family-friendly services and amenities include pint-sized bathrobes for kids (just call down to guest services for as many as you need) and an on-site video-game room (it’s a bit tucked away; my kids never found it and I never pointed it out). I appreciated the delivered morning newspaper, in-room Keurig coffee and complimentary overnight shoe shine — my black leather cowboy boots look like new! Note that there is a $20 per room, per night resort fee charged to cover some of these amenities and services, as well as in-room wireless internet, bottled water and use of the fitness center and ski valet. We found the service to be quite good while we were there; even during a busy winter weekend, the valet staff, bellmen and front-desk receptionists were efficient and friendly.

Again, you can’t beat the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek’s location — literally steps away from the Buckaroo Express (which whisks skiers to The Ranch’s friendly beginner terrain), the tiny slope at the base for ski school’s littlest rippers, the ski school registration building, plus all of the shops and restaurants (and awesome ice rink!) in Beaver Creek Village. It’s truly in the heart of all the action at Beaver Creek.

Thanks to the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek for hosting me and my family.