Jay Peak — Lodging
Jay Peak Resort assists guests in arranging lodging, air travel, train travel, shuttle van service to the airport and train station and rental cars. Jay Peak is overall a bargain. The best deal is to stay in the slopeside hotel or condos. During non-holiday weeks, children 14 and younger stay and ski free, and teens 15–18 stay and ski for $50 per day, when sharing the same room or condo with their parents (meals are extra). Children 6 and younger always stay and ski free (and eat free in the Hotel Jay). If you have kids ages 2–7, stay at Hotel Jay or the on-mountain condos, and you’ll receive complimentary child care from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., including a supervised dinner. Five-day stays and longer include a half-day complimentary ticket that can be used on the day of arrival beginning at 12:30 p.m.
Hotel Jay (800-451-4449 or 802-988-9601; $$–$$$; above) offers a sauna, family room with fireplace and game room. Five-day packages for a family with two adults start at $649 per adult (includes meals for adults).
Slopeside condos range from luxury to economy. Five-day packages, including lodging and lift tickets, range from $479 to $869 per adult (prime time and holiday prices are higher). Meal plans are available. In line with recent trends in resort development, the ski-in/ski-out Village Townhouses have two to four bedrooms, are wonderfully spacious and provide all the amenities of home. Some units have a steam bath and sauna. What the resort calls “deluxe” accommodations can be found at the older Mountainside, Trailside and Slopeside condos. Many units in Slopeside are ski-in/ski-out, though some require a short walk, so make sure to get what you really want, especially if you have young kids. Mountainside and Trailside units are about a five-minute walk to the lifts, have kitchenettes instead of full kitchens, and are value priced. Stoney Path, the resort’s economy condo lodging, is a five-minute walk to the lifts.
There are also a variety of chalets, cabins, motels, hotels, inns and B&Bs in the area. Jay Peak Resort can assist you, or call the Jay Peak Area Association at (800) 882-7460. Remember to ask about ski-and-stay packages.
It’s about time a somewhat-upscale hotel opened near the mountain, and The Lodge at Jay fits the bill (800-204-7039; 802-988-4459; $–$$$$; right). Renovated in 2002, the 27-room lodge was refurbished with warm Southwestern hues and handcrafted Vermont-made furniture. Rooms range from economy to family suites. A restaurant, steam room, sauna, fitness facilities, spa services, movie room and fireside lounges are on the premises. Prices include breakfast; kids younger than 14 stay free.
The European-influenced Inglenook Lodge (800-331-4346; 802-988-2880; $$–$$$$) is a bit worn but owned by a friendly couple who warmly welcome families and kids. Amenities include an indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, game room, restaurant and lounge. Prices include breakfast and dinner. Children 6 and younger stay free; kids 7–16 have reduced rates.
The Black Lantern Inn (800-255-8661; 802-326-4507; $$–$$$$), about 20 minutes down the road in Montgomery, is a beautifully restored stagecoach stop originally built in 1803 and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The inn has eight rooms and seven suites, all with private baths and decorated with Vermont antiques, some with gas fireplace stoves and jetted tubs. An outdoor hot tub, a sitting room warmed by a wood stove, and a bountiful breakfast add extra creature comforts.
Two Victorian inns can be found a bit closer in Montgomery Center. Phineas Swann Bed & Breakfast (802-326-4306; $$–$$$; left) has three bedrooms in the main house and four suites in its carriage house with fireplaces, jetted tubs en suite, and four-poster queen-size beds. An annex has one-bedroom apartments. Guests also enjoy a gourmet breakfast and afternoon tea.
The Inn on Trout River (800-338-7049; 802-326-4391; $–$$) pampers guests with queen-size beds covered with down quilts, feather pillows and flannel sheets. A fancy breakfast is served. The main dining room and sitting room have fireplaces, and a Montgomery Soapstone Stove warms the split-level living room and library.
Accommodations Legend: (double room) $$$$–$200+; $$$–$141–$200; $$–$81–$140; $–$80 and less.