REVIEW: The Sebastian in Vail

I really wanted to love the Sebastian – the timeless decor, the enormous rooms, the boutique touches.  This is a boutique hotel done right (for the most part).  Almost everything about this hotel was perfect except for ONE glaring issue I had.  It was enough of an issue that it keeps me from recommending it over the Four Seasons in Vail.  However, we’ll get to that later.

The lobby..yes its cozy

The minute you walk into the property you notice how well built everything is.  There’s a solidity to everything about this hotel, from the extreme insulation in between the floors and rooms, to the stunning timeless decor, and the multimillion dollar artwork, the property screams class and elegance.

Yes, all the artwork is real. And real pretty.

The hotel has a boutique feel to it, in the sense that everyone knows your name, and that nothing feels corporate about the property.  The foyer housing the restaurant Leonara is a gorgeous setting, with staircases winding up and down the three terrace room as if you were in a real life version of Escher’s stairs.

Upstairs there’s a game room, where pinball machines, arcade games, a pool table, air hockey, and numerous other activities exist for young and old.  The attention to many public spaces for everyone to lounge and relax in really is what sets this mountainside resort apart from the competition.

It’s a dimly lit picture, but this is the owner’s lounge, a quaint dark room with leather bound books and tons of mahogany

The rooms themselves are also beautifully decorated, immaculately kept, and barely show their 7 year age.

Beautiful decor makes you feel right at home

The location also couldn’t be better, right at the heart of Vail village, you are only about a five minute walk from the base gondola, and within spitting distance of pubs, restaurants, and more shopping than your Amex will want to partake in.  Everything is fine and dandy except for one VERY large problem I had.  TERRIBLE room service.  Half of the time room service didn’t come to my room until 4PM.  The other half of the time, they made glaring errors, like forgetting to pick up trash, neglecting to refill water bottles in the room, or taking my robe away without replacing it with a fresh one.

I would normally overlook some of these issues but with a 5-star hotel costing north of $750/night you do expect perfect maid service and turn down service.  This hotel really does deserve to be #1, but until they can clean up their maid service, I just can’t recommend it to friends and family without a few reservations.

 

PROS:

  • Stunning property with tons of style
  • Awesome public spaces – above and beyond
  • Great insulation in between rooms.  Really was a quiet and serene experience

CONS:

  • Maid service could really use some help
  • It’s too bad they didn’t put fireplaces in these ski-friendly rooms
  • The ski valet had a terrible selection of items to rent

SECRETS:

  • Don’t order room service, order in from the late night restaurants all throughout Vail

THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA:

  • Do visit Sweet Basil, a dining establishment that is nearing a 4th decade in Vail.  It’s incredible cuisine and worth every penny!