Hotels

As at all Colorado ski resorts, rates get progressively higher the closer you get to the slopes. You'll pay the highest rates during the Christmas holiday season (mid-Dec to New Year's Day). Next highest are the rates charged during February and March. Value season is usually January, and the low season runs from Thanksgiving to mid-December and from April until the ski areas close. Rates are normally much lower during the summer, from Memorial Day to mid-October. Note: Because vacancy rates are so high during shoulder seasons -- April to May and October to November -- many accommodations close at these times.

Steamboat Central Reservations (tel. 877/237-2628 or 970/879-0740; www.steamboat.com) can book your lodging and make virtually all of your travel arrangements. Be sure to ask about special packages and programs. Resort Quest Steamboat, 1855 Ski Time Sq. Dr., Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 (tel. 866/634-9618 or 970/879-8811; www.resortqueststeamboat.com), manages over 350 rental units spread among 15 properties. There are both condos and town homes, with accommodations for 4 to 12 persons. Steamboat Resorts, 1847 Ski Time Sq. Dr., P.O. Box 772995, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 (tel. 800/525-5502 or 970/879-8000; www.steamboatresorts.com), manages over 20 properties, offering a variety of possibilities, from small lodge rooms for two to condos that will accommodate up to 10. Several of the properties are described below. Room tax adds about 9.5% to lodging bills, and resort fees at properties at Steamboat Village add another 7.5%.

In addition to the properties discussed below, Steamboat Lake Outfitters, P.O. Box 749, Clark, CO 80428 (tel. 800/342-1889 or 970/879-4404; www.steamboatoutfitters.com), rents bunkhouse rooms and cabins in the mountains above Steamboat Lake State Park. Although rustic in decor, they have comfortable beds, kitchenettes, and indoor bathrooms, with rates for two starting at $89 per night in the bunkhouse rooms and $125 to $169 per night in the cabins. Call for details.