Outpost

Lodging

Winterplace

There are some great lodging options at Winterplace but first you need to carefully decide what kind of trip you want. If you're bringing a youth group, the most economical options are Mountain House, right on the mountain, The Appalachian Inn, down at the base, and Knights Inn, two miles away at the I-77 exit. If you want a romantic couple's getaway, consider Glade Springs, 10 miles away but loaded with amenities. On slope lodging includes a dozen chalets along the hillside by the main lodge (shown right here and above left) and 100 condos atop the first hill (above right). At the Winterplace driveway entrance is Mavis Manor, one of the state's greatest bed and breakfasts.

We always recommend lodging as close to the slopes as possible. If you go to the Winter place Lodging website you'll see listings for accomodations as far as an hour away. Those are nice places, which we've used in Summer on white water rafting trips. But we think they're too far away and especially given the likelihood of overnight heavy snows, we don't recommend them. However, if you wait too late to plan your trip, everything near the slopes may be booked, and you may have to look further away.

Pictured at left is the Holiday Inn in Beckley. It's about 30 minutes from parking lot to parking lot. This facility is just up the hill from the interstate (turnpike) exit. It's near a dozen sit down and fast food restaurants, the best of which is probably the Cracker Barrel. This Holiday Inn has a magnificent indoor heated pool and hot tub, its own outstanding restaurant and an arcade for the kids. We think this is the best of the "30 minutes away" options.

Another interesting option for youth groups is the Mountain House itself, shown at right. After the lifts close each evening, the furniture is pulled back, air mattresses are hauled out, and the fireplace is stoked up. Students can unroll their sleeping bags and pitch camp. Next morning hot breakfast is included. Equipment is checked out the night of arrival, so groups are usually the first on the snow. The only disadvantage is that by 8 a.m. sleeping bags and everything else have to be hauled out to the bus or van. Furniture is pulled out, mattresses put away, and the facility opens for the day’s business. If you enjoy privacy, a hot shower, darkness, or sleeping until 8 a.m., skip this option. The huge cost savings comes at great sacrifice.

One of the quaintest places to stay is Mavis Manor, an 1897 Bed and Breakfast located less than a mile from the Winterplace lodge. Shown here during a January snow, Mavis Manor can hold up to 14 guests, but you can also rent the rooms individually. The rooms are different from what you find at most B & Bs. The ones opening out to the tower are particularly interesting. One has a small office with a desk tightly circled by the three windows. One has a bed in a small tower bedroom, which would be ideal for one child while the parents used the larger connected room. Another option would be for the parents to reserve the Buchanan Room, with its enclosed poster bed, and place the kids in the Travelers Pad across the hall. And to get to the ski slopes, you merely go out the driveway and turn onto the Winterplace driveway. From the porch or windows, you can see the slopes. The breakfasts are great. Rooms have satellite and cable tv and wireless internet. This is our favorite Winterplace lodging, but during ski season, especially on weekends, you must reserve early. Phone 888-628-4798. PO Box 13, 122 Tower Road; Flat Top, W.Va. 25841.

Those Chalets mentioned and pictured at the top of the page are located along Highland Run and Last Chance Trails directly across from the main lodge. They're classic ski in - ski out facilities right on the slopes. The units differ in size. The smallest sleeps six, the largest 14. They begin at $200 a night, but the weeknight rate is lowest, followed by regular weekends then topping out with Martin Luther King and Presidents Day weekends. Even though they contain fully equipped and ultramodern kitchens, if after a long day of skiing you're not in the mood to cook, two restaurants are 50 yards away in the lodge as long as you eat early.

One factor to consider is the night skiing for which Winterplace is famous. With all their windows, these chalets are flooded with light until midnight, and the shouts of skiiers will provide constant background noise all day and into the night. If you're one of the ones out there skiing, the location will be perfect, because when you finish at 11 or 12, you can just ski to your door and step inside. But if you like to hit the slopes early in the morning, finish at dinnertime and go to bed early, you might want to think about this location. These are beautiful units with great views, but quiet and peaceful retreats they're not.

There are also condos at the very top of the hill. The view at left here is what you would see from the balcony of one of them on a moonlit night. The condos are about 20 years old but were very well designed and built in the first place, and have been maintained and up graded so they're quite comfortable. Depending on the unit, you can rent one of these for $119 a night or more. The best rates are during the shoulder months of December and late February, especially on weeknights. There are several location issues. A condo facing the parking lot rents for less than one facing the slopes, but then you miss this nice view. The condos on the top floor have the best view, but the ones on the ground floor are the only ones with true ski in ski out convenience since you don't have to clump up and down the stairs in your ski boots. The way to cut costs is to rent a condo, then actually cook, thus saving the price of restaurant meals. But most skiiers don't do that.

The condos have cable/satellite tv, well equipped kitchens, fireplaces, and all the usual key features.

We are huge fans of the Appalachian Inn, a 48 room lodge at the base of the mountain. This building also contains a good restaurant, whose main disadvantage is it closes early in the evening, so you are advised to get off the slopes, shower and change clothes at a reasonable hour. Even on week ends in January and early February room rates are reasonable. Considering its location, this is by far the most economical place for either a group or a couple trying to watch their budget.

However, the Appalachian Inn also offers a 64 bed dorm, off to the right from this photo. It has bunk bed accommodations with boys on one wing, girls on the other and a lobby in the middle. It works out to about $20 per kid per night, the best group deal at Winterplace if you want to sleep in an actual bed.

The Winterplace Central Lodging number is 1-800-607-7669. They can connect you to any of the options we suggested here, plus the full range of other lodging within an hour radius.

However, we cannot emphasize enough that you should make your arrangements early. There are groups and individuals who come here the same week or weekend every year and renew their reservations from one year to the next. If you want to stay close like we recommend you cannot wait to make reservations. November is a good time.