Our unit is in the condominiums called Sycamores. It is a newer complex that is decorated very nicely. We have a one-bedroom unit that sleeps six people. There is a kin-size bed, a twin trundle bed that sleeps two in the bedroom, and a pull-out sofa bed in the living room.

Sycamores is like home away from home. Our one-bedroom unit has a gas fireplace, a nice-size deck, a large living room/dining area and bedroom, and a large bathroom with a whirlpool tub. All the appliances are new. There is a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, two TV's, plus a DVD player and stereo. The two- and three-bedroom units are even more awesome! Each unit has its own ski locker located on the ground level of each building (there are three buildings in Sycamores).

Sycamores is located in what is called the West Hill Community, which is small, conveniently located, and away from the bustle of the main village (but only a 5-minute walk or 1-minute shuttle ride away.) The West Hills Community enjoys its very own Community Center, which had a heated outdoor pool (open all year), exercise room, locker/shower room, massage therapy room, a pool table, two ping-pong tables, and some video games.

The scenery is gorgeous, and the people more than friendly. The setting is relaxing and laid-back, whether you stay in a slope-side condo or down in the main village. At our unit in the Sycamores, we can swim outside in a steaming pool in mid-winter and throw snowballs at each other... the kids love it!

Winter activities at Smugg’s are endless, and no matter what you enjoy, you are surrounded by the beautiful Green Mountains. Our kids attended ski school for the week, never having skied before, and returned home pretty darn good little skiers! The instructors at Smugg’s Snow Sport University are excellent, and results are guaranteed by the resort. There is terrain for skiers and snowboarders of all ability levels. There are so many things to do, it is hard to fit them all in: downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing. There are dogsled rides and sleigh rides available very close to the resort, also.

We can’t wait to experience this summer in Vermont! Smugg’s offers free summer camps for the kids, and they are grouped according to ages and interests. There are wonderful water parks on the resort property we can’t wait to try, and the hiking will be spectacular with the views from those mountains! The activity offerings in summer are as many and varied as in winter: canoeing, kayaking, hiking, biking, mountain boarding, diggling (look it up… it looks like a lot of fun!), horseback riding, tennis, and swimming.

The resort focuses on the enjoyment of the entire family. It is such a wonderful feeling to have your children so looking forward to the activities they will enjoy that day and to be able to enjoy your day knowing that the kids are having a blast and are being taken care of by the awesome staff. Even more wonderful is the joy of reconnecting with your family during your stay here. Even though you may have each spent the day enjoying your individual interests, you come together as a family again at dinner time, when stories are exchanged about your day, laughter is shared, and bonds are strengthened. Family activities are offered every night: family dance parties, bingo, karaoke, sing-alongs, and bonfires.

This is the place that family vacation dreams are made of - a place to unwind, reconnect, and make memories that last a lifetime.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Very Good

The unit was very spacious, clean, and well-kept. The fireplace was nice, as well. The kitchen was full-sized and easily accommodated the six of us.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We did several of the planned family activities, including the Welcome Party (kid-friendly dancing, hors d’oeurves, and resort giveaways - we won a mascot teddy bear), the Luau-themed night at the FUN ZONE (good for all ages), and nighttime tubing on the snowboarding hill. There were also adult-only evening activities like comedy night and music, but we opted out and went to bed exhausted from the daytime fun each night.

New this year is an optional $150 RCI guest activities fee allowing unlimited use of the FUN Zone; pools; planned activities; and discounts on childcare, ski camps, lift tickets and rentals, and the ski shop. For us, the ski and camp discounts for both kids just about made us break even (full-day camp is $95 per child; rentals are extra, but lunch is included). We added the Familyfest program option onto the 6-year-old's camp to cover rentals.

There are quite a few restaurants on site but nothing stellar, though we admittedly didn't try the more upscale one. We ate dinner twice at the Morse Mountain Grille (mediocre, but family-friendly and convenient). Breakfasts at the grille were much better – a buffet breakfast for adults was $8. Offsite and across the street was a wonderful Italian restaurant, Stella Notte, and in Jeffersonville (5 miles away) we also had several great meals at 158 Main and Jana's. One night we drove into Stowe for a fondue feast, but it took 45 minutes to get there in the winter, when the mountain road connecting Stowe and Smuggler’s is closed.

The condo itself was in the Sycamores units on the West Hill, which is not walkable from the main resort area, but we had a car (it was about a 3-minute drive) and the free shuttle was great, too. We were disappointed by the number of indoor stairs to go up, down, and around to get to our room (we were later told that our building was the only one setup that way, on a hill). But the unit was great: roomy living space, lots of TVs (evenone facing the bathroom Jacuzzi), VCRs, a fully equipped kitchen with a microwave, dishwasher, and washer and dryer. We arranged ahead for a highchair - they had cribs and boosters available, too.

The downside: You can only go through RCI once every 4 years.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

• Unit Type: 3 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Very Good

If you're planning to cook in the unit, stop by a grocery store on the way. The best store is in Morrisville (about 35-40 minutes from the resort). Although there is a general store on the resort property, the prices are very, very high!

Depending upon where you stay, you can walk to many of the activities. The resort also offers a free shuttle that you can call and they'll pick you up. There's *nothing* nearby in the town, though, so if you leave the resort you'll need a car (with a lot of gas in it!)

The unit itself (we stayed in Villmarksauna) was incredible... three tv's, a master bedroom with its own tv and refrigerator, and the nicest kitchen you could imagine with every conceivable gadget, cooking pan, and utensil. The microwave and oven appeared new, and the oven had a flat-panel cook surface which was lovely.

The only disappointments we experienced were with our unit's bathrooms, which seemed like they were shipped directly in from a 1960's Holiday Inn. And the parking by our unit was not very convenient. We happened to be near one of the on-property water parks and other resort guests from different units drove up to the water area and parked there. So if we came back to our unit mid-day, we couldn't get a spot by our unit. There were no signs indicating that the parking was "reserved" and we felt there should have been.

This was the most family-friendly resort we've ever been to, and we had a fabulous vacation. Smuggler's Notch is completely deserving of its "Gold Crown" status.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent