Attitash Mountain Village in Bartlett, NH
Written: Feb 28 '03 (Updated Nov 05 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great location, nice amenities, pleasant units
Cons: housekeeping
The Bottom Line: With a location that gives you something to do summer, fall & winter, Attitash Mountain Village can't be beat!
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| AliventiAsylum's Full Review: Attitash Mountain Village |
There is something special about curling up with a cup of cocoa watching the snow softly fall in the trees while a gas-powered cast-iron stove warms the room and skiers slide down the mountain just beyond the trees.
Such was our experience at Attitash Mountain Village.
Located directly across Route 302 from the Attitash Bear Peak Ski Resort, the Attiash Mountain Village is a series of separate buildings, each housing about a dozen units.
We stayed in a studio unit. I was nervous at first because sometimes studio units do not have a full-size kitchen, especially in older buildings. I am pleased to say that wasn’t the case here. Our room contained a full kitchen with refrigerator, smooth-top stove and oven, dishwasher, and microwave oven. The kitchens are fully stocked with place settings for six (even though the unit is designated as maximum occupancy four), pots and pans, and a coffeemaker.
The bathroom was a good size with a jacuzzi tub as well. There was also an apartment-sized washer and dryer, something definitely not always found in small units like this. The unit also did not show any signs of heavy wear-and-tear which suggests the staff keeps up with problems that arise.
The sleeping arrangements for four consist of a queen-sized Murphy bed and a double convertible sofa-bed. When both are out there really isn’t room to back and forth in the room. We also had a portable crib in the room, but I never felt like we were crowded in. There is a table and chairs for four people as well. One major drawback was that there were only three small drawers to put clothes in, which meant living out of suitcases for most of our five nights here.
Many units have fireplaces (firewood available for free). However, ours had the previously mentioned gas cast-iron stove. On the cold days, this was all we had on to warm the place - and it kept the room very warm! It was a bit distracting at night. Being a light sleeper, I woke up the first night whenever the stove switched on. It is nice to know if there ever was a real fire I’d probably wake up, but I also wanted a good night’s sleep. What I learned to do was to turn up the fireplace just before bed, then lower it back down to a comfortable level. The units were very well insulated and usually I wouldn’t see it come on again. Each unit is also alotted one outside locker for ski equipment.
Next to us was a suite, which is actually two one-bedroom lockout units. What this means is that there are two rooms, similar to the one we had, but with a bedroom as part of the unit as well. These two rooms can either be used together or apart. You can have two bedrooms - and two kitchens! - or two one-bedroom units. This is nice for two families that may vacation together. It makes it easy to spend some time together and yet have privacy.
The amenities here are many. On the grounds itself are two pools; one is indoor and one outdoor. There are also two jacuzzis. The outdoor one is open to be used during the winter! There is a decent game-room which the kids seem to be happy to hang out in. The front desk staff is very helpful. All day long there is coffee available at the front desk. They also keep a supply of board games on hand. We borrowed checkers and bingo for our trip. Although they were well-used, it was a big help to be able to have something to divert attention on chilly winter nights!
There is a small restaurant in the check-in building which prepares burgers, pizza and deli items. We didn’t try it, but many nights I saw people walking around the resort carrying pizza boxes from here. The nearest market is in town is about 3 miles away - not far at all.
Across the street is the ski area. It is easy walking distance from just about any of the units. There are also cross-country ski trails throughout the property and down along the Saco River. An ice-skating area is on the property as well. During the summer there is an Alpine Slide ride as well as a waterslide across the way. The cross-country trails become hiking trails and horseback riding is available as well. Tubing and rafting are available on the Saco River, along with swimming.
Nearby to the resort is the village of North Conway, famous for its outlet shopping. Story Land and Heritage are nearby in the town of Jackson. There are also an abundance of restaurants a short drive away in either Bartlett, North Conway or Jackson. . Kancamagus Highway is also just a short ride away from this resort. This is a great place to go to see the fall colors!
We traded in with our timeshare points, but this resort has rentals available. Even during the week we were there which was a holiday week there were some units available. Rates begin at $49 per night and go all the way up to $499, depending on the size of the unit.
If there’s one complaint I have, it’s with the housekeeping. One floor lamp had dust on its base, as well as me finding a potato chip bad behind the set of drawers. Guests are expected to wash their dishes and put them away the morning of departure, as well as take out all of the trash. In other timeshares we’ve stayed at, I’ve been encouraged to just make sure all of the dishes are in the dishwasher and it’s turned on the last morning and the cleaning staff takes care of putting them away. Daily cleaning service is available for an additional fee, however.
The location is wonderful. There is so much to see and do in this area of the state that it’s well worth staying here. For families who wish to ski, the location can’t be beat. For fall foliage or summer fun, it’s also great. I would not hesitate to stay here again and hopefully will be staying here next year!
Other sites to see in New Hampshire:
Attitash Bear Peak Ski Resort ~ Bretton Woods Ski Resort ~ Canobie Lake Park ~ Cranmore Mountain Ski Resort ~ Franconia Notch State Park ~ Kancamagus Highway ~ King Pine Ski Resort ~ Loon Mountain Ski Resort ~ Madison Boulder Natural Area ~ Mount Washington Cog Railway ~ North Conway, NH ~ Polar Express Event ~ Shawnee Peak, Bridgeton ME ~ Six Gun City ~ Story Land ~ Whale's Tale Waterpark ~ White Lake State Park ~ White Mountain National Forest ~ Wildcat Mountain
Some places to stay in New Hampshire:
Comfort Inn & Suites - North Conway NH ~ Hampton Inn - Concord/Bow NH ~ Yankee Clipper Motel
Places to eat in New Hampshire:
Bea's Cafe, Conway NH ~ Cafe Noche, Conway NH ~ Decades Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Delaney‘s Hole in the Wall, North Conway NH ~ Harts Turkey Farm, Meredith NH ~ May Kelly's Cottage, North Conway NH ~ Merlino's Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Moat Mountain Smokehouse, North Conway NH ~ Muddy Moose, North Conway NH ~ Peach's Restauran, North Conway NH ~ Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub, Glen NH ~ Yankee Smokehouse, West Ossipee NH
Books about the area:
Appalachian Mountain Club White Mountain Guide ~ 50 Hikes in the White Mountains
© 2003 Patti Aliventi
Recommended:
Yes
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AliventiAsylum
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Member: Patti Aliventi
Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
Reviews written: 2076
Trusted by: 687 members
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Now writing reviews to pay for the "out of network" costs of our health insurance...
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