Trapp Family Lodge

This was a singular place to visit. In its own right this is a lovely lodge with a splendid breakfast. If you follow or know the Von Trapp story there is plenty of new information to interest you on every wall or surface.
Our rooms were very comfortable and the location is quiet and beautiful. I would certainly choose to stay here again.
Our only down moment was when hoping to have dinner in the lodge somewhat late, 8:30 when the kitchen closes at 9:00. It was a challenge to get the waiter in the dining room to even acknowledge our presence with a luke warm greeting and it was abundantly clear that he wanted us to eat somewhere else, like the bar with the loud piano in our ears. Being so reluctantly seated was pretty souring, especially against the contrasting helpfulness we found with other staff and breakfast servers.

I’ve been coming to Trapp’s since I was a little kid to visit family and take in the incredible view. Once you stop here, you’ll know immediately why the Trapp family settled here — it looks just like Austria (cows and all).

This is a great place. Very friendly staff, Amazing View, so many things to do and great food!!! They have this cool lodge that you hike to about 3 miles away. They sell sandwiches, bread, hot cider chocolate and tea. Great community. Ben and Jerry’s factory is near there. Great ski hill near by. Great place overall

The place is at least half empty (should’ve been a warning sign), and they put me in a room next to one being renovated. Nothing ruins a trip quicker than loud hammer and saw noise as your wake up call! The hills are alive with the sound of construction — any other hotel has to be better than this.

Way to go — thanks for waiting till last minute to move eastern cup races — you get all the revenue and all we get is frustration

This is our first time here, our first day to arrive, and first impressions are everything. I’m giving it 2 stars for cozy décor and friendly staff upon check-​in.
It is a very rustic/​Bavarian style Lodge. With it being the Holidays, they decorated it nicely and it looks very charming.
We booked a «family two bedroom» in the Lodge. Checking in was seamless, the valet and front desk staff were very pleasant. However, our room was not what we expected. And we are paying $ 700/​night!!! When booking it over the phone with the Reservations rep, and from looking at their website pictures, our understanding was that our room had two separate bedrooms with a living room in between the two rooms and one bathroom. What we got was entirely different… when first entering the room through the front door, it’s a big room with a king bed smack in the center of the room which is supposed to be the master bedroom (very strange). And NO living room! The second bedroom has two queen beds and is a little more private. However if you’re staying in the queen room, you must walk through the big room (which supposedly is the master) to get to the bathroom. Zero privacy! And why not have switched the beds to have the king in the more private room? Seems more logical. But regardless, the room IS NOT what we paid for, which again is a whopping $ 700/​night. A total rip-​off! And though we are on the 4^th floor, you can hear everything going on below on the 3^rd floor, and the walls are very thin, so we can also hear our next room neighbors. We have had one meal so far which was in the Lounge and it was pretty good — the service was fine, except our waitress wasn’t all that friendly at first and it wasn’t until we got through our meal that she finally cracked a smile. And the last thing I will comment on is that there is absolutely no snacks or beverages available after 9pm. Not even a vending machine! Despite the front desk misstating there was a machine on the 4^th floor, there was not and they were mistaken. So in order to get any snacks, we drove 3 miles down to a convenience store. Not very accommodating for the rates they charge. Laughable really…
We will see what day #2 brings. Hopefully no more surprises! :/

Main dining offers lame continental breakfast. Even ordering an item off the menu wasn’t anything good. Banana Foster French toast. What ever few bananas they use are mixed in a filing. Not caramelized on top with additional carmel sauce. Sad quality of food for such a «landmark».

I’ve been an owner of a guest house (time share) for about 14 years. I love coming up here the first week in September. The property is beautiful and well maintained. I spend my week doing three hour hikes each day and then enjoying the property’s and Stowe’s amenities. After all these years, my two bedroom guest house feels like home. The friendly staff help create that feeling. Also, the Von Trapp owners are on the property and seem to ensure things are right.
When relaxing after hiking, i enjoy the bar and the piano music in the lounge, and the Austrian deli/​bakery. The Von Trap brewery, a recent addition, is brewing some terrific beers. The exercise and swimming pools are superb. The hiking trails are certainly world class.
So why only four stars? Because the restaurant is disappointing. It is not bad; just mediocre. Everything else on the property is exceptional. Why shouldn’t the restaurant be, as well?
Net-​net: I’ve travelled the world quite extensively. This beautiful mountain resort is one of the few places where I I can really chill out and unwind.

This review is specifically for the Trapp Family Guesthouses (not the Villas, lodge/​hotel). The guest houses either can be rented or obtained through timeshare exchange.
So, the Trapp family property still gets high marks from me for the overall experience– mountain views, the large outdoor pool, trails for hiking or MTB and daily activities. I would give the front desk good marks for a quick, courteous check in and they accommodated a request for changing our unit from a lower level to an upper.
The guest houses are not only in need of exterior repairs, but the insides are really dated. The kitchen is TINY. It’s really not even fair to call it a kitchen, its more like a galley, and so small that only a single person can be in there at a time. If the dishwasher door is open, you can’t open the fridge, if someone is standing at the sink you can’t use the counter. The kitchen provided was barely enough to do any real cooking. For example, there was ONE large knife, which looked like a bread knife. All the others were small steak knives. How are you supposed to slice an onion, or chop vegetables or a slice of cheddar? If you wanted to bake or broil a piece of fish, chicken or steak, good luck. No way to do it with no trays or roasting pans. I struggled with this kitchen with just 2 people– how would you use it for a group of 6 or 8? The counters are updated but obviously not the crappy honey oak cabinets. One of the drawers wouldn’t close.
Do you like climbing up and down steps like a sherpa? Because at most of these guest houses, you can’t park your car near your unit, and there are a ton of stairs to go up and down just to get to your door. Then the additional stairs up to your unit. Fine for the able bodied, but don’t bring grandma if she can’t do stairs. Seriously.
The outsides of the houses need work too. The staircase leading to our unit had settled so much on one side that the whole staircase was slanted. There was a hornets nest jn the siding on the balcony. Some of the windows cranks were broken. Doors that didn’t close all the way without slamming. Which brings me to my next topic– NOISE.
Despite having an upstairs unit, the units are very noisy. There are 4 units per building and you will hear noise from your neighbors. Every time the people downstairs came or went, I would know it from the loud sound of slamming doors. Sometimes at 11 pm. Our unit housed the «on demand» hot water heater which made a loud groaning sound every time anyone in the building used hot water– which was pretty often. Despite what can be hot summers, there is no air conditioning and the units can get quite hot. They do give you a couple fans, but the fans just blow the hot air around. Ceiling fans would be much more effective at forcing warm air out.
The resort doesn’t enforce their own rules. It said it was a non smoking resort, however the people in one of the nearby units were smoking (outside) and the smell came into our unit. The hot tub said no kids after 6 pm but guess what, when we went to the hot tub at 6:30 pm there was a family there with young kids. The hot tub is not even adjacent to the pool. You have to go out of the building to get to the hot tub. Its nowhere near the outdoor pool or indoor pool.
There is no housekeeping in these units. And no laundry in the unit. You have to DRIVE ½ mile down the road to get to the laundry– which when we did, two of the washing machines were broken/​out of order and the other ones were in use. We left and came back again, managed to wash our things, came back again and then found no available driers. Came back once more– still no dryers. We took our wet clothing back to our guest house and dried the clothing on hangers and the chairs on the deck. Nice.
A word about the Wifi– extremely annoying. I don’t mind having to sign their terms of use ONCE, but having to do so every single time you left the unit and then came back later? That is what happens when you use their Wifi with your iPhone or laptop. I never took my laptop out of the unit, it forced me to go through their user agreement page every single day I was there. Or often, the phone or laptop was not re-​directed to their page so you had to shut off your phone or mess with the settings to try and get back to that page. Extremely frustrating and annoying to use.
As far as food, there is really only ONE restaurant at the resort and its haughty. We took one look at the menu and then went out to eat. You can eat casual food at the deli for lunch but there is no dinner service. On the topic of the deli. their prices are beyond outrageous. One pint of milk was $ 3.00! You can buy a gallon of milk for $ 3. Not a quart, but a pint. 2 cups.
I would not even rate these guest houses as a 5 star timeshare resort any longer.

We come to the Trapp Family Lodge every year with my family for vacation. The accommodations are fabulous!!! The views are breathtaking of the mountains and gardens. MILES of Hiking and mountain biking trails. A choice of indoor swimming and outdoor swimming and a hottub with a view!!! The Deli /​Brewery where you can sit back relax and sip on Trapp Lager while admiring the view… The staff are all friendly and very helpful as always. Every year there are new things making the Trapp experience even better and exciting for all. The amenities, the views, the peace, the property everything as well as the location in Stowe, VT… a definite bucket list to do if only once… but I bet youll come back…
We stay each year in a guest house.

Classic style lodge with really good dining. Try the quail and pork belly. I was impressed with the plants in this place.

This review is only for the cross country skiing, I didn’t stay at the lodge nor go to the restaurant.
Trails were great — when I went on a Tuesday afternoon in February, they were freshly groomed, and nary a soul in sight (and when I did pass other people, they were all friendly — go Vermont). The prices do drop in the afternoon, but unless you’re just looking for a quick workout, go for all day. The property is quite large and a full day is needed to explore it at a leisurely pace.

Perfect blend of resort and cabin in the woods. It might not be modern and it doesn’t have all the amenities of a luxury resort chain, but it’s spacious, bright, and has a nice feel about it. The guest house was quieter than I expected, had our own fireplace, was well stocked, and had tons of storage. As soon as we arrived I knew I’d have to come back again.

I stayed at the Von Trapp lodge for 5 days and also ate in the dining room. I had two separate experiences.
Our time in the Villas was wonderful. They are beautiful, and the entire property really is breathtaking. We enjoyed spending time in the fitness center and though we were pretty lazy throughout the trip, the Lodge offered more than enough activities which we could have partook in.
(I would not use their spa services again because, while I enjoyed mine, I am not a fan of their inflexible cancellation policy which required my mom to pay for a treatment cancelled hours in advance, due to acute illness. I get that they may lose some money but over the course of the week, we had spent hundreds of dollars on spa treatments. It seemed like a situation they should have treated as special, but alas.)
On our final night, we dined at the Lodge. I was really looking forward to an authentic Austrian meal and my Unilocalers seemed to give this place the thumbs up. Me? Not so much.
First, because I have a 1.5 year old, we showed up at 5:30, as requested for those with little ones. We left almost 2 hours later?! Service was beyond slow and I felt like in order to move things along, I had to push my waiter — «more water, please?», «Can we see a dessert menu?», «can we get the check, our child is about to melt down.» Would love to justify the slowness with a packed dining room, but nope. We were maybe 1 of 3 parties. Our server was okay. He was accommodating, while slow, and forgot to put in our appetizer order, then blaming it on the chef.
Finally, the food. Agh! I expected more. My wiener shnitzel had no flavor — zero. It tasted only of the breading and the cut of meat was way too tough. I’m no Austrian food connoisseur but I could’ve made this at home and not spent $ 30. Spaetzel was the same — no flavor, just completely forgettable. Shouldn’t have been on the plate. The beets were the one saving grace, and when the item that saves a dish is beets — well, you know the dish was bad. My entire table felt the same of their meals, my husband saying his hamburger was overcooked and flavorless.
All in all, we had a 2 star dining experience, at best, and it wasn’t cheap! With so many awesome food options in Stowe, I wouldn’t choose the Lodge again. But I would stay in the Villas again, for sure.

(This review is for the restaurant, not the Lodge.)
Based on its reputation, and on my memory of a previous meal there 4 years ago, I expected better. The meal was adequate — good even — but not great and not memorable. Which, for the price and as the house restaurant for the excellent Trapp Family Lodge it really should have been.
To start we shared an appetizer of Winter Squash Ravioli. Since we were sharing, they conveniently split the appetizer into two plates, and, generously, I think they even added an extra raviolo so we each got 3 (it was supposed to come with 5). Tasty enough, though not really hot enough. And nothing special, unique, or innovative sufficient to elevate it to greatness.
For my entrée I had the Wagyu Hangar Steak («Salsify, Cipollini Onions, Foraged Mushrooms, Smoked Red Wine Sauce»). Again, tasty enough, reasonable portion size, and cooked exactly as I requested, but again, not hot enough, and nothing to make this stand out above average.
For her entrée, the wife had the Wiener Schnitzel, their obligatory homage to their Austrian heritage. («Sautéed Veal Cutlet, Spätzle, Lingonberry Jam, Mushroom Sauce)» (The mushroom sauce was a couple of dollars extra.) For the most part, adequate, but not memorable. And again, not hot enough.
(Three for three, the food was not hot enough. Not room temperature but enough to consider it a mentionable flaw. And no reason for it; it’s not like they were busy. There were only 3 or 4 tables occupied at the time.)
Wife didn’t like the mushroom sauce and didn’t eat much of it. But the dish can stand on its own without it so it didn’t really matter. She did tell the waiter, who apologized and said that «of course we’ll take it off the bill» — which we were not going to ask for. But kudos to them for doing this without fuss or argument. That speaks to the excellent service which we also remembered from our last visit.
For our wine we asked if they had any bottles left over from their wine tasting event earlier in the afternoon — there was one that we really liked, that they don’t normally offer in the restaurant. They did — it was from the wine tasting but not the one we wanted — but we didn’t realize that until later. But that’s ok — we liked most of the wines at the wine tasting. When we got the bill and saw they charged $ 36 for the wine we questioned it because the sommelier that afternoon said it sells for $ 30 in restaurants, we mentioned that, casually (not to complain). And again, they graciously reduced the price to honor what the sommelier told us that afternoon.
For dessert we shared the Trapp Dunkel Sundae («Dunkel Caramel, Sea Salt Ice Cream, Hazelnut Brittle, Chocolate Ganache»). Again, as with the appetizer, because we were sharing, I believe they increased the portion — it was huge. Very tasty, and truthfully the best and only memorable part of the meal.
With a window seat overlooking the Vermont mountains and the Stowe village lights down in the valley the view can’t be beat. And the room ambience and the service are top-​notch. If only the food were up to the same standards.

Pretty disappointing, given the Austrian heritage of the place. Spaetzle and kid’s Mac n Cheese were dry and bland, Wiener Schnitzel somewhat chewy and small for the price ($ 29). Our waiter couldn’t get a smile on his face and threw the flood on our table, not a very charming experience. Felt like the fame got to them a bit too much.
We’ll stick with the Deli/​bakery next time, forget the main dining room.

Staying as guests at a time share over New Years, so we don’t experience the lodge experience. We also downhill ski off site, so we’re not into the cross xx scene. That said, the fitness center is dated, which is surprising given the price to stay.
Kids love the pool and hot tube.

Very nice place for a 30 minute visit on a nice summer day.
Fantastic views. Very friendly and welcoming staff. Impressive gardens. Very well maintained grounds.
I did not stay here. Just visited. I immensely enjoyed hanging out here for a little bit.

I was especially impressed by the wonderful customer service at this hotel, the lovely views and the large, clean guest rooms.
My boyfriend brought me here for my birthday. It was a fun drive from Burlington, high on a hill, and the views from the hotel of the valley and distant mountains are very pretty.
I’ve read some other reviews and many of the cons are true. The hotel is dated and probably hasn’t been renovated since the 80s. It’s a bit kitschy and there are photographs and movie photos of the Von Trapp family everywhere. Most the staff has to wear old-​time Austrian outfits. There is little to no cell phone/​internet service at the location, so you need to use the hotel’s free wifi.
Then why the four-​star review and not something lower? The service at the hotel while I was staying there was exemplary. I’m from Vermont and customer service isn’t exactly a priority in most places. From the minute we entered the hotel until the minute we left, we were impressed by the professionalism and attitude of the staff. Very helpful and kind. In fact, even after we left the hotel the customer service continued. I inevitably forgot some clothes in the top drawer of our room. The manager called me to let me know and then even though I live an hour away in Burlington she sent my clothes to me. I just received the box today.
The room we stayed in was large and comfortable, albeit dated. The bed was very comfortable. We had access to the roof deck outside our room. There was no mini fridge but there was a Keurig coffee machine for my boyfriend.
We used the outdoor pool across the street from the hotel. It was heated and clean. We walked around the grounds and they were very lovely. We had breakfast in the hotel the day we left and the food was very good and our server was extremely courteous and helpful.
Yes, the hotel has the vibe that it’s best suited for a much older clientele. Yes, the buildings are spread out and not all part of one unit. Yes, there are probably other little inconveniences that one may not expect.
I’ve stayed in highly-​rated hotels all over the world and I’ve seldom been so impressed by the customer service. When it comes down to it, if one finds a hotel with clean, quiet rooms, good food and excellent customer service, then one is doing quite well, I think. I was especially charmed by Ester who worked the front desk. She was very sweet and helpful.
This is a destination spot and decidedly not located for convenience. But I expect an older person who is coming to VT for the foliage would be very happy staying here with a view to the mountains. Or a couple who is looking to get away from it all and just wants to spend a quiet few days alone in the Vermont countryside. Families also might enjoy. And, of course, anyone with a thing for the Sound of Music… (they were playing the musical for guests in a public viewing room the night we stayed there).

I know Trapp Family Lodge is up there with Topnotch, Stowe Mountain Lodge and other spots as the premier hotels/​spots to crash at and I know Trapp has some preemo cross country trails, but after a weekend stay my feelings on it were mixed.
Pro’s
–Really nice staff — kudo’s to the night shift dude running the valet
–I know it’s separate, but the brewery/​deli is worth a separate trip in and of itself. Great beers and muncihes.
–Outstanding views of the nearby mountains.
–Great hot tub.
Con’s
–Ok, I was on the 4^th floor but why did I need to walk a bunch and take TWO elevators to get to my room?
–I get it, it’s suppose to be a ‘old school lodge’ but it looks as though they haven’t changed the décor since 1987, which is fine — but don’t charge an arm and a leg then
-$ 50 fee for having a 20 pound puppy with us for one night and he was in his crate the whole night
–Why isn’t the fitness center attached to the lodge?
I mean, if you’re all wound up about the Sound of Music or you’re an Olympic cross country skier, hey, this place might be heaven for you. But otherwise, I’d pass and look at other spots to stay.