The Sebastian Vail Blog

Summer is Colorado’s best-kept secret, with adventures that go well beyond hiking and biking. With over 2,000 lakes and reservoirs, Colorado is the supreme playground for stand-up paddle boarding, also known as SUP. The season begins mid-May and runs through September.

At Colorado-based Timbers Resorts, Kaylie Finnis is the resident expert on stand-up paddle boarding. She took a break from her duties on the marketing team to give us insider tips on SUP adventures in Colorado.

Steamboat Springs, CO: home of One Steamboat Place

Ahh…picture yourself surrounded by nature, instead of walls, as you flow through a vinyasa, listening to the water lap alongside your board during savasana. That is the beauty of SUP yoga. Many of my first-time students haven’t tried yoga or SUP before and think it would be too challenging for them, but quickly learn that it’s not only possible, but it’s incredible!

A session typically begins with 15-30 minutes of basic safety, balance and paddle techniques, followed by a blissful, floating yoga class. If you fall, you just land in the water, so you can try poses you may not have tried on land. Fletcher Pond and Lake Catamount are two of my favorite places to SUP in Steamboat Springs. Group and private SUP Yoga and SUP Lessons are available through various outfitters in and around Steamboat.

Aspen/Snowmass, CO: home of Dancing Bear Aspen and The Timbers Club

SUP Rentals and beginner to advanced lessons are easy to find around Aspen/Snowmass and the Roaring Fork Valley. Stillwater, Twin Lakes and Ruedi Reservoir are three stunning mountainside options to tour on your board. Sunrise sessions of SUP Yoga and SUP Lessons are also available on Kodiak Ski Lake, 30 minutes outside of Aspen. For the more adventurous, you can take a guided tour down the Colorado River.

Vail/Beaver Creek, CO: home of The Sebastian – Vail and Timbers Bachelor Gulch

During the first weekend of August, Lake Dillon holds the highest altitude SUP races just 50 minutes from Vail.

While the SUP Sprint and SUP Cross may lean towards the extreme side of the sport, being a spectator during the annual GoPro Mountain Games will be blast for you and your family and friends. For the SUP Sprint, paddlers race down Gore Creek through class 2 & 3 whitewater to the finish line in the heart of Vail Village. This is followed by SUP Cross, where 5 athletes compete through a whitewater obstacle course. Next year’s events are June 9-12, 2016.

In addition to these race events, there are several beautiful flat-water options in the Vail-Eagle area as well as many outfitters who offer SUP Yoga as well as private and group SUP lessons.

Fun Colorado SUP Facts:

• Peter Hall is the inflatable SUP designer and owner of Hala Gear, which is based in Steamboat Springs.
• Charlie Macarthur, a resident of Aspen, co-designed/tested the first whitewater SUP for C4 Waterman.
• Shaboomee, a SUP design/rental company that is all about family fun, is located near Aspen/Snowmass. They just unveiled their new patent-pending SUP Yoga platform, called the SUP Nelumbo, at the Steamboat Movement Festival in July.

Colorado’s abundance of bluebird days are reflected in clear waterways surrounded by aspen and pine trees. With boards and lessons at your fingertips, where would you choose to stay and SUP with your family and friends?

Kaylie Finnis is the Director of Database Marketing for Timbers Resorts, she is also a PSUPA Flatwater certified instructor as well as a certified yoga/SUP yoga instructor. Kaylie taught SUP Yoga at the Steamboat Movement Festival in July, races at the Dillon High-Altitude SUP Challenge, and has also competed in the GoPro Mountain Games Downriver SUP Sprint. In her free time, she shares her passion for stand-up paddle boarding with others through lessons, or sunrise/sunset SUP sessions with friends.

We are pleased to announce that two Timbers Resorts properties have received top honors from the discerning readers of Travel + Leisure in the 2015 World’s Best Awards. Castello di Casole – A Timbers Resort in Tuscany and The Sebastian - Vail – A Timbers Resort were named to the top 100 Hotels in the World and the Top Resorts in Europe and the U.S.

We invite you to celebrate with us by visiting these exceptional properties and seeing for yourself what makes them so special. Picture yourself arriving at a centuries-old castle at Castello di Casole for a magical getaway in the rolling hills of Tuscany, or being warmly welcomed to The Sebastian – Vail for a stay in a modern guestroom in the heart of beautiful and vibrant Vail Village.

40% off Oliveto Suites at Hotel Castello di Casole
Book four nights in an Oliveto Suite and save up to 40%! Enjoy the stunning landscape of vineyards and olive groves from your own private terrace, inspired dining and activities, and an enchanting spa – all with signature Tuscan hospitality and service. Learn More >>

35% off summer stays at The Sebastian – Vail
Stay in one of The Sebastian’s newly-remodeled Plaza Rooms and save up to 35%! Discover the beauty and fun of summer in the Rockies, from mountains to fountains, biking and hiking, and dining al fresco – all within steps of the chic and family-friendly Sebastian – Vail. Learn More >>

We look forward to seeing you soon!

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.963.4626 (direct) or via email at [email protected].

Timbers Resorts’ properties, Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Italy and The Sebastian – Vail in Vail, Colorado, are honored to be included among the nominees in the 2015 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.

Vote for your favorite travel experiences now and enter for a chance to win one of two extraordinary trips, courtesy of Condé Nast Traveler:

• A five-night stay for two in a suite at the Halekulani hotel in Honolulu, HI.
• An eight-day Romantic Danube cruise with Viking River Cruises for two in a Category A stateroom.

Results will be published in the November 2015 issue. Limit one vote per person. Voting ends June 1, 2015.

Vote Now >>

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.963.4626 (direct) or via email at [email protected].

Timbers Resorts is honored to be included among the nominees with Castello di Casole in Casole d'Elsa, Italy and The Sebastian - Vail in Vail, Colorado in the 2015 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards Survey.

2015 marks the 20^th anniversary of the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. Vote for your favorite travel experiences now by visiting tlworldsbest.com and enter for a chance to win a $10,000 dream trip, courtesy of Travel + Leisure. Your vote will contribute to the results, which will be revealed in the August 2015 issue of the acclaimed, luxury lifestyle publication.

Limit one vote per person. Voting ends March 2, 2015. Giveaway is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, age 18 or older at time of entry. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules for details and how to enter the Giveaway without completing the survey.

Thanks for voting! To learn more about Timbers Resorts and its travel award-worthy lifestyle, please contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone, 888.366.6641.

There is a draw to it, as our Owners and guests know so well: the adventuresome lifestyle filled with travel, adventure, and new experiences.

Whether it's coming to stay with us at one of Timbers Resorts' luxurious, immersive locations, or striking out for parts unknown, there is a thirst among our Owners that does not end at the threshold of their favorite brasserie or spa. It goes on, and discovery is its name.

At Timbers Resorts, we begin each day with the presumption that something new and exciting awaits the seeking mind. And, for Timbers Collection Members, our partners help us make that kind of exploration possible. Let's look at some of the options in our world, ways that you and yours can get the most out of every journey.

• Butterfield & Robinson: Adventure and immersion is the recipe when it comes B&R's world-travel packages. Our Owners waive fees and accrue special amenities as they set forth on their own bespoke experience crafted specifically for Timbers Resorts.

• The Italian Concierge: Allow world renown trip-planner Joyce Falcone to curate your itinerary in Italy. This Timbers Collection Members program takes you to Tuscany and beyond.

• SeaDream Yacht Club: Step aboard waterborne luxury. SeaDream is a 56-stateroom getaway with Owner specials that include spa treatments and invitations to private parties — even exclusive dinners with the captain.

• Daytona International Speedway: Our Members enjoy high-profile races at Florida's famous auto track in VIP style, with pre-event driver meet-ups and rides in the pace car.

• Breeder's Cup: Sip and nibble paddock-side as the best horses and jockeys prepare for the world-class racing event of the year. Our Owners join the best of the best for all the action, plus cocktails and championship celebrations.

• The Atlanta Hawks: Take advantage of access to court-side seats, pregame warm-ups, and complimentary drinks and dinner.

• Augusta Golf Championship: Or, try competition of a slightly different stripe. One of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the planet invites Timbers Collection Members to not only watch all the daily action on the green, but also to enjoy private accommodations, local transportation, and private home-cooked meals.

The choice of adventures is yours. As always, at Timbers Resorts, we're not only thrilled to host you but also to help you explore new ideas. Embark!

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.510.6796 (direct) or via email at [email protected].

For Timbers Resorts Owners, it's not so much about vacation; we prefer to think about our properties and the experiences surrounding them as a lifestyle.

Whether it's the services and amenities we offer — from our spas and restaurants to our ski-in and ski-out lodges, to our concierges always on hand — you might consider lifestyle to be a frame of mind, here. It's a way of thinking about your activities and passions, the ones you pursue at home and away, as an extension of the very things you'd do all the time if you could.

Growing your relationship with those things is key to our approach at Timbers Resorts. Let's look at a short list of some of the ways to do just that, bringing the leisurely lifestyle into your days and weeks, in our spaces and also those of our closely held partnerships.

Partnerships in Leisure: Ways to Explore Your Lifestyle

At Timbers Resorts, we know that variety and circumstance are important to the choices and accommodations that our Owners have come to love.

When you're an Owner with us, you'll have access to a lifestyle accented by international flair, all geared toward providing you a truly leisurely state of mind.

• PlumpJack Group: Start with how you eat and drink. Our partnership with PlumpJack ensures that your experience at their wineries, wine shops, and inns are of five-star caliber, and flush with benefits that non-Owners won't receive.

• Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa: Leisure is about restoration — bringing the senses and mind into line with the body and wellness. At Rancho Valencia, our Owners receive preferred rates on treatments and retail at the spa. Hotel reservations and dining are at special rates as well.

• The Sebastian - Vail: Bringing your friends and colleagues together in the right place at the right time is part of the leisurely lifestyle. In addition to preferred rates on accommodations, dining, retail, and spa experiences at The Sebastian - Vail, our Owners receive special access to banquet and meeting-space pricing.

• Hotel Castello di Casole and Hotel Savoy: There is something about Italy. At Timbers Resorts we treasure a special relationship with the region. When it comes to leisure, our Owners will explore special rates on suites, food, wine, and services at Tuscany's Hotel Castello di Casole. In Florence, our Owners receive VIP welcomes at Hotel Savoy, free upgrades when available, and a daily continental breakfast.

• Trump International Ireland: There is no place quite like the southwest coast of Ireland. To experience its magnificent cliffs, its world-class greens, and its inimitable culture and community, plug in to preferred rates at Trump International, Timbers Resorts' partner on the Emerald Isle.

• Mandarin Oriental: And then, continue your pursuit of leisure around the world with the spas, dining, service, and style of Mandarin Oriental's unique, exquisite, and wide-ranging properties.

Luxury: it's our Owners' passion. With the kinds of friends on our list, Timbers Resorts continues to make luxury a central part of every visit and trip.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.510.6796 (direct) or via email at [email protected].

Your time with us at Timbers Resorts starts, of course, with getting here. And we work with you every step of the way to make certain that the journey is a pleasant part of our Owners' experience. Then we take it further.

Partnering with leaders in the travel industry, Timbers Resorts is committed to bringing luxury and convenience to each of our traveling Owners.

"As our Owners travel often, we want to elevate their travel experience with the best-of-the-best partners providing special perks and privileges," said Stephanie Taylor, manager of Partnerships and Reciprocity at Timbers Resorts."We've curated a handful of well-known and like-minded brands to align with."

Whether it's a car service, luggage shipping, or even a private jet — have a look at the options your Timbers Resorts team has created for you.

• Priority Pass: Start with your point of departure. Our Members enjoy a preferred rate with Priority Pass and then receive special access to more that 600 airport VIP lounges in more than 100 countries.

• Luggage Forward: Forget about check-in lines and fees. Implement this doorstep-to-destination luggage service at our Owner rates.

• Sentient Jet: Elevate your travel experience with a special package on Sentient's private jet service. Owners receive free flight hours and credits that apply to further perks at Timbers Resorts' properties.

• Hertz: Members are automatically lifted to Gold status with Hertz, and they're guaranteed meet-and-greet services and complimentary vehicle pick-up and delivery, too.

• BMW North America: From June through November, our Members climb into the driver's seat with BMW's Ultimate Driving Experience Tour. From its various locations around the U.S., or with special access to its Performance Driving School in South Carolina, the wheel of one of the finest machines in the world is now in your hands.

"We understand that our Owners are very savvy, especially when it comes to partner benefits and the added value to their ownership," Taylor said. "Therefore, we seek partners that are not only like-minded, but provide a little something extra."

The bottom line? When it comes to getting from point-A to point-B, Timbers Resorts is always attending to the details that make sure you reach — and then fully enjoy — your favorite destination.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.510.6796 (direct) or via email at [email protected].

No matter how luxurious your destination, when you leave home on time-off, to some degree you leave behind the network of safety and security that is the backdrop to your primary-residence lifestyle.

Timbers Resorts' Owners, however, needn't find that a cause of concern.

Our properties are about surrounding you with not only the best options for relaxation, restoration, and wellness — but also the certainty that should you and yours ever need a bit of assistance, you're covered and in the best hands possible.

Safe and secure: it's a Timbers Resorts policy. Read about two of our partners that are helping to keep that critical part of every travel experience in place.

• MedjetAssist: Accessing preferred rates on this invaluable service, Timbers Collection Members are assured of speedy, top-rate care in every crucial scenario that might arise. Injured or sick more that 150 miles from home? MedjetAssist gets you from where you are to the hospital of your choice — no cost limits, no exceptions. You have peace of mind that your care providers are a swift jet flight away… every time, every place, always.

• Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue: It's also about caring for the carers. When you love the outdoors and all-season activities like our Owners do at The Sebastian - Vail, Dancing Bear - Aspen, The Timbers Club, One Steamboat Place, and other Colorado-based properties, it makes sense to invest in the CORSAR card. For just a few dollars, you're ensuring that if a state-volunteer team ever responds to your outdoor scenario, they're reimbursed for the invaluable aid that they supply.

There's no reason to think our Owners and guests will ever have to implement our Safe + Secure assurances. But knowing they're there: that's always a comforting part of Ownership at Timbers Resorts.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.510.6796 (direct) or via email at [email protected].

When thinking about your New Year's resolutions, why not do something that will last the whole year round? Here are some of the many reasons as to why Timbers Owners are satisfied. Shouldn’t you consider becoming an Owner with Timbers Resorts this year?

• “Fun! Fun! Fun! I have fun and my family has fun!” – One Steamboat Place Owner
• “It has made our lives better – it has been the best lifestyle investment we have made by far” – Residences at The Sebastian Owner
• “One of the things that Timbers has done so well is that it has hand-picked the very best locations, and it has spared no expense in terms of creating the nicest accommodations that you can find and then it is focused on the food and the activities and the most important thing, which is the people.” – Castello di Casole Owner
• “The staff has become close acquaintances, friends and even family. They see to it that my stay is enjoyable and carefree through personal and gracious service. We feel instantly at home every time we arrive” – Residences at The Sebastian Owner
• “Timbers has created a way for our family to have a lifestyle that allows for travel and experiences with limited effort and planning.” – Timbers Club Owner
• “We cherish the friendships we have made with other Owners” – Timbers Bachelor Gulch Owner
• “Timbers is constantly making major enhancements to add tremendous value for its Owners. And with the reciprocity program, it's like we belong to an entire portfolio of five star properties around the world.” – Esperanza Owner
• "A great collection of properties to choose from to experience wonderful friendly staff, great service, and awesome and beautiful locations." – Dancing Bear Aspen Owner
• “An incredible place where my family creates memorable experiences – It is a family tradition” – Mayacama Owner
• “My days at Timbers are my some of our happiest every year” – One Steamboat Place Owner

Learn More>>>

Discover why you’ll love ownership at any of the properties in the Timbers Resorts portfolio by calling 866.440.4746 or 970.510.6800 or emailing [email protected] today.

Your well-being matters to us at Timbers Resorts.

We like to think that whether our Owners and guests join us for a season or just a short break, it's more than just a time for great food, fine wine, and seeing family and friends. Coming here is also your chance to rejuvenate. It's a time to get back in touch with what it is that makes you feel good in every way, inside and out. Wellness is the goal, and Timbers Resorts can help you achieve it.

The Spa Experience

Whichever of our properties you call home, spa experiences are deeply connected to the idea of wellness that we pursue at Timbers Resorts. Plug into the opportunities we offer, and you can find your well-being in any number of ways.

• Slip into a rooftop hot-tub at Dancing Bear - Aspen.
• Find a moment of reflection among the grapevines and apple groves of The Orchard at The Carneros Inn.
• Join our yoga instructors for a session and then cool down in the pools at Castello di Casole.
• Restore with an expert massage and an herb-infused steam-room experience at The Spa at One Steamboat Place.

Canyon Ranch: An Invitation

We also extend benefits to our members who'd like to visit Canyon Ranch's resorts in Arizona and Massachusetts. There, nurture your palate and spirit with nutritious cuisine and stress-management coaching. Timbers Collection Members receive preferred rates, additional services, and a special gift upon arrival.

World-Class Care, Onsite

While you're here, know that as a Timbers Collection Member you're in good hands. Registered nurses from the Mayo Clinic's Preferred Response team are ready to answer your questions and all manner of medical planning and appointment services are available. Top-level resources like these are a part of ensuring that your wellness is always in good hands with us.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.963.4626 (direct) or via email at [email protected]

Wine isn't just a beverage on the dinner table at Timbers Resorts; for many of our Owners and guests, wine is a way of looking at life.

Indeed, we believe that every glass is a great pleasure to behold, to discuss, to share … and, yes, to enjoy slowly over a sunset or a crackling fire.

As much as they join us for any number of favorite reasons, our Owners and guests come to us for the wine experience that Timbers Resorts has come to represent. What follow are some recent highlights of how we make that a touchstone of our properties, all year round.

• Start with the heart of Wine Country. PlumpJack and its family of wineries grow and blend grapes in some the finest climates, worldwide. Timbers Collection Members reap the fruit of our deep commitment to the company's winemaking vision, enjoying a PlumpJack Passport that affords them access to three of its premier locations. Work your way through PlumpJack Estate, CADE, and Odette, one glass at a time.
• As you learn the wines you love, sometimes you find bottles that are hard to come by. At Timbers Resorts, our close connection to Italian Wine Merchants, one of the most respected procurers of exceptional vintages on the planet, helps to solve that quandary. From four different wine-club membership subscription programs to Italian Wine Merchants' extraordinary cellar-management services, every oenophile is working with the best, to taste the best, every time.
• Timbers Resorts even bottles a signature blend. At Castello di Casole, 100 acres of idyllic land in Tuscany, the grapes hang heavy before they're picked and made into exclusive vintages. Timbers Collection Members get special access to these bottles — and our Members are also invited to come to the property and watch how the wine is made.

There is more on the horizon as well. We think that wine is about learning, and Timbers Resorts will soon create new opportunities to do just that across our portfolio of luxury fractional resorts.

Is it time to uncork your next wine experience? Why not join us over some cab or a pinot noir. Wine is a way of experiencing the pleasures of life, here, and Timbers Resorts is your gateway to the best that you can pour.

To learn more about Timbers Resorts, please contact us at 800.941.4579 (toll free) or 970.963.4626 (direct) or via email at [email protected]

Trees trimmed and mistletoe hung, candles lit and gifts wrapped, the end of the year is a time for family and food . . . and also holiday movies.

There's something satisfying about making that family-time nest of blankets, snacks, and a warm cup or two in front of the classics. Owners and guests with us at Timbers Resorts' luxury fractional homes can tap into our DVD libraries, available in the game-rooms of our properties, or even set aside some time at the private theater in spots such as Dancing Bear Aspen.

Whether you're streaming, bringing your own copy, or borrowing one of ours, here's a list of five sure-fire holiday films. And, yes, we work in a few of the best and most reliable chestnuts, but hopefully our list of five will also remind you that there are some genuine holiday-themed classics that you perhaps haven't seen 15 times already.

1. Miracle on 34th Street (1947): 

There's nothing quite like curling up in front of the fireplace — at One Steamboat Place or The Timbers Club, for example — wrapped in the glow of this old-school, thoughtful classic. The idea is that when it comes to the spirit of giving, fantasy and reality are less important distinctions in this world. Edmund Gwen plays a department-store Santa whose real life is on the line, and John Payne plays the lawyer who argues that Gwen's Kris Kringle may prove to be something like the real thing.

2.  The Holiday (2006): 

A pair of stars swap homes for the holidays, and in so doing they discover something about their hearts. Cameron Diaz's workaholic movie producer trades her L.A. digs for the rustic cottages of Kate Winslet's character in Surrey, England. Both discover a path back from burnout in the company of unlikely gentlemen (for whom they fall). For our Owners bound for the opposite clime this season — sunny/warm at Esperanza Resort or Rancho Valencia to cozy/snowy at The Sebastian - Vail or Dancing Bear Aspen, or the reverse — the pleasures of the swap through the Timbers Reciprocity Program should seem familiar - and just as seamless!.

3. It's a Wonderful Life (1946): 

The difference that we make in each other's worlds is a key message of this Frank Capra-directed fantasy. There's really no wrong place to watch Jimmy Stewart work his way through an undeniably heart-tugging role, but if you've got some fresh-powder slopes around you at Timbers Resorts' Colorado properties, for example, or a snug cottage is your environs, the wintertime scenes will resonate especially.

4. Love Actually (2003): 

This is the ultimate romantic comedy with an ensemble cast of powerhouse actors —- Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, and Laura Linney. To many, it's considered the most charming and romantic mainstream movie ever made. Set in London and extending beyond, it opens and closes at Heathrow Airport around the holidays, taking the audience on a spirited journey through five days leading up to Christmas.

5. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987): 

If you're hunting for a mostly secular setting: John Candy and Steve Martin play businessmen who just want to get home for the holidays — but in this case it's Thanksgiving. The concepts of the holidays in general are strong, though, throughout. Family, the appreciation of what one has at hand, and generosity of spirit to others, those are the underlying ideas. And if you've ever struggled with an airport queue or a train schedule en route to your Timbers Resorts location, you'll feel for this duo, all the way.

To learn about Timbers Resorts and how you can be a part of this lifestyle, during the holidays and year-round, please contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone, 888.366.6641.