We took a quick long weekend getaway to the Balsams this year. We found a good deal on Travelzoo.com for this resort and are so glad we did. There is skiing on site, with rentals and all, and you can take lessons if you like.
The rooms are very basic, at least ours was. It reminded me of staying in someone's guest room. The radiator was very unpredictable, we were freezing at first and then had to open the window because it wouldn't turn off. We found out later they were repairing it that day.
The resort is nicely furnished and put together. Dinner is a wonderful affair with many courses and I loved the all inclusive factor. The only thing you paid for was alcoholic beverages and the rest is included. They had amazing food. Which I later found out was due to their having a culinary institute ON SITE. You can take tours and sometimes they have cooking weekends you can join in on.
Definitely pay attention to the weather before you go! The first day we were there, it was 35 degrees below zero on top of the mountain. We did one run on the alpine range and then called it a day because it was just TOO cold and windy.
I think they could really use a spa and hot tub in this resort, I think it would be a great addition. I'd go back, the skiing was challenging and the lift lines were non existant.
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