Sun Valley, Idaho is a winter paradise. White-capped mountains, breathtaking landscapes, and sunny blue skies abound. There is something truly magical about this area which is quickly becoming one of our favorite family vacation destinations. Ben is a snowboarder, and Carter is just starting to learn skiing. But on most of our winter vacations, our time is spent enjoying the outdoors in more casual ways like snowshoeing and playing in the snow. And Sun Valley has so much to explore!
We recently spent a long weekend at the iconic Sun Valley Resort, and it wasn’t enough time to enjoy everything that it has to offer. In addition to the abundance of outdoor recreation, the resort has a variety of dining options, shops, and activities to entertain everyone in your family. This area has somehow mastered feeling like a small, walkable mountain town, but has so many amenities you’d find in bigger cities.
Sun Valley and Ketchum are right next to each other and blend seamlessly. Sun Valley is where the resort is technically located, and then the downtown area with most of the shops and restaurants is in Ketchum. We love this area because of its proximity to Boise. For us it’s less than a 3-hour drive away. But for those visiting from further away, you can rent a car at the Boise airport, or even fly directly to the Sun Valley airport, where several major airlines operate.
Sun Valley Resort
We visit the Sun Valley area several times a year, but since we usually travel with our dog, we don’t often stay at the Sun Valley Resort. But, for this trip, we ditched the dog (sorry, Cooper) and booked three nights at the Sun Valley Lodge.
Sun Valley is full of history. It was America’s first destination resort, built in 1936, and when walking through the halls of the Lodge you’ll see framed photos touting the many celebrities, politicians, and famous guests that have visited throughout the decades. The photos of Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood, and Tom Hanks are some of my favorites.
The main part of the resort is centered around a beautifully landscaped courtyard. The Lodge and Inn are on the edges of the courtyard area with the shops in the center. Everything in the resort is connected by sidewalks and walkways – and during the day you’ll see many kids playing in the snow. On this trip, there were kids building snowmen.
If you’re in the mood for shopping, you’re in luck. The boutiques at the resort include outdoor gear, souvenirs, high-end clothing, and a toy store, a must-visit for our son. On this trip, he selected a special Lego set that we built while in our room during the evenings. It was such a fun activity to do together.
The resort has a variety of upscale lodging options. Guests can choose to stay at the Sun Valley Lodge, Sun Valley Inn, or from private cottages, condos, and townhomes. Because of the convenient access to the heated outdoor pool, onsite restaurant, and bowling alley, we chose the Lodge.
The Lodge offers many amenities and services. From luxurious bathrobes in each guestroom to a shuttle service between the ski resorts and downtown Ketchum, the Lodge delivers luxury, comfort, and convivence for families.
King Suite at the Sun Valley Lodge
The King Suite at the Sun Valley Lodge was perfect for our family. This layout includes a large entry with a coat closet, a separate living area with a pullout sofa, and two televisions. The wet bar includes a sink, Keurig, and refrigerator, which all came in handy. The bathroom is spacious with two sinks, vanity, additional closet area, and separate tub and shower.
We like having a little extra space so we can enjoy some downtime in our rooms to build Legos, watch movies, and enjoy room service.
Sun Valley Dining
The food here is incredible! Finding restaurants that can satisfy both a little kid and a vegan can be difficult; however, the selection here accomplished that. During our stay, we tried Konditorei, Gretchen’s, and Village Station.
Konditorei
Each morning we enjoyed breakfast from Konditorei from the comfort of our suite. This Austrian-inspired restaurant has the best variety of breakfast dishes ranging from waffles, pastries, vegan omelets, and coffees. The food is fresh, healthy, and filling. We loved the waffles, vegan omelet, cauliflower hash, and avocado toast. And the lattes were wonderful! You can eat in the restaurant or do takeout — which is what we did. If you’re in Sun Valley don’t miss breakfast at this spot!
Gretchen’s
Gretchen’s is located inside the Sun Valley Lodge right next to the famous Duchin Lounge. When it’s dark outside you can watch the action of the ice-skating rink with all the lights. The restaurant is named after Gretchen Fraser, the first American (and from Sun Valley) to win an Alpine Olympic Gold Medal. You can eat in the restaurant, or enjoy their food poolside, in the lounge, or via room service. Make sure to try the tempura green beans, coconut curry, shrimp linguine, and chocolate cake for dessert.
Village Station
The Village Station offers a lively atmosphere with music and a variety of seating options. There is a large bar, high-top tables, and booths scattering the restaurant. For our dinner, we had a booth at the back of the restaurant with a view of all the activity.
The Village Station has an expansive beer list and a great wine selection. We enjoyed pizzas, pasta, salad… and cupcakes for a decadent ending. Carter ate his in about two seconds! As with all the restaurants at Sun Valley, the service was friendly and attentive.
Duchin Lounge
Grab a comfortable spot and enjoy views of the ice-skating rink at the Duchin Lounge. This is a popular spot with locals, guests, and visitors to the area. We spent time enjoying the lively atmosphere with snacks from Gretchen’s and drinks from the bar. They have a great whisky menu and cocktail list and were happy to serve up a Shirley Temple for the little guy.
We ate most of our meals at the resort because it was convenient and delicious. But we do love the Warfield Brewery & Distillery in downtown Ketchum, which is a must-do for us each time we are in town. Not only is everything delicious, but The Warfield’s menu is focused on organic drinks and sustainable food — which is a bonus!
Family Activities
In addition to hitting the slopes, there is also bowling, swimming, and a variety of other snow activities available for guests. If you want to ditch the kids and get in some relaxation time, consider the Spa at Sun Valley, which might be the perfect thing after a busy winter day.
Nordic Center
During the winter season, the golf course is converted to the Sun Valley Nordic Center with groomed trails for snowshoeing and Nordic skiing for all ability levels. We visited the Nordic Center twice and tried cross-country skiing for the first time — which was so much fun! To read more about the Sun Valley Nordic Center, click here.
Swimming
The swimming pool at the Lodge is heated to the perfect temperature! Stepping into this warm pool during a cold winter day is close to my definition of heaven. Guests need to make reservations to enjoy the pool, which ensured that it was never too crowded. Two perfect evenings were spent here enjoying the water and poolside service, which meant we never needed to leave the warmth. The rising steam got caught in the lights and created a beautiful scene against the dark sky. The music was playing, and everyone had their drinks and snacks set against the edge of the pool, relaxing.
Bowling
Where else can you find a bowling alley in the basement of a luxury hotel? Hop in the elevator and step right into a vibrant bowling alley with six lanes, arcade games, foosball, air hockey, and pool. You can’t make reservations but put your name on the list and they will call you when a lane is open. The bar serves beer, wine, and soda, along with food from Gretchen’s. There are bumpers and dragon-shaped ramps available which made bowling accessible for our whole family. It was so fun that we bowled twice!
Ice Skating
Sun Valley has one of the only year-round outdoor rinks, and it is open daily for visitors to skate. In the evenings lights illuminate the rink creating such a beautiful atmosphere. For this trip, we opted to just enjoy the views from the warmth of the Duchin Lounge. But maybe next time we’ll take a spin on the rink.
Our winter vacay in Sun Valley was incredibly memorable. It was the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation, luxury, and family fun. We can’t wait to return this summer to build new memories in this beautiful destination.
Lastly, if you want to experience Sun Valley, but don’t want to ditch the pup, then consider the Limelight Hotel Ketchum. Dogs are allowed to be left in the room, so you can still get to enjoy some of the amazing restaurants and activities at the Sun Valley Resort.
