The place is great! BUT..... The management is kind of over the top. The weather in Northern Vermont is very unstable! We have been going for 2 years now. Out of the 14 days (1 week last week in June 2007, the other week was first week in August 2008) it rained 10 days, was cloudy 2 other days. It was sunny and warm 1 day , the other day was partly sunny, but chilly and windy. Now - there is a lot to do for the children - as long as you can use the camps - either you're an owner, or your "gifted" the week from an owner or you buy the rental directly through Smuggler's Notch (which is ridiculously expensive!). The camps are great for the kids, they love it (5 year old and 7 year old)! So when it is rainy, windy or chilly - then the children go to camps and they're happy (10:00 - 4:00). My wife and I go to the gym and then go to the pools! BUT...Here is the weird part by Smuggs - and very frustrating part! The second they hear thunder - not see lightening - they shut down ALL the pools for 30 minutes! I do understand about insurance and legal wars. BUT - let me tell you something. Last summer - Last week in June 2007- We would all be swimming and then the life guard would blow her whistle and say get out of the pool, thunder alert. It was actually partly sunny out! So the pools closed for 30 minutes. We waited around - which is tough for a 4 year old and 6 year old (last years ages). We went back in for 2 minutes and then she blew her whistle again. Once again - no grey clouds anywhere! 30 minute shut down! This happened 9 times last year! Now this year - I'm actually still at Smuggs typing this review. It rained everyday since we've been here. Nobodys fault - it happens! You can't control the weather. But it rained - that's all - no lightening (only 1 time and I'll explain that later). BUT...When it's partly cloudy and the sun pops out - we all run to the pools. What do you think happens - whistle blows - thunder alert - shut down 30 minutes! The way that Smuggs is layed out - We have to get into a car and then park and then walk to get to a pool (the place is huge!). We then get out of the pools - wet and chilly for 30 minutes - then get back into the pool. 5 minutes later - they blow the whistles and there is another thunder alert. It's hard to go back home to wait the 30 minutes. So you wait all wet for 30 minutes. This happened 13 times so far this week. Now - The management needs to relax when you have a week like we've had with rain every day! There isn't a cloud in the sky and you get a thunder alert. It gets frustrating after the 3rd or 4th time. That means you sit around with your child and wait. You basically are sitting around all nervous waiting for the whistle. 90% of the time you do not even hear the thunder. There was 1 time out of the 20+ times where there was lightening - that I understood in getting everyone out of the pools. That's very dangerous! There is also a indoor pool. We went there to get out of the rain and danger. What do you think happened - thunder alert - out of the pool. I was told it wasn't grounded the building - later to find out it is grounded, but if there was lightening - it could travel though the water on the floor and into the building. What!!!!!!!! Sorry to be such a stick in the mud - but it has been a downer! I'm going to speak to the mgmt. but I'm sure they will be polite and then ignore me. The place is beautiful - the rooms are beautiful - but too many rules. Also - be careful about purchasing - they try to get you to buy. There is a lot of fine print!!!! I would NEVER buy at this place (I own three weeks in other resorts) - they MAKE you buy 2 weeks and then you owe 2 maintenance fees (around $1,800 a year). Also - if you rent privately through another owner - you can't use the pools unless you give them over $300. The benefits won't transfer to the renter. WHAT! Yep - true. In other words - Smuggs charges the renter over $300 to use the pools - even though the owner (who rented the week out) paid the maintenance fee! Also - if you sell your week - pretend your old enough and do not want it anymore - you sell it to someone! BUT - the benefits will NOT transfer -meaning Smuggs gets mad at you because you didn't have them sell it for you (they charge you a 35% fee) and they will not let the new owners have the benefits (pool, camps and activities). Then the owners have to pay over $8,000 to get the benefits (I think it's actually $10,000). I just want you to ask a lot of questions and read the fine print before you go and buy there!!!!!!! Good luck - I'll never be back here again. It's a shame - they have a great thing here - too many rules!!

I stayed here for the first time June 22-29, 2008, and it was the most amazing week of my life. This resort had many activities for both children and aduts. My children went to camp and had a great time, while I went on a hike. The weather and scenery are beautiful in this area during the summer months. The unit I stayed in was well kept and maintained. I plan to visit again next year.

We stayed at Smuggs in July 2007. It is an awesome place for a family vacation. As a family of 6 with kids from 1year to age 7 there were more than enough "fun" family activities to enjoy. The pools were incredible. I would definitely recommend this resort!

We have a family of 5 with kids from ages 8 to 13 and this is absolutely the best family vacation resort we have ever been to. Summer fun for all ages and healthy outdoor fun! Golf, tennis, hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing...

Winter is great - all winter activities available from snow shoeing to dog sledding!

This resort is great for active families with kids. There are lots of pool activities, water slides, rope courses and hiking.

My family loves this resort. We stayed there for a week. The unit was spacious and clean. The best thing was my kids (5,7 and 9 years old) learned to ski at their ski school. It was PHENOMENAL! I couldn't believe that they were able to teach my 5 year old (who is autistic) to ski. Any amount of money was worth it to see that happen. Everyone had a fantastic time. There was so much to do even if they didn't want to ski for the day. They could go swimming or play at the Kid Zone which was so cool. I think my husband and I had more fun there than the kids. It was the best family vacation we ever had. I highly recommend this place to everyone.

We've owned at the notch for over 13 years. Our 2 boys want to go there every year to see the many friends and aquaintances they have. Our fixed week is the 3rd week of July when the village is bustling with all kinds of family activities.

This year we visited Jiminy Peak and took the Tran to the top of the mountain. The views from the mountains in Vermont are breathtaking.

We've enjoyed the resort all these years because of how attentive the resort is to children and parents. The children have so much fun in the camps and the many activities the resort provides. Parents are able to enjoy time together. Smugglers' Notch is a great resort!

Hello, we just stayed at this resort, we were there for a week in July. The unit we stayed in could of been cleaner, the fan was dirty, the carpet was stained and the drapes full of dust. There was mold around the Jacuzzi and in the shower stall. To eat at the resort was expensive! The Staff made quite a few mistakes with charging us, we had to keep checking our balance while we were there, one time they even double charged us for an activity.

We arrived on Sunday the welcome party was not until Monday Night, it would be nice if they had tours of the resort running every few hours on the weekends for people who are there for the first time.

Most of the Staff were very nice, though Goodtime Charlie cracked quite a few jokes in front of the children that were not age appropriate. During the Vermont Fair, when the adult were doing the sack races, he bluntly annouced into is microphone, that they could go back to work next week and tell everyone that they were in the Sack, and they "did it" at Smugglers Notch. Not a nice thing to say in front of children and young adults. Hopefully it went over there heads. At the welcome party A picture of a girl in a swimming suite came up on the big screen and Charlie made some other gesture. There were other times also, but will not mention anymore about him.

There were alot of great thing to do there, we really enjoyed ourselves. Our four children did not go to camp. If your children don't go to camp, there are only a few activites during the day for families that stay together, but still we found lots to do. Our days were full and exhausting, we loved it. And there were lots of night time family activities. We would go back!!

One of the best things that happened at Smuggs was Farmer Joe, also known as the Friendly Pirate or Rockin Ron, We loved him. What a great guy!! Look for him if you go there our kids really liked him!

Best family resort around. Beautiful scenery, location. Lots to do in the area, esp in the summer.

We went to Smugg's over April vacation and really enjoyed ourselves. It's a fabulous resort spread over a large area and great for children. The rooms were spacious and very well kept. The master bath even had a TV in it so you could watch from the hot tub!!! The master bedroom had a fireplace as well as the living room. Close to Stowe and the Trapp Family Lodge, shopping, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Cabot Creamery and more. Also not far from Burlington and Lake Champlain. The only drawback was having to go up and around the Notch because the access road was not yet open. We are not skiers so would like to try it in the summer. I would definitely stay here again!!

We just returned from Smuggs beautiful resort. It is great for families. Best condominium accomodations I have ever had.

Ski instructors are awesome! This is the very first time my daughter would go into a lesson on her own and she loved it! She went to her lesson 4 days in a row and looked forward to it every day. She learned so much and is so much more in control when skiing. My son also took snowboard lessons (level 7) and said it was very good and again he wasn't very interested in lessons but when he went he really enjoyed it.

My kids really enjoyed the activities in the resort. The torch parade down the mountain and fireworks were great. My kids love the funzone, indoor pool, and hot tubs.

We went up on a discount package as long as we sat through the timeshare presentation. We went into this with absolutely NO intention of purchasing and what happened - we did! Beautiful luxury timeshares. If you do go up on a discount package and go through the presentation, there is absolutely no pressure. It was actually enjoyable.

The absolute only negative we had are the slow two man lifts. They are slower than you might be use to but there is one advantage - the slopes are not crowded and you can get nice long runs on this mountain. It would be nice to see at least one triple chair or one high speed quad. We had one day where the lift lines were quite long 20 minutes - but only 1 day out of the 4.

The absolute best part for me - no driving! Everything is self contained. Unless you need to do a major grocery shop - it is about 20 minutes away. There is also an on site convenience store which is well stocked if you run out of anything during your time there.

Great place - would highly recommend it to any family looking to spend time together.

Excellent resort with fantastic childrens programs.

Our family LOVES this resort! We go every summer, last week of august, a great way to end the summer. This year we stayed an extra week, and even with 2 weeks we never got bored. The kids go to camp, leaving time for mom and dad to have lunch, hike, whatever!

On days they wanted a break from camp we swim together or take a day trip. this year we went to Burlington to the childrens museum, great little town to walk around. we also found a small, but child friendly beach on the Lake. Our friends went on our winter float this year and couldn't stop raving about the skiing and all the family fun they had too. An AWESOME place!!

A note to persons reading Smuggs reviews:

There is a 1-star rating listed for Smugglers Notch in March 2003, based on a visit made by the rater in the first week of May 2002. This rating alone brings Smuggs down from a near perfect 5 star to a 4 star.

In fairness to Smuggler's Notch, the rater is completely off base: the rater visited the resort in off-season during a blue week period that is after winter season and before summer season (in VT it's actually known as mud season, when the ground is beginning to thaw and the weather is changeable). The resort clearly discloses that there are no activities and no food service available during that time, and limited facilities as they are converting from winter to summer.

It's unfortunate that the poster did not do their homework before trading into Smuggs during that time, but it should not be held against Smuggler's Notch, particularly in light of their otherwise stellar rating from so many other posters.

-- A very happy Family Share Owner

Where can you go skiing, horsebackriding, sleigh riding, sledding, sit in a hot HUGE jacuzzi, swim indoors, ice skate, cross country ski, party till all hours and still get up the next morning to NO SKI LINES? Only at Smugglers Notch Resort in Vermont!

The most impressive thing about our trip to this wonderful resort is that it had NO LINES and this was Christmas week 2003! You have heard the phrase - shop till you drop? - We skiied until we dropped and sat to congratulate ourselves for a terrific day around a roaring outdoor fire while drinking FREE hot chocolate provided by the resort. We chatted with the other folks who were friendly and were ready to have a good time - such great attitudes!! We met many new visitors to Smugglers and even met a celebrity or two!

Then, some of the guests who had more energy challenged us to a game of broom ball on the snow and of course we had to accept the challenge! We followed this by sledding down the hill in a team race! We lost but the other side had younger members! (yeah yeah I know its an excuse but...)

The horse drawn carriage beckoned us next and we went riding around the resort and surrounding area in a horse drawn sleigh while singing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs. This was fun! For westerners who had never done this - it was a blast! We sang and were applauded by the guests at the resort walking by - my husband who sings off tune was quite appreciative.

We then adjourned to the HUGE indoor jacuzzi and pool and swapped "stories" with others who were soaking up the hot water and margueritas that were being passed around as it was happy hour!!

A rousing game of pool volleyball was a highlight as the women challenged the men and the women won! Of course we made the men play in the deep area! They are taller to be sure. Our victory called for more congratulations, another soak in the hot water and more margueritas!

We then invited all there to our own building that had a sauna! We swapped jokes and made plans for dinner! It was great! So relaxing and many good laughs!

After a delicious and affordable dinner at the resort restaurant with new friends we met in the pool, we went to a FREE resort party and knew all the answers to the questions asked! We won about 5 of the fourty or so bottles of wine offered as prizes.

We tried to win the Vermont cheese package but some kid about 10 beat us to the answer! You would think that youngsters would have more respect for their elders!

The bottles of wine made up for that defeat, and you could tell that for the rest of the week - we would feel no pain!

Then it was on to dancing, talking, joking and card playing at the home of some resort guests who we just met at the resort party. We lost two bottles of wine on a game of "go fish." Darn! Then it was off to bed at 2 a.m. And this was just our first day there!

You must go to this resort! It is great for families, children, couples or singles.

There is so much to do for anyone, and the best about things about Smugglers is that there are NO LIFT LINES, THREE mountains, many different activities, and a safe, healthy environment in which to spend Christmas!

We had so much fun, I think I could become a ski bum after all.

Although we usually come for the great skiing, we visited Smuggs in July for a wonderful summer week. Our unit in the Willows was beautiful and spotless. There is a 24 hour hotline that responds immediately should you need anything done in your condo or need additional kitchen items, etc. Our kids are older so don't do the wonderful camps that most kids love, as they prefer to do family activities with us. There is just too much to do in a week - we love the waterslides, kayaking, hiking, eating in Stowe, trips to Burlington, the Snowflake Bentley museum (small but interesting), the gondola ride to the top of Stowe, and driving up Toll Rd. and hiking to the top of Mt. Mansfield. We're headed back at the end of August for two more weeks and this time my brother and his family will join us. Can't wait!

For either heart of winter or summer this resort cannot be beat -- skiing and ski school in winter; in summer there is a full summer day camp program, as well as activities all day and into the evening for everyone in the family.

The timeshare units are all well designed and fully equipped, spacious and comfortable with all the amenities of home and then some!

Just came home from early December skiing and what a GREAT resort & mountains!!

Our family was incredibly impressed with the facilities that this resort had to offer: indoor pool/hot tubs, The Fun Zone which houses numerous inflatable rides to be enjoyed FREE of charge (!), community centers with outdoor heated pools, pool tables, ping-pong, & arcade machines - add in the great skiing & boarding - my 5 kids (ages 7-18) did not want to leave!

Great location for hiking and beautiful walks in the mountains. We visited the last week of September 2003.

Unit was spacious, well equiped, clean and private. Nice restaurant on site, plus good places to eat in Jeffersonville- Jana's if you want something very local. and lots of choices in Stowe - just 8 miles away.

If it rains, go to Ben and Jerry's factory and then south about 35 miles to the Sherburne Museum.

Stayed week 33 (August) first time in summer, had been there five times in winter. It's just as great both seasons, it's worth a seven hour drive for us. Two adults and children ages six and eight. The best if you are avery active family.

Now they have added door to door shuttle service and you only wait five minutes for it, cost is included in your vacation.

Just returned from our 4th summer time trip to Smuggs. Once again everything was awesome!! Each year we seem to do different activities and our days were both full and relaxing. After 8 days the children (5,9) didn't want to leave. Looking forward to adding a winter trip this year. Definitely going back next summer too.

We love this place. For family activities, it can't be beat for prime summer or winter seasons. We go every summer. I understand it is beautiful in the fall too, but activities are limited and there are no kids programs. Nothing at all going on in Spring, which is "mud season" in Vermont...but absolutely unbelieveable for summer and ski seasons!

If you have children (as young as 6 weeks) and need a chance to relax in beautiful VT, this is the place! The counselors are great and our 3 boys really enjoyed the summer camp & winter ski schools. Highly recommend for families with young children. Friendly ski instructors, though ski lifts need to be upgraded (a bit slow, but gives you a chance to socialize on the way up!)

#1 Family Resort in North America! Gold Award for Best Family Programs. During the Winter of 2000-2001 they increased snowmaking capability by 40% with a $2.2 M snowmaking expansion. During Winter 2002- 2003 They added a new $1 M Child Care Center (ski-in/ski-out convenience) and a new Teen Alley for 13-15 year olds, and Outer Limits for 16+. There are three mountains to ski on. Just prior to Winter 2003 they improved their Madonna I lift with $500,000 of improvements. Very cozy condo and friendly, knowledgable staff.

Great resort! Wonderful children's programs, board and ski camps, and a friendly attentive staff. The village is refreshingly quaint and there is a superb variety of trails to satisfy all levels of skiiers and snowboarders. There is also a variety of activities within driving distance including Stowe, Burlington, and Montreal. Everyone that I have talked to that has been there has loved it. My family enjoyed ouselves so much that we are now club owners! Did I mention that the summer is even better than the winter?

We stayed here the first week of May 2002. The weather was terrible, it snowed which closed the mountain pass to Stowe,as well nothing at the resort was open yet. The pool was a week or two from being open and all the restaurants were closed. For being a family oriented resort this one failed big time.

We have owned our 2 bedroom unit for 11 years and have used it in both the winter and the summer. The award winning ski program and summer camp program for children are superb. We especially love the fact that the village is self-contained. A wonderful place for families to vacation.

We have owned a winter timeshare week at Smuggler's Notch for 10 years and visited there every year. The skiing is great, the resort is suberbly maintained, the service is very friendly and the childen's ski programs are second to none.

Stayed here in Oct. for leaf-peeping time. Beautiful scenery. VERY nice resort - our unit in Sycamore building was quite new and spacious.

Great resort! All three of my children, plus myself, have learned to ski and enjoy it so much!! The instructors are the best and the skiing is great. The childrens ski programs are very well organized and successful. Accomodations are good, can't say enough good thing about this resort!

Smugglers is our home resort, buying a two bedroom timeshare unit over ten years ago. We own in the summer, when kids from all over the northeast visit the award winning summer camp programs, along with several water areas/parks, tennis, driving range, nightly activities, teens centers, etc. Everything you could want in a summer resort.

Nearby Stowe, Burlington, Ben and Jerry's and other spots provide ample daytime getaways, though they aren't necessary if all you want to do is relax close to home.

If visiting on a special deal, the timeshare tour is low key and professional.

All timeshare and partial ownership units are terrifically maintained, complete and spacious.

Great Ski resort to bring the family, best kids programs. Skiing is great too!