I'd spent months planning the perfect ski vacation for family, and had put together a great Colorado trip which fit our needs without breaking the bank. My husband and I had called seven resorts, requested vacation planning kits, interrogated reservations specialists, and spent hours pouring over resort maps and brochures. We were looking forward to staying in our "lakeview condo in the village, within walking distance of the slopes", as described by our friendly reservations agent.
So, what was I doing in a condo with a view of a maintenance facility, within walking distance of the village and a 7-10 minute bus ride from the slopes? I had no clue, and it was certainly not how it had been described - or what I thought we were paying for. After walking about in sub-zero weather and agitating about it for two days, I visited the reservations office to discuss the matter.
They told me that, technically, we were in a lakeview condo, because if we craned our necks out of one of the windows we could see the beginning of the lake. Although the condo was not in the village as most of the others were, it was "one of nine buildings that are part of the village complex ..." and therefore commanded the same rental rate as the lakefront units in the village. As far as being within walking distance of the slopes, the reservations office acknowledged that was not true, but didn't know why our reservations agent would have made that statement. We could not move because there were no other condos available, and the resort was not willing to make any financial amends.
I wasn't happy with the situation, but I got over it. It wasn't a big deal, and we had a great time skiing. Still, I wondered, what could I have done to avoid this situation? What should I have done differently once it did? While researching this story, I found the answers. Read on, and so can you.
