We spent 4 nights at The Inn at Suncadia. The quaint, 18 room Inn, with a restaurant and lounge, opened over two years ago -- the far larger lodge is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2008.

The resort itself is still very much under construction. The pool and fitness center opened just before Christmas. In addition to the lodge, a spa, shops, restaurants and a second golf course are scheduled to open over the next year or so. Many homes are under construction, too.

I thought the Inn was very nice overall. Cozy, but certainly not cramped. The extensive Christmas decor contributed to a warm feeling without appearing tacky. Rooms were exceptionally clean and nicely appointed with high quality fixtures and furniture. Some updates, particularly new mattresses and televisions, would go a long way.

The Inn's restaurant, The Gas Lamp Grill, is currently the only restaurant in the resort. We ate there frequently and, for the most part, enjoyed each meal very much. Dinners are quite pricey, but breakfast and lunch are surprisingly reasonable. The menus available on Suncadia's website will give you a good idea about what to expect.

A small lounge is located within the Inn's lobby area. Decent local wine list, but the selection of libations could have been better. Worse, the bar service was consistently poor -- at times we had to wait for 5+ minutes for the bartender to appear to serve us. He seemed to be a bit over his head at times, and could have used some help.

Overall, we found the service to be very well meaning, but not seasoned. We always ended up with what we needed, but it sometimes took a longer than it should have. Most of the staff was friendly, but some warmth and sincerity was clearly lacking at times. When asked questions, information was often lacking or incomplete. Again, the resort is very much under construction, so some kinks likely still need to be worked out. Matt (a valet), Tova (a server) and Susan (a manager) deserve special recognition.

Though Suncadia is very much a golf resort, there is a nice selection of wintertime activities. Cross-country ski trails (rentals, we found out, were only available in the nearby town) were nicely groomed. Snowshoe rentals, however, were available onsite and we enjoyed exploring the snow covered landscape. I was told that there were some good sledding hills, but none of the staff seemed to know exactly where. The Inn had several areas that were great for relaxing, reading or playing games.

The newly opened pool and fitness center is a beautiful facility, but clearly it will be too small to serve the lodge and the many private houses that are being built within the resort. Already, the pool seemed to become overwhelmed by kids by late morning -- not surprising considering the two large water slides! We found that visiting in the early morning hours was essential for relaxation. People should note, however, that the facility is about a five minute walk (outside) from the Inn and Lodge.

Overall, I really enjoyed our stay at Suncadia. With some additional attention to detail, it could truly become an exceptional destination. However, it is difficult to envision how things will play out when all the construction is complete. Its hard to imagine that it won't seem like a crowded suburb -- ironic for somewhere that is tries so hard to project itself as a relaxing escape.