I fell in love with the area in collage and it took me 15 years to return. I have skied many of the other areas in Colorado, the Midwest and now the East.
Steamboat is by far the best place for families.
The Ski School is wonderful and all of the people are very friendly. The nicest part about being 3 hours from Denver is that you don't have to put up with the reckless day skiers that are trying to set a personal betst for verticle in a day. But even if these people were there, da'boat offers enough terrain that you may only see them at the start of the day. I have never felt crowded at Steamboat other then getting equipment on the first day and returning it on the last. It really helps that you can trade skis at most of the rental shops so you can find the ones that fit your style the best.