This was our first time trying the Scandinavian Lodge. We'd definitely go back! We found the short 5-min walk to/from Thunderhead Lift to be relatively painless. (There is reportedly a ski-out option but we never conclusively found it, and besides it would take you down to the base, which Thunderhead bypasses.) It was also our first time booking through iTrip and it was great - they responded to texts quickly, and the one time I called with a Steamboat-specific question, the person (Jason?) was knowledgable. We were allowed a 1-hour delay on our check-out, which was nice. No problems with the booking at all. The Scandinavian Lodge is in a peaceful, residential area. You definitely need a 4WD or AWD to access it (we had 18 inches snow in one day). It's not a late-night/party kind of place, but we had friendly conversations with people we met at the pool and grill area. Loved the dry sauna.
If you have very young kids who are new skiiers and can't carry their own gear up and down stairs (no elevator), I'd recommend being closer to the base for lessons and easier maneuvering. We were traveling with our two college-aged kids and it was a perfect situation.