What are the best ski hotels and resorts in the Whistler? We have already reviewed the best ski hotels in Europe and the best ski hotels in the world which includes two iconic hotels in Whistler.
In North America, the luxury resorts of Whistler and Aspen tend to be the best for luxury, but Jackson Hole and Vail are also worth considering as these are the locations for some of the best Four Seasons ski hotels in the world.
The Four Seasons Whistler is the best ski hotel in this pretty ski village in British Columbia, Canada. Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain offer more than 200 runs to ski or snowboard on, and you can even try skiing on the Horstman Glacier. You can also try snowshoeing, tobogganing, and bobsleigh at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
In the summer, head to the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, enjoy day hikes to the Garibaldi, Cheakamus, or Wedgemount Lakes, or play golf at the Whistler Golf Club or the Nicklaus North Golf Course or relax in wonderful spas. During any season, take the stunning ride on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, a 4.4-kilometer flight over stunning snow-capped mountains, beautiful lakes, and expansive forests.
Ski during the winter or enjoy the wilds of the mountains in the summer sunshine. Golf, mountain biking, and hiking are all popular, or you can just relax in the spa and pool if you prefer. Below, we review the 10 best luxury hotels in Whistler so that you can be sure you’ve made the best choice.
1. Four Seasons Whistler, Canada
The brilliant ski resort of Whistler is conveniently located just an hour and a half away from the international destination of Vancouver, and the best hotel in Whistler is the Four Seasons Whistler. We have discussed the best luxury hotel in Whistler, Four Seasons Vs. Fairmont Cheateau in more detail separately. The Four Seasons is the most luxurious of these two hotels, but the Fairmont Chateau Whistler has the advantage of the Gold club level.
Both hotels are just 15-minute walk away from Whistler Upper Village, which has coffee shops like Starbucks, bars, restaurants, and an array of shops. The walk is through a terribly pretty tree-filled area with a rushing mountain stream (pictured above) running through the center. If you prefer, a free Four Seasons or Fairmont shuttle will pick you up and drop you off.
The rooms at the Four Seasons Whistler are stunning and have been recently renovated with a newly updated take on the classic mountain lodge. Renovations were completed in the fall of 2019, and all 273 rooms and suites have been newly refurbished.
Rooms combine elements of the classic lodge, paying homage to the nostalgia of winter chalets while looking forward to new memories to be made. Clean, mid-century-inspired furnishings are featured prominently. Sleek, iron-frame leather chairs and ashwood credenzas are contrasted with warm, raw-edged coffee tables. Foregoing more traditional bed frames, beds are complemented with plush wallcovering in a rustic yet refined woven textile.
Each room at Four Seasons Resort Whistler features a balcony where guests can seize every moment of the outdoors. Inside, the view is highlighted with expansive windows opening up to forest-lined mountain vistas, a view that can be taken in perched on the window seats in each room.
This stunning setting offers unfussy details such as floating brass bedside light fixtures and sculptural ceiling light features, allowing the grandeur of the mountains to be center stage. Modern granite fireplaces in every room at Four Seasons Resort Whistler mean guests can cozy up fireside long after the sun goes down.
Even the base “Premier Room” at the Four Seasons is huge at 53.8 m². This lowest-category room at the Four Seasons also features both a fireplace and a balcony. The Four Seasons offers 50 mL sized bottles of L’Occitane products in their bathrooms, one of my favorite amenity brands. 50ml is large, and they smell delicious.
Four Seasons hotel beds are fabulous across the brand and almost guarantee a good night’s sleep. Book a room facing the mountains and forest, and you will not find a quieter hotel room in the world.
The Four Seasons is about a 5-minute walk away from the base of Blackcomb Mountain, which is a real pain in ski boots. Instead of walking, you’ll probably take the very regular Four Seasons complimentary shuttle from the hotel entrance to the entrance of the ski room. Their heated and stylish Four Seasons ski room has complimentary hot chocolate cookies, apple cider, and boot heaters, along with a member of staff to help you store your skis and boots. From the ski room, you step straight onto the slopes.
Worth noting is that the Four Seasons ski concierge staff are amazing and will do everything for you, from helping you to get your boots on and off to carrying your skis out to the snow. The concierge even delivers your skis from your room or car to the ski room, dries them, and heats your boots before you put them on again! They offer true ski luxury.
The pool at the Four Seasons Whistler is heated and offers panoramic vistas of Whistler and the Blackcomb Mountains. In the winter, it’s so warm that the steam rises up from the pool as the snow falls, so you will be swimming through a cloud of warmth as the warm, humid air from the pool hits the cold mountain air.
I love that the Four Seasons pool deck is heated (underfloor), too, so you don’t have to run from the indoors to the pool like an idiot to avoid frozen toes (this also avoids any icy slippiness too). There’s little better than swimming in a warm pool or sitting in a hot tub with snow falling onto your hair.
There are also three therapeutic hot spring-style whirlpools along with a fully equipped gym that comes complete with personal trainers. In the summer, you get all mod cons that typify a Four Seasons pool, including Sunglasses cleaning, daily treats, complimentary sunscreen, and aloe gel, complimentary amenity every hour, Evian spritz, cold towels, and cooling cucumber eye slices.
Four Seasons Whistler is extremely kid-friendly (and is also pet-friendly in certain rooms). Four Seasons hotels are always a brilliant choice if you are traveling with children. The restaurants at the Four Seasons Whistler have kids and teen menus. Rooms offer children’s bathrobes and slippers and babysitting services. There’s also a children’s program offering evening entertainment. The resort offers fantastic winter and summer programs, providing loads to do for kids of all ages.
The most exclusive accommodation at the Four Seasons is the Private Residences. Perfect for family holidays in Whistler. Set apart from the main hotel, the Residences are beautifully designed and decorated, with views of the surrounding forest, valley, or mountains from private furnished terraces accessed by enormous French windows. They feature kitchens, spacious living areas, state-of-the-art home entertainment systems, and pampering bathrooms with deep-soak tubs.
Four Seasons has a daily free wine tasting, and if that doesn’t win you over, you can also enjoy excellent food at this Four Seasons in an atmospheric setting. The Four Seasons Whistler’s main restaurant is Fifty Two 80 Bistro, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers fabulous views of the surrounding mountains. The Four Seasons Sidecut is a sleek steakhouse featuring an open fireplace and a 1,800-degree infrared grill that cooks Canadian prime beef to juicy perfection. Right outside is the heated patio, which has its own fireplace where kids (and kids at heart) roast marshmallows after dinner. For après cocktails and live music, guests stop at the swanky Fifty Two 80 lounge.
The decor is beautiful throughout this Four Seasons hotel. The bar and restaurant are atmospheric and romantic. The staff are superb with kids, and there are lots of clubs and amenities. Four Seasons Whistler ticks all the boxes and is the best luxury hotel in Whistler.
2. Fairmont Chateau Whistler
By contrast, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler has been concentrating on renovating its Suites. They have been installing fireplaces (perfect for those cozy winter months), modern spa bathrooms with soaker tubs, and updated modern alpine decor. Plus, there’s now a generous built-in wet bar in the larger suites.
The rooms at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler are less impressive. They are more generic than 5-Star. Most have decent-sized windows, but few are floor-to-ceiling. The majority of rooms don’t have balconies, which is a real disadvantage. The ones with a balcony only offer Romeo and Juliette style, so you can’t step out or sit out. There’s nothing like swinging open your balcony doors to take in the summer air or stepping out barefoot onto a balcony covered in snow as the flakes are falling, only to return immediately to the warmth of your room so you can cozy up at your own private fireplace. For this joy, you have to pick the Four Seasons Whistler, I’m afraid.
The standard rooms at the Fairmont face backward, towards the car park rather than over the pool and the slopes. While they remain luxury rooms with 37m2 of space, they are nothing special, and if you are a luxury traveler, you may be disappointed if you get a car park view. If you want a fireplace in your room, it’s only the suites at the Fairmont that offer fireplaces.
The Fairmont offers small 40 mL bottles of Le Labo Rose 31 bath amenities in their bathrooms, which is standard for the Fairmont brand. These amenities smell nice but are not my favorites.
The big advantage of the Fairmont is that it’s located at the base of Blackcomb Mountain by the Wizard Express ski lift. This means you walk out of the hotel and onto the slopes. They have a ski concierge room to store your skis/boards/boots overnight, so you don’t have to carry everything back to the hotel. In this ski concierge room, there is sometimes hot chocolate available, too.
The Fairmont pool is heated and is much larger Vs. the Four Seasons, and although it has an indoor and outdoor section, it feels more traditional in design and lacks the boutique feel and interesting design of the pool at the Four Seasons. That said, it’s still a magical place to swim, and you can warm up in the hot tubs that surround the pool.
The other big advantage of the Fairmont is that it offers a club lounge, which you get access to by booking their Gold rooms. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Gold floor accommodations offer jetted tubs and gas fireplaces in every room, along with upgraded hotel amenities and Bose sound systems.
The Fairmont Gold accommodations are located on the 9th to 12th Floor, with some Fairmont Gold rooms on the 8th floor. Privileges include:
- Private check-in and check-out
- Exclusive Fairmont Gold Lounge for Fairmont Gold guests
- Deluxe Continental Breakfast in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- All day coffee & tea service in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- Afternoon canapés & honour bar in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- Complimentary newspapers and personalized wake-up calls
- Fairmont Gold privileges include exclusive access to the Fairmont Gold Lounge. Relax fireside while enjoying complimentary Deluxe Continental Breakfast, local newspapers, and magazines, catching up on email with our complimentary laptop computer, or simply unwinding after a day on Whistler Mountain
The Fairmont also has lounges and restaurants, but the overall feel is less intimate and more traditional than the Four Seasons. While the Fairmont is undoubtedly one of the best ski hotels in the world, the Four Seasons up the road is just that little bit better!
3. The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler
The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler is a Rewards Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy hotel and is nestled slopeside, steps away from both the gondolas and charming Whistler Village. While we don’t think this is the very best luxury hotel in Whistler (we prefer the Four Seasons), The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler does offer a great option to redeem or earn Marriott Bonvoy points in Whistler, Canada.
Enjoy an elevated escape in 400 residentially styled suites, which boast features like warming fireplaces, spacious soaker tubs, modern kitchenettes, and stunning mountain views.
4. Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside
Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside is located steps from both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain gondolas. This award-winning, all-suite, mountainside Hotel is Whistler’s best address in many ways. From easy access to everything Whistler to relaxing views from our heated outdoor pool and whirlpools on Whistler’s best deck, enjoy the perfect combination of legendary mountain buzz and getting away from it all.
5. Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre
Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre is ideally situated in the heart of all-things Whistler. Located in Whistler Village, this romantic resort is within a 5-minute walk of Whistler Visitor Centre, Whistler Core Climbing and Fitness Centre, and Whistler Public Library. Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort and Whistler Village Gondola are also within a 10-minute walk.
Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre Hotel offers contemporary, all-suite accommodations with full-service comforts, including a complimentary daily breakfast buffet. From the outdoor patio with a saltwater lap pool, sauna, and whirlpools to slope-side valet ski storage, look forward to a boutique vacation experience and award-winning signature service.
6. Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel
Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel has been named as ‘Canada’s Best Ski Boutique Hotel’ at the World Ski Awards for three years in a row. This is partly down to its exclusive location, surrounded by Whistler Village’s après ski restaurant scene and conveniently near Starbucks. It also has its own upscale tapas joint and high-end sushi bar, a deluxe spa, complimentary Wi-Fi access, a private outdoor patio with a heated pool and hot tub, swanky suites with cozy fireplaces, soaking tubs, kitchenettes, and balconies with village or forest views along with free summertime bike rental.
7. Nita Lake Lodge
The luxury lakefront boutique hotel in Whistler, Nita Lake Lodge, is about a 10-minute drive via free shuttle from Whistler Village. Nita Lake Lodge sits on the shore of Nita Lake, about 500 meters from Whistler’s Creekside Gondola on the Valley Trail.
The decor here is stunning, with stylish wood floors, outdoor hot tubs, leather sofas, and impressive artwork. The hotel has lockers close to the mountain base, and guests have free access to stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes.
A highlight is the outdoor hot tubs with mountain views, a heated outdoor pool, and a spa offering massage treatments. The 77 large rooms all have king-sized beds, cozy gas fireplaces, double soaker bathtubs, and glass-enclosed rain head showers. Aura Restaurant’s open-concept kitchen serves local fish and Canadian meats. The Cure Lounge & Patio overlooking the lake served light bites, cocktails, craft beers, and a good wine list.
8. The Listel Hotel Whistler
The Listel Hotel Whistler is ideally located in the heart of Whistler Village just a short walk from the main ski lifts of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, as well as to the Village Stroll with its world-class restaurants, shops, and nightlife.
The hotel offers excellent customer service, complimentary high-speed internet, ski /snowboard valet, bike storage, a whirlpool, a sauna, and secure parking. It’s home to the award-winning Bearfoot Bistro and the coldest Vodka Tasting Ice Room in the world, allowing you to enjoy the ultimate dining and après ski experience.
9. Delta Whistler Village Suites
Delta Whistler Village Suites is your other luxury Marriott Bonvoy choice in Whistler. It is a rewards category 6 redemption, which makes it look like a bargain compared to some of the other Marriott Bonvoy ski hotels featured in this listing.
Surround yourself with the incomparable beauty of British Columbia’s mountains at Delta Whistler Village Suites, a majestic all-season hotel nestled at the base of Whistler Blackcomb’s 8100 acres of lifts and trails. In winter, their well-appointed rooms and spacious suites are a cozy retreat after skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating, or experiencing the thrills at Whistler Olympic Park.
10. Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa
Your best choice in the Hilton Honors rewards scheme is the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa. Retreat in the heart of Whistler Village at the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa in the heart of Whistler Village. Enjoy staying just steps from the Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain gondolas and located only minutes from the Whistler Conference Center.
Rooms and suites here are newly renovated. The hotel itself is located in the heart of Whistler Village, next to mountain gondolas, with complimentary storage for ski, snowboard, golf, and biking equipment. Many rooms offer jetted soaker tubs and fully equipped kitchens with a full-size refrigerator, microwave, and cooktop. There’s a 24-hour fitness center, heated outdoor swimming pool, and hot tub. Rejuvenating treatments can be enjoyed at the award-winning Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa. This hotel averages 80,000 Hilton Honors reward points per night on redemption.
Photo above from the Gasthof Post in Lech, one of the best luxury ski hotels in Austria.
Best Luxury Hotels In Whistler
Hotel Review: Four Seasons Whistler, Canada
We have reviewed the best Four Seasons hotels in North America, which includes the stunning Four Seasons Whistler in the rocky mountains in Canada. The Four Seasons Whistler is also one of the best Four Seasons Ski Resorts in the world. I have stayed there many times since its opening in 2004. The fact that it is almost ski in, ski out (see details of their ski concierge below) and that it has a glorious year-round, fully heated 23-meter outdoor pool along with the views out to the stunning rocky mountain scenery means that it is a great choice for a vacation.
Best Luxury Hotel In Whistler: Four Seasons Vs Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Four Seasons Whistler and Fairmont Chateau Whistler are the best luxury hotels in Whistler. Whether you are staying in winter for skiing or in the summer to take in the mountain air and bike or hike outdoors, whether you are traveling with your family or on a romantic couples break, you need to know which luxury hotel is the best: Four Seasons Vs. Fairmont in Whistler. Whistler is conveniently located just an hour and a half away from the international destination of Vancouver.
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