The drive up to Whistler is incredible! My wife and I drove up from Seattle, and after the long line of cars at the border were set free into the Canadian wilderness. I had a hard time keeping my eyes on the road with all the beautiful scenery surrounding us! The road dips along the coast with jagged mountains in the distance. We made several stops to take pictures. But after 5 or so hours of driving, we were ready to get there.

Check-in was okay, they were perfunctory. The first room they sent us up to was dirty -- stuff in the sink and on the floor in the kitchen. We went back downstairs where they apologized and asked us to wait for a couple hours while they prepared another room for us. The Firerock Lounge Bar was a good place to relax. The hotel did seem busy. I had redeemed points for a stay in a 1 bedroom suite. Our new room was on the 9th floor in the west tower (if I remember right). It was smaller than I expected, but came complete with a kitchen and a fireplace. Not bad, eh? There is no club lounge at the hotel, so this is where we would be hangin. My understanding is that many of the units are owned by families who "rent" them out to guests, essentially. I've seen the same model used at places like Copper Mountain.

The room was great -- very comfortable and spiffy decor, but not too opulent -- however housekeeping service was inconsistent. Toilet paper rolls were not replaced, for example, but soap and shampoo was. Internet access was a ripoff (which is what I've come to expect at hotels now), so I skipped out on checking my e-mail all together. My wife had forgotten her toothbrush, so I called down to the service desk and they sent one up in just a few minutes. Very thoughtful to keep these things on hand for guests.

While we were not there to ski, we saw lots of people taking advantage of the ski valet. It's only a short walk from the hotel to the gondola that takes skiers up to the top of the runs. The concierge was great and booked us a fantastic table at some French place in town called Val D'Isere. Really superb hearty French food with a rustic/Northwestern twist. We also ate at LaRua just a jaunt away from the hotel -- it was alright. Breakfast at the hotel was great, with nice crispy hashbrowns (always the hallmark of a truely good kitchen).

The pool and small jacuzzi was crowded, perhaps not a surprise given the season and how large the hotel was. There were lots of kids and teenagers running around, so we didn't spend much time down there. I had read on FlyerTalk that the Whistler community center was a travel secret, so we headed over there. We bought a day pass and enjoyed the indoor skating rink and heated pool (there is a separate kids area) and sauna. It was a great complex.

The next day at the hotel, we took advantage of a discount coupon to the spa and received a deep tissue massage. Oh my goodness, I left there feeling loose and relaxed as I'd ever been! Although, we didn't get any Starpoints for using the spa.

If I'm ever back in Whistler, I'll definitely head back to the Whistler. Despite some of the flaws, it was overall a great stay! As we were walking out, the valets even "remembered" our names and wished us a safe trip back to Seattle. How about that!

Review by flywithme

Posted at April 26, 2006 7:22 PM