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The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler
What do you look for in a hotel for a Canadian ski or snowboard holiday? If it’s a location convenient to the lifts, kitchenettes to prep grab-and-go breakfasts or brown bag lunches for the slopes, and a pool or hot tub for soaking your sore muscles, the Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler checks all the boxes at North America’s largest winter sports destination.
Here’s the scoop on this Whistler lodging:
Westin Resort & Spa Whistler
Two hour’s drive north of Vancouver, this 400-room ski lodge style property is well located for enjoying all the adventures that Whistler-Blackcomb offers. While it feels somewhat secluded, it’s only a few minutes’ walk from the Whistler Mountain lifts and from the Village Stroll, the pedestrian path through the village that’s lined with restaurants, cafes, and bars.
If you arrive at the Westin Whistler by car, you’ll pull up outside the lower level, where the the reception lobby is located. Walking from the village or the lifts, there’s a second lobby area one floor above the reception area, where you’ll find the concierge desk and the food outlets, including the restaurant, lounge, and coffee bar.
This level also has a shopping arcade with a ski rental shop. You can store your skis and boards here in winter and rent mountain bikes in the warmer months.
The Westin’s retail arcade
Food & Drink
The hotel’s airy, window-lined Grill & Vine Restaurant serves buffet and a la carte breakfasts and is also open for dinner. Just outside the restaurant, you can purchase coffee, tea, muffins, and other pastries to go.
The FireRock lounge is normally open from midday until the late evening, with tables out on the expansive patio for those sunny après-ski cocktails.
You’re also a short walk from all the Whistler Village restaurants, with casual choices like Purebread (delicious pastries!) and Hunter Gather (for smoked meats and craft beer) alongside upscale dining destinations such as Araxi, Il Caminetto, and Bearfoot Bistro.
The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler has a well-equipped fitness facility
Fitness Facilities
On the second floor, the Westin’s fitness room overlooks the outdoor swimming pool. In addition to the standard treadmills, elliptical trainers, and weight machines, the fitness center has two Peloton bikes.
While the heated pool isn’t large, you can enter the water indoors — a plus during the colder months. There are hot tubs as well as steam rooms, and a large deck area around and above the pool.
The heated pool at Whistler’s Westin hotel
Operated by a third party, the Westin’s spa facility emphasizes massages and other services to rejuvenate you after your various athletic adventures. For golfers, there’s a driving range across the road from the property.
Guest Rooms and Amenities
A studio guest room at the Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler
The Westin’s guest rooms are located in two towers: East and West. The majority of the units in both towers are studios, which technically can sleep four, although four adults might find the rooms cramped if you’re doing much more than sleeping in them. The studios could accommodate a family with smaller kids or anyone that doesn’t need a lot of space.
Some units are furnished with a king bed plus a sleep sofa; others have two queen beds. All have gas fireplaces, as well as full kitchens, most of which are compactly laid out as a counter with a sink, microwave, coffeemaker, cooktop, and fridge. They’re stocked with enough dishes and cookware to prepare simple meals.
All the guest rooms have kitchens
The Westin has ten studio loft rooms, where the sleeping area is located in an upper level loft space, as well as one-bedroom suites with separate sleeping and sitting areas.
About half of the rooms adjoin, so you can book adjoining studios or a studio plus a one-bedroom to accommodate larger families or groups.
For even more space, reserve one of the 14 two-bedroom suites with larger kitchen areas and two full baths.
A few units have small step-out balconies, and some on the upper levels have vaulted ceilings. While staff can’t guarantee a specific room, they do try to honor requests for certain features if you book through the hotel directly.
The living area of a one-bedroom suite
Business Services, Family-Friendly Facilities
As a Marriott property, the hotel books a large number of meetings and conferences, particularly on weekdays or outside the busiest winter and summer periods.
All rooms include Wi-Fi, and on the small mezzanine above the reception lobby, you can work at one of the outlet-equipped tables.
On winter weekends, during spring break, on holidays, and throughout the summer, the Westin is busy with families and other travelers who come for Whistler’s myriad of outdoor activities.
Because with its central location, kitchen facilities, and small heated pool, it checks all the Whistler holiday boxes.
Rates
As at many Whistler properties, rates at the Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler vary significantly depending on the season, day of the week, and how busy Whistler is overall.
You may be able to find rooms under CAD$250 midweek during the quietest months, but rates starting in the CAD$390-450 range (and up) are more common. Self-parking is CAD$34/day; valet parking is CAD$38. You can also check Booking.com or Hotels.com to try and get a better rate.
To compare the Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, to other Whistler lodgings, check out our reviews of the Crystal Lodge, Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, and the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside.
Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Tourism Whistler hosted my stay at the Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, during a recent symposium on cultural tourism.
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