Where Should I Stay in Whistler? Guide to the Best Hotels and Hostels in Whistler!

Planning to visit Whistler and have no idea which hotel to choose! I understand – there are close to a hundred hotels in this small town, and picking one for your stay can feel like a daunting task. They all look and sound amazing on the hotel booking sites – don’t they?! But, I’ve been living in Whistler for a few years and know exactly which hotels are worth staying at. And I’ve actually stayed at all the hotels below myself.

I don’t know about you but choosing the right hotel can make or break a vacation. Having a lovely place to stay after a day of exploring is so important to me, so, below I’ve only included hotels that I’ve stayed at and loved in Whistler.

So, let’s take a look at the best hotels in Whistler and the best hostels in Whistler (for those on a budget!)

What side of Whistler should I stay on?

There are three main parts of Whistler that you can stay in – those are Whistler Village, the Upper Village, and Creekside. If you want to be in the middle of the action choose Whistler Village as this is where most of the restaurants, bars, and stores are located. And it’s also where you catch the ski lift up Whistler Mountain. The best hotels in Whistler Village include the Hilton and the Westin.

If you still want to be close to the action but in a quieter location, Whistler’s Upper Village is your best bet. Here, there are a few restaurants and Cafes and it’s also where the most luxurious Whistler hotels are located (Fairmont Chateau and the Four Seasons). The Upper Village is also where you can catch the ski lift up Blackcomb Mountain. From the Upper Village, it’s around a 5-minute walk to the main village.

Couples tend to prefer the quieter neighborhood of Creekside and although it’s a 7-minute drive into Whistler Village there are a few restaurants and stores in Creekside to keep you entertained. The Creekside Gondola also goes up Whistler Mountain from here, so you don’t need to go into the main village to get up on the slopes. It also tends to be the quietest of the three gondolas.

7 of the BEST Hotels in Whistler (for every traveler)

Best for winter stays – The Westin

Located only a 2-minute walk from the Whistler Blackcomb Gondola, the Westin Resort & Spa is smack-bang in the middle of Whistler Village. It is the perfect place to stay if you’re visiting Whistler in the winter. It’s classed as a ski-in-ski-out hotel as it’s so close to the slopes and they offer ski valet for guests so that you don’t have to store your gear in your room.

You’ll also find a lovely outdoor pool, an indoor pool, a gym, and on-site Spa at the property so that you can unwind after a long day on the slopes. There are two restaurants on-site. The FireRock Lounge is the biggest of the two and it boasts a huge, cozy fireplace (that we love sitting by!)

As for the rooms at the Westin, they’re comfortable and spacious. And if you want to save money then you can cook in your room as all rooms offer full kitchens! As well as that, you’ll find a huge soaker tub to relax in and most rooms offer mountain views, too.

From the hotel you can be in the center of Whistler Village in a couple of seconds, so, if location is important to you – this is the best hotel for you.

A studio suite at the Westin Whistler costs around $200 CAD per night.

The most family-friendly hotel – Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Located in Whistler’s Upper Village, at the base of Blackcomb Mountain. The huge Fairmont Chateau Whistler is one of the best places to stay if you’re visiting Whistler in the winter even if you don’t ski as there are loads of facilities here to keep you busy.

The Fairmont is a ski-in-ski-out hotel, which means you can access the ski lift up Blackcomb within a few seconds of leaving the hotel. There’s also a ski rental store on-site where you can get fitted for all your gear and they will store them for you until you’re ready to hit the slopes again.

As for the other facilities at the hotel, there are LOADS so be prepared to never want to leave the hotel! At the Fairmont Whistler, there’s a heated outdoor pool with underwater music, an indoor pool, a hot tub, a sauna, and an eucalyptus steam room. There are also 3 on-site restaurants and a bar, and in the winter you can visit their offsite cozy restaurant The Chalet.

Whistler’s main village is just 600 meters away, but if you don’t feel like walking the hotel offers a free shuttle service! Handy!

In the summer, you can visit the hotel’s 18-hole golf course, play tennis at their tennis court, or take a hike to nearby Lost Lake. For kids, there’s a pickleball court and a Kids Adventure Camp which happens on Saturdays and Sunday mornings. There’s also a playground under construction.

Also, because the hotel is located in the quiet Upper Village, you’re not going to hear any noise from late-night bars or nightclubs.

To me, this is one of the best hotels in Whistler – although I may be a little biased as I worked here for a number of years!

Rooms at The Fairmont

And as for the rooms at The Fairmont – there are loads to choose from (over 500 to be precise!). From the family-friendly double queen room with a mountain or ski slope view to the luxurious rooms offered at Fairmont Gold. When you stay at Fairmont Gold, you have access to their lounge which offers free continental breakfast in the morning, free tea and coffee throughout the day, and complimentary canapes and drinks in the evening.

A room at Fairmont Chateau Whistler costs around $250 CAD per night.

The best hotel for couples – Nita Lake Lodge

Nestled beside gorgeous Nita Lake in Whistler’s Creekside, Nita Lake Lodge is the perfect getaway for couples visiting Whistler. If you’re visiting in the winter, the hotel is handily just over 500 meters from the Creekside Gondola which takes you up Whistler Mountain. There are also several restaurants, Cafes, and a supermarket in Creekside. It’s like a mini Whistler Village. But, there’s also a free shuttle service into Whistler Village (which is a 7-minute drive away) for whenever you want to explore there.

This 4-star property boasts an outdoor heated pool and hot tub. And during Whistler’s summer, you can avail of free kayaks, bikes, paddleboards, and canoe rentals.

The suites all feature a gas fireplace to keep you cozy as well as a large bathtub and rain shower. And you can pick from lake view or mountain view suites. The Studio Suite has a kitchenette.

There are two restaurants on-site that serve up West Coast cuisine and there’s also an awesome Cafe called Fix Cafe which has great coffee, sandwiches, and baked goods. I spent a lot of time here as we lived close by.

A studio at Nita Lake Lodge costs from $200 CAD per night.

Related Read: Best Things to Do in Whistler in the Summer (Written by a local)

The most budget-friendly – Adara Hotel

If you want to stay in the center of Whistler Village but are on a budget. Then, we highly recommend the Adara Hotel on the Village Green. This small, boutique hotel offers rooms for as little as $100 CAD per night.

It’s a short walk from Whistler Blackcomb Gondola and the hotel offers free ski storage in the winter and free bike storage in the summer. There’s also a small outdoor pool and hot tub which boasts views of Whistler Mountain.

As for the rooms at the Adara Hotel – they’re modern and spacious and feature a fridge and microwave. So, you can save even more money by grabbing a cheap microwave meal from the supermarket.

We stayed here when we visited Whistler to search for an apartment rental while we were living in Vancouver and loved our stay, there’s a huge fireplace in the lobby and we loved the freshly baked cookies which are provided daily.

I will add that because the hotel is so central, there is the chance that you may hear noise from nearby bars and restaurants during your stay. We didn’t, luckily!

Book your stay at the Adara Hotel here, as I said rooms start from $100 CAD per night.

Best hotel in Whistler for those who want luxury: Four Seasons

Easily the most luxurious hotel in Whistler, the huge Four Seasons in Whistler’s Upper Village is more of a resort than a hotel with a fabulous heated outdoor pool and no less than 3 hot tubs. There’s also an award-winning Spa here.

The ski lift up Blackcomb Mountain is around 300 meters away and they offer a ski concierge service where you can rent equipment, store your stuff and they will even tune your skis for you. There’s a free shuttle that takes you to the Blackcomb ski lift and to the Whistler Ski lift in the main village if you wish. The walk to Whistler Village is around 5 minutes and is lovely if you don’t want to take the shuttle. You cam also take a stroll to nearby Lost Lake, which I recommend doing no matter the season.

There are two restaurants at this 5-star property – Sidecut (one of the best restaurants in Whistler) and the more casual Braidwood Lounge.

The rooms at the Four Seasons, as you can guess are very luxurious with a gas fireplace, seating area, and balcony (many with a view of Blackcomb Mountain). And if you really want to splurge for a special occasion you can stay in a Private Residence which offers your own dedicated Concierge team, a private pool, and private in-room dining options. It’s a popular place to stay for luxury travelers visiting Whistler.

A King Room at the Four Seasons Whistler costs from $250 CAD per night.

One of the best hotels in Whistler for location – Hilton Resort & Spa

I think everyone has heard of the Hilton brand, and we’ve actually stayed in lots of them during our travels as you know exactly what you’re getting. And one of the best hotels in Whistler is The Hilton in Whistler. This a 5-star hotel that’s only 100 meters from the Whistler ski lift. So, it’s perfect if you plan to ski during your time in Whistler. They also offer on-site ski rental services and ski storage facilities if you have your own gear.

At this luxurious hotel, you’ll find a large, heated outdoor pool, a gym, and an excellent spa. There are also two on-site restaurants, one of which is the Cinnamon Bear Bar and Grille where we dined often while living in Whistler. I love their nachos!

As for the rooms here at the Hilton they all have a fireplace, seating area and many boast mountain views. In the bathrooms, we loved wearing the cozy bathrobe and slippers after a long day of exploring. I just love hotel bathrobes, don’t you?!

Because the Hilton is so central, you can be in the middle of Whistler Village in around a minute.

A superior room at the Hilton Whistler costs from $170 CAD per night.

Best aparthotel in Whistler – Blackcomb Spring Suites

If you like to stay in a home-from-home when you’re traveling then an aparthotel is your best option as instead of a hotel room you can stay in a spacious apartment complete with a kitchen, dining area, and separate bedroom. The best one we’ve stayed at in Whistler is the Blackcomb Spring Suites in the Upper Village. Many apartments look onto Blackcomb Mountain, too.

It’s a ski-in-ski-out property as it’s located on the base of Blackcomb Mountain and there’s a ski valet and ski rental service at the property.

Blackcomb Spring Suites also offers guests a hot tub, full kitchen, swimming pool, and gym! As it’s located in the Upper Village, it’s around a 10 minute walk from here to Whistler’s main village – but as I said, it’s a nice, easy walk.

Expect to pay from $230 CAD per night at Blackcomb Springs.

Related Read: Only have one day to spend in Whistler? Then, check out my guide to the BEST Whistler Day Trip Itinerary.

Best Hostels in Whistler

Best hostel for luxury – HI Whistler

HI Whistler is a sort-of luxury hostel and it’s located less than a 10-minute drive from the village (it’s close to Whistler Creekside). It’s a huge hostel (it has 188 beds) so there’s plenty of choice in terms of room types. We stayed in a private ensuite room here – it was fabulous!

Interestingly, this hostel was part of the athlete’s village for the 2010 Olympics. Onsite you’ll find a licensed café called Cheaky’s which serves up great local beer, yummy meals and excellent coffee. There are also a few decks with mountain views and the gorgeous lounge room has a 52-inch TV and pool table.

There’s also a storage room where you can safely store your ski gear or bikes, that way you don’t have to take it to your dorm room.

A bed in a 4-bed dorm will set you back around $50 CAD per night.

Best hostel for location – Pangea Pod Hotel

Pangea Pod Hotel is located right in the center of the village, just 200 meters from the ski lift up Whistler Mountain. And so as you can imagine, this is a very popular choice. They have an onsite bar and a rooftop patio and your room is essentially a comfy pod complete with bed and storage space. Which I think actually offers more privacy than a standard dorm as you can draw your curtains around your bed.

It’s a really social place to stay and you’ll likely meet lots of other like-minded travelers here.

Expect to pay around $60 CAD per night here.

How many days do you need at Whistler?

As a general rule of thumb, I recommend spending a minimum of 3 days in Whistler. That’s because there’s so much to do here. In, the winter you’ll want to allocate one full day for skiing and the other two days doing winter activities like dog sledding and snowmobiling. While in the summer there’s plenty to fill your 3 days – think, awesome hikes, kayaking on bright blue lakes and adventure activities like ziplining and bungee jumping.

Getting to Whistler

Vancouver is the closest city to Whistler and it’s home to a large international airport which means that most tourists will fly into the airport here and then make their way to Whistler from there. Vancouver Airport (YVR) is a 2-hour drive from Whistler and the Skylynx coach service offers one-way fares from the airport for $32 CAD.

If you’re coming from downtown Vancouver – Whistler is a little closer at 121 km (or 75 miles) away. That means driving to Whistler from Vancouver should take you around an hour and 40 minutes without stopping. You will be driving along the Sea to Sky Highway which is famous for being one of the most scenic roads in the world.

If you don’t have a car, I recommend renting one as that way you can stop where you like along the way. Alternatively, you can catch a shuttle service from Vancouver to Whistler. Epic Rides offers a shuttle between the two destinations and I’ve used them numerous times before and can vouch that it’s an excellent service. It leaves from Burrard Station in downtown and costs $33.50 CAD one-way or $44 CAD return.

Travel Tip: The cost of renting a car in Canada can be expensive. However, there are some ways you can save money. We tend to always book our rental car through Discover Cars. This is a search engine for rental cars and allows you to filter by price if you’re on a budget or by vehicle type if there’s a specific car you’re after.

My final thoughts on the best hotels in Whistler!

Whew, I hope this detailed guide has helped you decide what the best hotels in Whistler are for you. As you have read, there are so many options and which one you choose depends on the type of traveler you are. For us, we love staying at the Fairmont as it offers everything you could want from a hotel (swimming pool, plenty of restaurant options, spacious rooms) and it’s so pretty. To me, it looks like a castle. But, if you want to be in the middle of the action then the Westin, right next to the ski gondola is a great choice!

If you enjoyed this blog post about the best hotels in Whistler, you may also enjoy my others, like –

What It’s Really Like to Live in Whistler for a Ski Season

15 Best Stops on the Drive from Whistler to Banff

Best stops on the Drive from Whistler to Jasper

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Last Updated on November 6, 2024 by snaphappytravel