 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
My partner and I are looking at a Canada / US trip next winter. We have done a reasonable amount of skiing in Europe but have not yet skied in Canada or the US.
My initial thought it Whistler so would be interested if anyone has any hotel / accommodation recommendations please? we generally like good modern accommodation and close to the lifts and there seems a few options but it would be good to hear anyones first hand experiences.
If others would recommend other Canadian or US resorts that would be great. we are both fairly reasonable skiers, just looking for a different experience and something we have both wanted to do.
thanks in advance of any assistance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You can't really go wrong. Pick roughly where you want to be (the village, Blackcomb, or Creekside), pick what type of accommodation you want (eg with a kitchen or not, room capacity), and you'll have a few places to choose from. It can be a bit noisy in the village if you're sensitive to that. Everywhere has hot tubs and washing machines and all the stuff you'd expect. Location isn't that important as it's a designed "village" for visitors. Because it's by design, a lot of hotels in each location are effectively ski-in/ ski-out. The further away coffee shops etc are from the lifts the better they tend to be, so there is that. I usually sofa surf, but if I can't then the Crystal Lodge is fine. Fancier and less fancy places are also available, you get pretty much what you pay for. Central places will charge you per day to park your car on top of the room rate. When I've stayed in eg Blackcomb, those places were more family oriented (cheaper, bigger, more washing machines, less fancy, quiet in the evenings etc, included free but mediocre breakfast).
Summary: it's all good.
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For other recommendations... it depends what you want.
I'd say Whistler is a very good place to start, because it's set up as a "destination resort".
March 2022, Whistler Roundhouse. That sled had a barking dog on it instead of a siren, which I thought would have made a better snap than this.
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Start looking at lift passes as some of the early bird offers finish this weekend, then the prices go up!
Some season passes get you free days or reduced price tickets at other resorts.
Some season passes can get you money off accommodation.
Sun peaks season pass gets you 50% off day tickets at whistler, 2 days free at silverstar, 25% off other Canadian resorts. A whistler season pass ( not epic pass) gets 50% off tickets at sunpeaks.....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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How many days? How close to lifts? Ski in ski out? Hotel room ? Self catering?
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Think break even is approx 10 days for a epic season pass at whistler, also benefits but they go off sale when season starts in November.
I always think crystal Lodge is good location/value in village center. We stayed in blackcomb last trip and prefer village center.
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@Is it that time already?, Hi, we have been twice our last trip was January 2020, for our first trip we stayed at the Summit Lodge which is further away form the lifts but had a great shuttle service, it was well located for shopping and eating, though every thing in Whistler falls into that category to some degree, there is a coffee shop linked to the hotel which is handy for breakfast though there is one an excellent one a few doors down, no bar but the Delta just up the road had a nice bar. The Delta's shuttle service didn't seem as efficient as ours.
Our second visit we stayed at the Crystal which meant we could walk to both of the main lifts, they didn't have a restaurant but there a plenty of places nearby for breakfast , there is a decent wine bar/restaurant as part of the hotel for an apre drink of dinner, there's also a bar quite lovely and they have a quiz night.
The staff at both hotels were super helpful and very accommodating.
With the Crystal is has a good location, there are rooms on the Village Stroll which can occasionally be noisy, avoid the rooms with interconnecting doors if possible the sound proofing could be better, they moved us to a non connecting one and were very nice about it.
Our first trip was ten nights in Whistler and and one night in Vancouver on the way back, second time we when it was 11 nights in Whistler and we didn't ski the first day deciding wanted have more time to adjust to the jet lag.
We have done Banff / Lake Louise as well as Aspen the latter being our favourite, however we didn't enjoy the transfer from Denver its long, as a first introduction to North American skiing we think Whistler is good.
Queuing is a whole new experience no pushing and shoving and very relaxed and polite , never try and push in front of anyone in the lift queue , saw a German receive a warning from one of the staff that his lift pass would be suspended and a Brit taken to task for poor etiquette by a group of locals.
Mountain restaurants are different , but then so is the range of food.
We have booked through Ski Independence and Ski Safari to get the lift pass deal , with Ski Independence there is someone in resort that contacts you to check everything is OK and to help with any local questions. both companies were very good I used Avios for the flights and they did the transfers and hotels, both very efficient and helpful with advice on choosing hotels.
Hope that helps
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Whistler's great but as has been noted if noise is something you're concerned about either stay away from the villages or be prepared for the 2am wake-up.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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We stayed in the Delta suites and had a great time. It's a 10min walk to the lifts so the crystal is more convenient. We're going back to the Delta as it's just too good. The pools and hot tubs are far better than the crystal as is the on site bar - brickworks. Went for a drink in the crystal while quiz night was on but didn't stay long as it has an airport bar type feel. The food is awesome in Whistler you can't go wrong. Self catering for us works better as we have a phat breakfast then we eat out every night after usually a v. light lunch
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Thanks for the recommendations and insights.
We are planning 10 nights from mid/late Feb.
I’ve seen crystal and summit, both look like they’d be fine for us.
Thanks also for the companies people used. I’ve only seen crystal packages so far so will look into the others.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Get an Epic pass. Crystal lodge is fine. In fact now Creekside has matured it's worth considering for faster mountain access but a less rowdy scene (though lots of Van and Squamish traffic parks there as it's still free).
Whistler is fun but if you really want to experience the beauty of Canada for a first time trip I'd say Banff or Lake Louise and put up with less easy slope access. Time of year may be a factor as it can be pretty cold there Jan- Feb. Hotels will be a lot cheaper in Banff.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Whistler is great, good for easy access to the slopes, good food and a nice car free village. The skiing has a slightly more European feel.
However, I'd agree with Dave of the Marmottes on Banff if you were looking for a completely different experience to Europe. Being in the Rockies is really something else - I thought the buses to the ski area would be a complete pain but honestly, its all part of the experience and those views are like nothing else.
I've been to Whistler twice and not had great conditions either time. Whereas the twice I've been to Banff (and once to Jasper), the snow conditions have been fabulous - even without recent snowfall. The snow is drier and fluffier. I really didn't enjoy the hard packed, icy conditions both visits when I've skied on Blackcomb (which probably says more about my skill level!!), although Whistler mountain was more comfortable.
Weather wise, you have to be prepared for cold conditions in Banff!
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@Is it that time already?,
Not sure you really need a package unless it works out significantly cheaper.
Everything with regard to getting to and from Whistler is straightforward, hotels are straightforward, mountain is straightforward.
Contrary to @Dave of the Marmottes, I probably wouldn't stay in Creekside - nice enough and a few good places there (Dusty's, Creekbreads, Southside diner, Rimrock,...) but a lot more going in the village, and if they still haven't fixed the transit strike by then (!) will be a bit of a pain getting between Creekside and the village.
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You know it makes sense.
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For a properly different (in a good way) experience, go to Red, Revy, or Kicking horse.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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If you can get it at a sensible price, the Fairmont in Blackcomb is a fabulous hotel in a fabulous location. Stayed there twice and loved every moment.
Or, for a real Canadian experience, leave Whistler behind and go to Fernie...unless you really hate empty slopes and deep powder, in which case you should stick with Whistler
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Poster: A snowHead
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Apart from Whistler, I'd put in a vote for Big Sky, if you want wide-open slopes, fairly dependable
snow, full range of terrain, and relatively no crowds. Not much nightlife, but excellent options for
activities other than alpine (X-C, snowshoeing, tours of Yellowstone).
Not as difficult to get to as people think.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Snowshoer,
I went to Big Sky recently. It was a 1300km drive each way, so was fairly difficult to get to!  Not much in the way of snow when we got there (no choice on timing as it was for IFSA norams).
Was decent enough, though very expensive, quite nice atmosphere and very nice heated chairlifts!
Terrain was either a tricky hike into short similarish chutes or gentle wide cruisers, not too much in between, though as mentioned was limited by the conditions.
Didn't really fancy paying even more for the tram, so no idea what's up there!
Also went to Yellowstone, though mostly closed for winter. Was pretty cool to see the hot springs and bison. Very beautiful area. Not all that close to Big Sky in driving time though.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@stuarth, is there still no resolution out there on the transit strike? Ludicrous the harm it must be doing.
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Regarding Big Sky, yes, a 1300km drive would be a bit more difficult 
The airport to fly into is Bozeman, which is pretty well connected to many major US airports,
so something like LHR->ORD->BZN is doable.
From there, it's less than a 100km drive along one of the prettiest roads ever along the Gallatin
River. No passes to cross, fairly easy drive. Plenty of shuttle options also available.
The west entrance to Yellowstone is pretty close by, probably 50km. The north entrance, which
it sounds like is where @stuarth went to, is definitely quite a bit farther away.
Wherever OP decides to go, getting the appropriate ski pass is a must, and probably sooner
rather than later.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| @stuarth, is there still no resolution out there on the transit strike? Ludicrous the harm it must be doing. |
Still going I think. Thought it was going to get sorted out a couple of weeks ago, but looks like that didn't work out 
It really is bad, not just from a tourist perspective, but many staff rely on the buses.
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| stuarth wrote: |
| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| @stuarth, is there still no resolution out there on the transit strike? Ludicrous the harm it must be doing. |
Still going I think. Thought it was going to get sorted out a couple of weeks ago, but looks like that didn't work out
It really is bad, not just from a tourist perspective, but many staff rely on the buses. |
Yeah I wouldn't have gone to Whistler if I'd known it was on and it severely reduced my visits to and spend in the village.
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I haven't been to Big Sky for nearly 20 years when the journey from the UK was a pig with a minimum of two changes. These days there are loads of options - Delta via Salt Lake City or Minneapolis; United via Denver or Chicago; or BA/American via Seattle - so it's a pretty straightforward journey.
I hugely enjoyed our visit, and the obligatory trip to Yellowstone was definitely also worthwhile. I imagine it's as good now as it was then.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Look at Big White, Silver Star, Sun Peaks, they are all in a 2hr drive from Kelowna airport. They all have ski in ski out condos but not full service hotels!
You need to shop for breakfast but all have a great range of eateries for evening meals. We have used several websites to find condos. Booked our own flight's and transfers.
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The Grand at Sun Peaks is "full service" and there are a couple of other hotels now. Big White and Silver Star are more condo oriented. Those, and places like Golden (kicking horse) or Revelstoke are probably not great choices if you started by thinking of Whistler. The obvious alternative is Banff, not better or worse, just different.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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True the grand is full service but I haven't stayed there only stayed in condos in walking distance of village centre, and lifts.
All the resorts seem different! Love the differences though , try the wine tasting trips in the okanagan from silver star and big white! Stay in sun peaks for the winter wine festival including the wine masters dinners and progressive wine tastings.!
The skiing is good as well!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Jonny Jones wrote: |
I haven't been to Big Sky for nearly 20 years when the journey from the UK was a pig with a minimum of two changes. These days there are loads of options - Delta via Salt Lake City or Minneapolis; United via Denver or Chicago; or BA/American via Seattle - so it's a pretty straightforward journey.
I hugely enjoyed our visit, and the obligatory trip to Yellowstone was definitely also worthwhile. I imagine it's as good now as it was then. |
West Yellowstone is easily accessible from Big Sky & indeed if you're driving up from Jackson or SLC you'll pass through it. Shame though that the only park access through the West gate is on organised snocoach or snowmobile tours. I managed more once in early May including wolf pack on the other side of the Firehole River at a lunch stop though not all roads were open or plowed.
Bozeman has grown from a quite cutesy college town (for US/Montana) to a sprawling city though.
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| Is it that time already? wrote: |
We are planning 10 nights from mid/late Feb.
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Whistler is notorious for its long lift lines (by N American standard). Good luck with the crowd and condition.
| Is it that time already? wrote: |
If others would recommend other Canadian or US resorts that would be great. we are both fairly reasonable skiers, just looking for a different experience and something we have both wanted to do.
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Whistler is a good stepping stone to North American skiing. It's the resort most resembling a European resort (large interconnected piste networks with big verticles). Yet also has quite a lot of open terrain to try off-piste.
As soon as one strays away from Whistler, there's considerable difference from Europe. Some people love it. Others moan about wasting time and money crossing the pond to be limited to tiny little mountain with short limited pistes.
Big Sky is one of my favorite. Along with Jackson Hole and Aspen. None are easy to get to. All are expensive. But the skiing are brilliant!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Big Sky is one of my favorite. Along with Jackson Hole and Aspen. None are easy to get to. All are expensive. But the skiing are brilliant!
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I would most definitely agree with expensive. But if you are willing to endure expensive, then they can be not that difficult to get to.
Look at the resort sites, they generally have a page on airline access. Some of the routes are subsidized by the resorts and don't get
decided upon/scheduled until the summertime. But there have been non-stop flights over the years from many major US cities into
Aspen, Jackson, and Bozeman. It can also be a good way to get high value for airline miles, especially when you take baggage charges
into account.
Also, if you decide to include a US resort, Mon 20 Feb is a national holiday in the US. That weekend will be crowded and more expensive
than normal. If you were going to go between 2 resorts on the trip, that would be the weekend to transition and avoid skiing.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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-1 for Big Sky. The most expensive ski area I've ever visited (especially lodging), scant terrain for the accomplished skier who isn't into chutes anymore, and really hard to get to. There isn't much of a there there. Not much snow either, and the locals said that's normal; I was there in March and left two days early and headed home to the stone grinder.
I would suggest that the OP decide first if they want to go to one place and stay there, or bounce around. As I said above, Whistler's fine. I must say though, I would not base an entire ski trip across the pond on Whistler alone. If you are unlucky with weather, which happens at Whistler with regularity, you're screwed. I would suggest a place higher or less coastal. You could base yourself at Aspen and have multiple areas with different personalities, and a real ski town, no car needed. Or anywhere in Utah (car preferable). The BC interior also has several great options as noted by others; since you are "fairly reasonable skiers" I'd steer you to Sun Peaks, Big White and/or Silver Star rather than Revelstoke or Kicking Horse, both of which are heaven for keen skiers in good conditions, but not great otherwise due to limited lift systems and minimal cruising terrain.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
If you are unlucky with weather, which happens at Whistler with regularity, you're screwed.
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Honestly this is so overblown. Yes it can rain at whistler, but rain higher up the mountain is hardly a regular occurrence. As someone that's done a season in whistler and multiple in interior bc I can tell you over the course of a season whistler tends to have better conditions (so many times we were watching whistler get 20+cm while we got 2-3.
If it was just a weekend at very early or late season I might be a little concerned. For a full length holiday mid season you would be extremely unlucky to have a whole week of bad conditions. It's probably no bigger risk than elsewhere.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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North American skiing is a great experience. Being able to safely ski the whole mountain is a huge attraction to me.
I’ve only skied Whistler at the end of March (both times) but snow conditions were wonderful and crowds acceptable. It was a few years ago now though.
An obvious add on to Whistler would be Revelstoke or Red or Whitewater. All three will provide a completely different vibe and a great Canadian experience. Banff is a good suggestion too.
If going to North America to ski Alta/Snowbird is a must do. Surely the best combination of lift served snow quality and quantity and varied terrain on the planet.
We find Salt Lake City the best place to fly into. It has a multitude of skiing options close by and great drives to Jackson/Grand Targhee/Sun Valley to the north, Tahoe and Mammoth (via Vegas) to the west, Aspen/Telluride and all the other Colorado hills (via Arches/Canyonlands National Parks) to the south east.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
An obvious add on to Whistler would be Revelstoke or Red or Whitewater.
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Revelstoke is 500km drive away and the other two are 700km drive. Great resorts, but hardly an "obvious add on". The beauty of whistler is that it's a massive ski area with plenty of every type of terrain you could want. You don't need to combine it with another resort - not only is there none nearby but there's so much there it would be pretty much impossible to get bored anyway (I've done over 100 days at whistler and would happily go back tomorrow!).
Right now Canadian rental car prices are through the roof, which may be enough to put people off the idea of a multi resort trip. My personal view is that often you get a better quality trip spending more time in fewer places. However if you do want a multi resort trip it's much easier to stay in one place you can use as a base i.e. Banff in Canada and in usa you have salt lake city or one of the Colorado towns in summit county (e.g. silverthorne or Frisco).
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Vail Resorts bought Whistler as an insurance policy - Whistler gives the one place with good conditions for their Epic pass holders. It's not short of visitors though, but slagging Whistler off for it's number one plus point is just weird.
I don't really get the "add on" concept, but the "obvious" place would be Cypress, if it's in condition. You can't easily get a day in Whistler and then catch a flight back to the UK, but you can stay in YVR, use the Sky Train/ Sea Bus/ Bus to get to Cypress (in full ski gear: carry boots and board), ride a decent day there, reverse the trip, get changed by the Fairmont pool, and return home.
Revelstoke... it's in the right place for the snow, but it's the very last place, along with Golden that I'd recommend to anyone who doesn't know what it is and what it isn't.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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^^^^
I guess I’m thinking from my own perspective. I wouldn’t travel to Canada for less than about 3 weeks so I always do multi centre trips.
I don’t consider Whistler to Revelstoke or Rossland a huge drive.
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@sbooker, my shortest trip to Canada has been 2 months, and longest 5. I've never done more than one resort each trip (the one exception being a few days at Kimberly and fernie added onto a season at kicking horse - I already had an rcr pass and friend wanted to drive that way back to Calgary which is where I needed to go anyway).
Unless you are a intermediate or sticking only to groomers you can't ski out most of these resorts in a few weeks. In fact I've spent seasons at places and am still finding new lines and little gladed areas.
I see plenty of people doing the powder highway. They spend huge amounts on lift pass, car hire (prices are now even more crazy), and hassle of having to pack everything and move around every few days. Most also get way sub par skiing as they don't give themselves enough time to discover the better stuff in each place.
Yeah I'd you are from Australia perhaps it's not a long drive but I assure you those distances are huge for UK people, and they are not particularly fast roads we are talking about either.
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I did a 2 week trip this year, 7 days at KH and Fernie then 8 at WB with a day siteseeing in Banff/ Yoho NP thrown in. Easy enough apart from Rogers Pass but I don't mind driving into night after skiing or moderately snowy roads.
But that wouldn't be many people's idea of a holiday just as Revy or Golden or Rossland wouldn't be their idea of a ski resort. I love em but then they are small town Canada.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
I did a 2 week trip this year, 7 days at KH and Fernie then 8 at WB with a day siteseeing in Banff/ Yoho NP thrown in. Easy enough apart from Rogers Pass but I don't mind driving into night after skiing or moderately snowy roads.
But that wouldn't be many people's idea of a holiday just as Revy or Golden or Rossland wouldn't be their idea of a ski resort. I love em but then they are small town Canada. |
That's kind of part of the attraction.
Much as I like skiing at Whistler, and if you are coming to Canada from the UK it is likely a very good option - the crowds can be big at the weekend, and sometimes it rains, so you could be unlucky - but there's a reason it is the top resort, along with Banff.
But for me, the small town skiing is a plus, not a negative.
Unlike the suggestion above, personally I wouldn't bother adding on Cypress. I had a season pass a few years back (due to COVID restrictions). Its not all that far from my house, and I still didn't ski that many days there.
Some really cool views of the city, Vancouver island, Howe sound etc, and for the local hills sometimes some pretty good skiing, but still if you've bothered to go to Whistler you might as well do an extra day there instead.
Vancouver itself is a much better place to visit in summer imho.
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What's the point of constantly rehashing the justification of your own personal preference?
Never mind criticizing the preferences of others!
Some people likes to stay put and discover the hidden treasures. Others prefer to skim the surface and get an overview before getting sucked into one specific place. Neither were wrong and each has its benefits.
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FAQ
Washington state is surprisingly flat, with real tumbleweed 
I do now know what a flood basalt is 