Think if you’ve seen one mountain resort, you’ve seen them all? Think again. Even the air (intensely alpine) and water (sourced from glacial springs) in Whistler hits different. At the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler — the crown jewel of mountain resorts in the area — the off-season vibe was cozy and low-key, not see-and-be-seen. Service was warm and inviting, and the resort’s choice location offers nearly endless pursuits for outdoor enthusiasts. But the kicker here was the value-for-luxury equation, making this by far one of the best mountain resort values we’ve come across in shoulder season. We left wanting more and cannot wait to return.

Overview

At-a-Glance

• Date of stay: October 2023

• Length of stay: 3 nights / 4 days

• Trip type: Family mountain escape

• Property type: Family-friendly alpine resort

• Tailor-made for: Outdoor enthusiasts and skiers

Highlights

• Stunning scenery — having a beverage on the suite balcony was a perfect way to start and end the day

• Exceptional value across the board in off season, especially with USD-CAD exchange rate when we stayed

• Conveniently located a few minutes’ walk from Whistler Village, trails, and parks

• Deluxe Executive Suite was a great room configuration for families with extra shower room

• Outdoor heated pool, hot tubs (spa pools), and games — table tennis, fusbol, big Jenga, and HotShots basketball game

• Warm, intimate and homey feel while still delivering a luxury experience

• Complimentary activities like local wine and craft beer tastings, cocoa and maple taffy by the camper

Good to Know

• No supervised kids club here — playroom is only open in winter season

• Shuttle into village and house car program is convenient if you don’t have a car

• Kids 5 and under eat free in Braidwood Tavern

• Be on the look out for bears and know bear safety guidelines — we were 50 feet from a black bear on a trail at the nearby golf course

• Book a free YVR Express reservation to bypass the general security line when you depart Vancouver airport to go home

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Location & Setting

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After arriving at Vancouver airport and breezing through passport control and customs, we met our Blacklane driver for the two-hour scenic ride up Highway 1 from Vancouver to Whistler. Set between the sea and the sky, Whistler is one of the premier mountain villages in the North American West — and for good reason. It is difficult to overstate the eye-popping natural beauty all around here, not to mention the crisp freshness of the alpine air and the chilled glacier water that comes from the tap.

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Property & Grounds

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Located about 5 minutes drive and 10-15 minutes walk outside Whistler Village, the Four Seaons Resort and Residences Whistler is an alpine hotel with a mountain backdrop. It has a similar style and feel to its sister properties in Vail and Jackson Hole, but with a slightly more intimate and laid-back vibe. Most of the guests we chatted with during our stay were visiting from Vancouver for the weekend, which is supposedly the norm during the off-season. The property consists of:

• 273 rooms, suites and 37 residences

• 2 restaurants and in-room dining

• Spa (undergoing renovations), fitness center, outdoor pools, hot tubs, and sauna

• Extensive art collection and on-site gallery

• Indoor kids’ playroom in winter season; year-round outdoor games area

• Ski concierge

• Complimentary shuttle and house car service to and from Whistler Village

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Room

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We booked a Four Seasons Executive Suite with a More to Love rate (free breakfast, $150 CAD property credit) using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points on the Chase Travel Portal. The value here in the off-season is exceptional, especially given the USD-CAD exchange rate when we stayed — a base room for a family of four in October / November started at just under $300 USD per night, a fraction of what it costs to stay at other Four Seasons mountain resorts. On arrival, we were upgraded to a Deluxe Executive Suite (Room 643) which had an extra shower room and some of the most spectacular mountain views from the balcony we could have imagined. The room had a separate living / dining room with sofa bed, shower room, closet, bar area, gas fireplace, small dining table with 2 chairs, flat screen TV, and access to the terrace; the separate bedroom had a King bed, flat screen TV, large closet, large bathroom with shower, tub, dual sink vanity, and separate toilet. The room was ideal for our family, though we wished the room design could have included balcony access from the bedroom, not just the living room, so we could enjoy a glass of wine on the balcony at night without having to worry about waking up the kids when we came back inside.

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Service

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Service here was attentive, warm, and personal. It was a laid-back — yet still well-executed — take on the exemplary Four Seasons service experience, channeling the low-key mountain town vibe. Everyone we met from the moment we arrived until the moment we departed went out of their way to make us feel welcome and ensure we had an exemplary stay.

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Dining

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The dining here was solid and much better than the very underwhelming (2.5 hours for 2 courses, subpar food quality) dinner we had at The Wildflower at the nearby Fairmont Chateau Whistler during our trip. The breakfast buffet spread at Braidwood Tavern covered just about anything a person could want, including a multitude of Western and Eastern breakfast dishes, an omelet and sandwich station (is this is a Canadian thing?), and small plates. We also had a great lunch at Braidwood along with a local beer sampler. The service team at Braidwood was wonderful, and Ben (breakfast) and Mike (lunch) were notable standouts. Our dinner at Sidecut was a dining highlight, with Jessica and Thanos taking great care of us.

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Family Services & Amenities

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Upon arrival, there was a specialized kids welcome amenity with two plush black bears, cookies with the girls’ names and gummy worms. The hotel also provides children’s robes and slippers on request.

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Activities

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The resort offers plenty of things for outdoor enthusiasts to do on-site and off-site year-round. Daily resort programming includes activities such as hot cocoa and cider by the camper, maple taffy with the Taffy Man, local wine and beer tastings — all complimentary for overnight guests. The heated pools, hot tubs, and sauna were the activity hub during our stay, and the kids loved playing fusbol, basketball, table tennis, and jenga at the outdoor games area. There is plenty to do outside the resort, with shops and restaurants in Whistler Village a mere 5-minute walk away — or you can take the resort’s complimentary shuttle or house car service. The Forest Trail — which runs alongside Whistler Creek, through the forest to White Gold Park, and to a playground about 5 minutes away — and the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre are directly across from the resort. Lost Lake Park, Olympic Rings Village Square and Whistler Golf Club are also nearby.

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Wellness

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With an outdoor focus embedded in the setting of this resort, wellness-enthusiasts can find plenty to do here. The outdoor heated pools, hot tubs, and sauna are a focal point of the wellness aspects of the resort, in addition to the multitude of trails and outdoor pursuits around the resort. The spa was relocated to the Residences for renovations during our stay and we did not visit. The fitness center was quite small and could use more and better equipment.

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Wow Factor

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The location and scenery here are absolute magic, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. It’s worth noting that this time of year is typically pretty rainy. We lucked out as our weekend was rain-free, but evidently this is not the norm. The other guests we met were all weekending here from Vancouver, and the girls met plenty of similar-aged children to play with at the pool and nearby playgrounds.

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Value

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The value here is hard to overstate. Not only is this a well-priced mountain resort in off-season in local currency, but the USD-CAD exchange rate at the time of our stay made this an incredible value. Add to that the room rate we booked included daily breakfast for 4 (when staying in a suite) and a $150 CAD property credit, and it honestly felt like we were here on a glitch rate. The resort also offers a variety of programming like daily wine and beer tastings, as well as hot cocoa, cider, and maple taffy by the camper, which only further the value equation. Stay at the Four Seasons mountain resorts in Jackson Hole or Vail and expect to pay double or triple what you would stay here (in USD).

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Overall

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This artwork says it all. We unequivocally loved our stay here and cannot wait to return.

Rating Legend*

💛💛💛💛💛 Exceptional

💛💛💛💛 Notable

💛💛💛 Standard

💛💛 Substandard

💛 Unsatisfactory

*All ratings are relative to similar-class properties