Whistler was in the works before ski season even started. A bunch of friends and I had talked about heading up to Whistler as a group to hit the slopes and enjoy the aprés skiing scene. After debate on whether to stay at a ski-in/ski-out rental or not, we decided the more the merrier and booked a cabin just 1 km out of town. Fortunately, there was a shuttle stop near the cabin that went right into the village. I did not end up taking it since parking was not an issue, but others in our group used it and were glad of the convenience.
The rental could not have been any more perfect. With lofted areas, more could have fit and were probably used for families with kids, which brought out my inner child. The cabin had plenty of parking, a hot tube, kitchen, dining table, living room, ping pong (and pool) table, and cable television. I was very impressed. Fortunately, two people were not a couple, so they were able to find single rooms that would have been a tight squeeze if sharing.
Large windows overlooking Alta Lake and the snow mountain peaks taunted us during the daylight hours. Alta Lake is one of the main reasons how Whistler was founded. A small summer vacation area brought nature lovers to the lake to enjoy the summer months. Before the Sea to Sky Highway was built from Vancouver to Whistler, a very rudimentary road connected the areas taking over six to eight hours to drive and cross through the water covered road. The drive today is a short two hour drive from Vancouver.
I have to be honest with you. Andy did the research and booking for our accommodation in Whistler. I feel like it is important to share some quick tips when trying to book place to stay while in this beautiful ski resort. 1. Be careful.
Craigslist has MANY scams. Do not wire your money to someone that responds to your emails in broken English.
2. Research.
Andy was searching on a variety of vacation rental sites but finally heard about AirBnB, which was much cheaper.
3. Book early.
Try to book before people even think that ski season is starting. You can lock in the early bird rates and guarantee that you have a place to stay. The only downfall of booking early is you are not guaranteed the best skiing conditions.
The decor and decorations felt like a nice cabin destination. It had an gas fireplace, so we did not have to worry about starting a fire and finding dry firewood. A television with satellite channels helped distract us when we were lounging around. The hot tub was great after a long day of skiing to relax the sore or tight muscles and was inside with windows and doors to open if needed. There were plenty of toilets and showers to share among the 12 guests. The master bedroom had a balcony overlooking the road. Below are the pictures from our stay.
Main Floor
Upstairs
Basement
The basement was used more than I thought it would be. Drinking games brought all of us together after being separate during the day. With a pool table that was easily converted into a ping pong table, it was a perfect place to hang out in the evening.
I really enjoyed my AirBnB rental is because it felt comfortable. I did not have to worry that housekeeping was coming into the room throughout our time to clean it. Usually renting from the owners through a third party booking makes if feel like a home away from home. At the end of the stay, we did have to make sure all the beds were stripped and the towels were in the one bathtub. I small tradeoff for such a wonderful place to stay.
More in this series:
Would you book a vacation rental? What companies do you recommend?
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