Whistler village is world famous for its facilities and atmosphere and even just staying there should be an experience even without the great riding on offer.
There are plenty of ride in/ride out options – so if you want to be able to head straight from your door to the lifts then staying as close as possible to the action is definitely doable and is probably the right choice for you.
Naturally the further out you stay, the cheaper it gets – so whether convenience or budget is your main driver when looking for accommodation, there’s somewhere that will be the right fit for you when visiting Whistler/Blackcomb.
The Whistler/Blackcomb Options
Whistler is split into several areas – Whistler Village, Whistler Upper Village, Whistler Village North, Whistler Creekside and Whistler Valley. So not only is there a host of options for accommodation there is also a good number of areas to choose from.
Whistler Village is right in the heart of everything and both the Whistler and Blackcomb lifts are right there!
Whistler Upper Village is right on the base of the Blackcomb mountain. You’ll be on the slopes in minutes from here – particularly the Blackcomb slopes.
Whistler Village North is just back from the main village and upper village and still easily within walking distance on the lifts of both Whistler and Blackcomb.
Whistler Creekside is a bit further out but still just a 5 minute drive from all the action.
Whistler Valley is comprised of Blueberry Hill, Nicklaus North and Alpine Meadows – these are all just a short drive from the main village.
Save Money and Stay A Bit Further Out
As well as staying in Whistler itself you can also stay in Squamish or Pemberton. The atmosphere won’t be as good and it will take more time to get on the slopes – but it will also be a cheaper option!
Also if you prefer to be away from the hustle and bustle these might be better suited for you. That said, Whistler Creekside and Whistler Valley also offer this.
Squamish is roughly half way between Vancouver and Whistler (so south of Whistler) and is a 1 hour drive away. Pemberton is north of Whistler and is a 30 minute drive away.
You could even stay in Vancouver, though it would be a long day trip out from there. Vancouver to Whistler is around a 1hr 45 minute drive without traffic – though you should expect 2-2.5 hours if there is traffic, and/or winter conditions.
Last time I drove up from Vancouver it was just under 2 hours.
Booking Accommodation
If you are ready to book your whistler accommodation, click on one of the links below to check out some options.
This link will take you to booking.com where you can order the accommodation by price, ratings, reviews, and distance from city centre and more. Just type in whistler, the dates you want and the number of guests you are booking for.
I tend to use booking.com most often as my booking site as it is reputable, has the largest amount of different accommodation options of any that I’ve seen, is user friendly and has large number or users (this is great because it means more reviews per property so you can get an unbiased opinion of the accommodation you are looking at).
For more options you can also check out the link below.
For even more options check out the Whistler Accommodation Page on their website.
Told you there are heaps of options!
My Last Stay
The last time I stayed in Whistler I stayed at the HI Whistler Hostel. It’s a bit further out but that makes it cheaper (and I was trying to save some cash!).
It’s located around 7km from the Village and 4kms from Whistler Creekside.
Despite being a cheaper option it was a really nice place – it probably helps that it was only built in 2010 (in time for the Olympics). The staff were friendly and relaxed too.
They have an awesome drying room too which is massive – and has a work bench as well so you can make any repairs or adjustments you need to.
Plenty of free parking as well.
The area it’s in is still developing so it’s pretty quiet. Great if you want it quiet but there are also regular buses that go into the village and they go until the early hours of the morning so you can head into the village for a night out if that’s your thing.
Definitely a great option if you’re looking to save cash or want a quieter spot and don’t mind being a few kilometres from the village.
Photo Credit
Whistler Village: Photo by Matthew Grapengieser [CC BY 2.0], via Flikr
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