Westin Resort and Spa Whistler - Hotel Review
The Westin Resort and Spa Whistler is a beautiful, family friendly hotel in Whistler, Canada. It was even named one of the Best Resorts in Canada by Conde Nast Traveler in 2019. It's located slope side on Whistler Mountain (Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort) which is so convenient for both Summer and Winter activities.
I personally have been staying at this hotel for quite a few years now and the two features that this hotel has that I absolutely love is a full kitchenette and fireplace in every room. So if you're a family looking for a great hotel for your next Whistler vacation, I highly suggest looking into the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler.
Hotel Rooms:
The hotel rooms at the Westin Resort and Spa Whistler are really well furnished and rooms were fully renovated within the last year to two years. Every room features a full kitchenette with stainless steel Whirlpool appliances. Yes, a fridge with a freezer, oven, microwave, stovetop and dishwasher in every hotel room. Some rooms even have in-suite laundry (or laundry facilities can be found on every floor).
Rooms have very comfortable Westin branded "Heavenly Beds", either a queen or king size bed or two queens (depending on room booked), fireplace, Westin bath amenities, coffee and tea making in the kitchenette (coffee machine (with Starbucks coffee) and hot water kettle with Tazo teas), robes and slippers and an in room safe. This hotel also has a smoke-free policy.
2 Queen Room at the Westin Resort and Spa Whistler
2 Queen Room Bathroom at the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler
Kitchenettes in every hotel room at the Westin Whistler
1 Bedroom Suite at the Westin Resort and Spa Whistler
1 Bedroom Suite - Sitting Room and Dining Area at the Westin Resort and Spa Whistler
I love sitting in front of the fireplace with a cup of coffee or a glass or wine after a long hike or a day skiing on Whistler Blackcomb.
Some of the hotel rooms also feature a small balcony, which is perfect for morning coffee and enjoying the fresh mountain air.
Dining:
The Westin Resort and Spa Whistler has some great dining choices on-property and especially near by, as it's located in the heart of Whistler Village.
Grill & Vine:
A great option for breakfast in the morning. Typically they offer a buffet style breakfast, however due to Covid-19 they are currently only offering an a la carte menu at the time of this travel guide being released. Dinner here is casual and very focused on west coast cuisine. Some of my personal favourites are the Beef Tenderloin and the Wild Mushroom Ravioli, highly recommend. Unfortunately due to Covid-19, Grill & Vine at this time is temporarily closed for dinner service.
FireRock Lounge:
FireRock typically has awesome daily drink specials. One of my favs here are the Avocado Fries served with a sriracha mayo, so delicious. In the summer they have a huge patio which gets the late afternoon/evening sun and in the winter the inside fireplace is a cozy place to enjoy apres ski.
The Grill & Vine Grab and Go:
It's as it's named, a grab & go with yogurts, cookies, muffins, sandwiches and other snacks. They also serve Starbucks Coffee (though not an official Starbucks). It's great to grab something early in the morning or a few items for a packed lunch for your hike or bike ride. With Covid-19, they are offering a more limited menu here than normal as well.
Main Lobby of the Westin Resort and Spa
Amenities at The Westin Resort & Spa Whistler:
The amenities at this hotel are great and family friendly. Please note, amenities can change without notice, so it's always good to check the Westin Whistler's website for the most up to date information (however I do try to keep this as up to date as possible).
Pool Area at the Westin Resort and Spa Whistler
Westin Workout (Gym) and Pools:
It offers a large indoor/outdoor heated pool and two hot tub/whirlpools (one is inside). Inside in the wellness centre, you'll find a sauna and both change rooms (men and women) features its own eucalyptus steam room. The gym is also located in this area with really good quality cardio equipment, weights and also offers an area for stretching. Usually you will also find a water station inside the wellness centre as well, however due to Covid-19, I noticed this was removed for the time being. You can ask for a bottle of water and they will provide one to you at no charge. They also limited the amount of time and number of people using the wellness centre and pool areas, I go into a deeper explanation later in this guide.
Outdoor Pool Area of the Westin Whistler
Outdoor Pool and Hot Tub at the Westin Resort and Spa Whistler
Winter:
Located within walking distance of the Whistler Gondola on Whistler Mountain (Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort) and easy access to Excalibur Gondola (to Blackcomb Mountain), the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler offers an included Ski Valet service with your stay. If you are a family coming to Whistler to ski, the Westin Whistler is very convenient as Whistler Kids (Whistler Blackcomb's Kids Club) runs some of the kids programs from one of the rooms in the Westin Whistler's Convention Centre.
Summer:
Again, being so close to the Whistler Gondola and Fitzsimmons Express Chairlift, Westin Whistler's accessibility to Whistler Blackcomb for downhill mountain biking, sightseeing and hiking is perfect.
Current Covid-19 Protocols:
There are a few new protocols in place due to Covid-19. This information is correct at time of posting this guide, however please be sure to adhere to the information on their website as this information can change. Also, please only travel if it's still advised/safe to do so.
I did also stay after the Covid-19 protocols were in place, the following is based on my most recent experience. Once you arrive at the hotel, you are strongly encouraged to wear a mask upon entry to the hotel, if you don't have one, the Valet at the door will provide you with one (masks are required in public places at time of posting of this guide) and you check in at the reception desks with full plexiglass barriers installed in the lobby.
Reception desks have full plexiglass barriers installed
Masks are required to be worn inside the Westin Whistler
Due to social distancing, they do have a restriction on the number of guests in the pool area, so there is a current allowance of one hour for the pool and a maximum of 25 guests. I did visit the hotel mid-week, so I was able to stay longer than the hour as they didn't reach the 25 person limit. I was also able to use the wellness centre multiple time in the day without any issues (again, this might differ if you were to visit on a weekend, this was just my experience).
Elevators at the Whistler Westin have social distancing stickers on the floor and a very convenient hand sanitizing on the wall inside
Check in is at 4:00pm right now due to extra deep cleaning protocols between guests (they don't have a resting time between guest stays as they use an electrostatic spray during cleaning), I was still able to check in at 11:00am and my room was ready (again, my stay was mid-week), which I was able to drop my luggage and get settled into my room. Also, even if you can't check into your room, or if you need to check out (check out time currently is at 10:00am), you can still access the wellness centre and pool. They have great change rooms with lockers, so it makes it easy to relax and not need to rush.
In Conclusion:
I just wanted to end this hotel review by saying that this guide is just my honest review and opinion of a hotel that I frequently visit personally in Whistler, British Columbia and I always enjoy my stay. I'm a member of Marriott's Bonvoy rewards program, so I do stay here a couple times per year to help with retaining my status. It's definitely one of my top three favourite hotels in Whistler to stay at.
I hope you enjoyed this review, if you're looking to book a getaway to Whistler or if you have any questions at all about the Whistler Westin please don't hesitate to contact me.
Also, check out my full Travel Guide to Whistler here.
Safe Travels!
Ariane