masskrug

I am not alone in feeling this way, obviously. If, for the same price, one receives service that is exemplary as a 'nobody' but is made to feel wanting despite being a highest tier elite, then some dissonance obviously starts to set up.

The FS can be found for the same prices as the Westin for late spring skiing. You will forfeit the mint brownies and hot chocolate by the hot tub though. Also, the shuttle may not run, so you will have to use the house car.
If they know you have children coming, they email you beforehand to prepare slippers, robes, and a welcome treat for them in the room, and provide a stuffy toy for them at check-in.

The FS room and facilities are the best in Whistler, but the Westin does have the superior location.

I think the Westin needs to pick up their act, especially for elites, but I doubt they care what I think.

xbanker

Hello all, I've typically gone up to Whister in Dec & Jan, but was wondering what the ski conditions are like in early April? Would appreciate if anyone can share their experience. Have some SPG points to burn and thinking about taking the kids up during spring break for some lessons. Thanks.

masskrug

April is great if you like warmer skiing and sun (a rare thing at WB), although still not guaranteed. Bring bikinis and t shirts. It's great to pound out a pile of runs and then suntan on the many mountain patios with beer in hand.

If you value skiing, you will need to stay up in the alpine, where the snow can still be surprisingly good. If your kids are in lessons, I hope they are good enough to stay up in the alpine too, as the frontside will likely be in rough shape.

ILUVCITIBANK

I located a website (whistler.com or something similar) which showed a 5yr snow report, and turns out MARCH is historically a better snow month than FEB., which is a good thing, since I am headed there w/ family and another family tomorrow. Hope we have more snow than did the recent Olympics. Can't speak to APR or MAY.

Any fellow Flyer'talkers headed to Whistler next few days ?

nwa330

Love this hotel. The location couldn't be better. My favorite part was sitting in the outside hot tub when it dump about 16 inches one night. Then a massive snow ball fight started with about 50 people in the square below my balcony. The best night life scene of all ski towns. I would love to go back.

SLF

Don't confuse the widespread publicity around the "snow rescue" at Cypress Mountain (nr. Vancouver, not Whistler), or seeing presenters standing around the bare plaza in Whistler village with any problems skiing at Whistler. Indeed, the delays for some alpine events were not due to lack of snow, almost rather the opposite. The racers want a nice hard packed surface, and lots of fresh powder thwarted that. While you heard about rain at Cypress causing problems, those same weather fronts were dumping powder all over the Whistler & Blackcomb mountains.

For a recreational skier, the first half of February was FANTASTIC. Regular fresh powder, zero lines on all the lifts, wide open empty mountains (i.e. hardly anyone skiing), no crowds in the restaurants, the whole mountain open, etc. etc. etc. The best experience for us in the last four years there!

OK, the bottom runs back to each of the bases were very heavy and unless you like that sort of snow it's better to go back to the base by downloading at the end of the day rather than skiing. That's normal for Spring conditions, which is pretty much what it was.

onthewineroute

The sweltering midwest summer has gotten me thinking about winter and I just booked a ski vacation for January 2011. Through the Whistler Blackcomb website, I did an early booking package with hotel and lift tickets and booked into the Westin.

Can anyone tell me if this option will give me SPG points and stay credit? Will my Plat status be recognized and will they give me an upgrade?

On another note, for those of you who frequent WB regularly, what are snow conditions typically like in late January?

masskrug

The WB site is third party. As per SPG T&C's, doubtful you'll get elite benefits or starpoints/stay credit.

Snow in late Jan is variable, as you should expect in the Coast Range. Usually there will be a good base on the mountains, but freshies are hit or miss.

Boraxo

I have been to Whistler 3 times in February and always found snow conditions to be poor/marginal at best. The low elevation plus alleged global warming does not bode well for the future. Can't comment on December/January.

davem4

Can someone please tell me what the difference between normal room and executive floor room is for a junior suite.

Thanks

Is there an executive lounge with continental breakfast?

SLF

Exec floors are higher. Having said that, they can also deliver exec benefits to rooms not on the exec floors. There is no great difference in the rooms themselves, although they change around the benefits from year to year; e.g. Turndown service, priority arrival, ski store fee etc. You are best to email the hotel (and post back here!) what they are planning for 2011 - you may also be able to find this on the hotel's own website There is no exec lounge and no free breakfast - although this is offset by the kitchenettes in each suite, so you can get bread/cereals/milk etc. from the village store and do your own brekkie.

andymo99

Wife and I just spent the weekend at Westin Whistler on FWN. A quick report:

**We were upgraded to a 1-bedroom suite, and were happy with it.
**Some aspects were clearly not designed by skiers. For example, there should be easy accessory (gloves, goggles, etc.) storage right on entry. There should also be a place to remove and store ski boots. Boot warmers/dryers would be an extra bonus.
**The shower has a great and powerful showerhead, but it only sprays along its perimeter, with no adjustment possible. This left a huge dry hole in the middle of the shower spray. Very odd, and not Heavenly.
**The kitchenette worked well for us to prepare breakfast each day. Very nice. An actual oven was a nice bonus as well - to heat up the sourdough I'd bought earlier on arrival day at SFO.
**Location is outstanding.
**The public (non-treatment) areas of the spa are not befitting a high-end ski resort. The pool/hot tubs are dated. The outdoor hot tub should be much larger. I had to wait for someone to leave before I could get in. There is plenty of room to have a larger tub... not sure why they went so small.
**28 CDN to park the car, or 32 with valet. We arrived very late (130am) and so we just parked ourselves, but next time I might seek out the free "Lot 4" that people reference.
**6 CDN per day for ski storage seems wrong. They don't want skis in the room. At a resort, they should provide free ski valet. We took bellhop's advice and left our skis in the car. Not only did this save money, but it saved us from a long line to pick up skis in the morning.

Verdict: we'll absolutely stay again on C&P and FWN. At going rates, we'll more likely seek out an alternative in the area.

Land-of-Miles

I received the following information regarding "Executive" benefits in what seemed like a proactive push warning too of little prospect of upgrades for Plats. Luckily I have already agreed my upgrade with cash in advance.

"As an EXECUTIVE SERVICE guest your stay with us is personalized to your needs from the moment
you make your reservation to the moment you depart. Your Concierge will greet you upon arrival and
confirm all your arrangements, whether it is ski school for the kids, sleigh rides and dog-sledding, or
dinner in our award-winning Aubergine Grille. We’ll have everything in order so your holidays begin
as you planned them.
Your accommodation is a residentially-designed suite which has
just undergone a $10 million guestroom refurbishment program.
You will find all the comforts of home with a welcoming fireplace,
inviting soaker tub, quality-appointed kitchen, 32” LCD flat panel
television and of course Westin’s famous Heavenly Bed. Plus,
windows that open up to fresh mountain air!
But there’s more.
Every morning we’ll provide a wake up coffee service in your suite, a special evening
housekeeping service every night of your stay, free internet access if
you need to contact the office or home, complimentary ski valet service
to store skis and boards, 10%* discount when dining in the Aubergine
Grille, and if you’ve brought the family pooch on holidays, we’ll take the
dog for a morning walk!
Simply ask for EXECUTIVE SERVICES when making your reservations – rates are in
addition to the rates of the accommodation type you are booking. It is an extra $50** per night for
the Junior Suite or a One Bedroom Suite and an extra $200** per night for a Two Bedroom Suite,
taxes are additional. (Changes to room categories, e.g. Junior Suite to a Two Bedroom Suite are
subject to additional rates.)
Executive Service rates are valid from December 18, 2010 to April 25, 2011."

It doesn't seem a great deal to me for Plats where the internet is free anyway, at C$50 per day for ski storage and a 10% restaurant discount.

jjbc

I agree with many of the other posters, that for FWN awards, especially during the ski season is great. I was able to secure three nights just before they expired.

Standard junior suite with no upgrade, though various suites and executive level rooms were available on-line.

A good stay for a FWN award, but if I were paying the going rate, I much prefer the Pan Pacific hotel.

Land-of-Miles

I am at the property now (arrived on the 24th) and it makes an interesting contrast to my last trip to Whistler when I stayed at the Hilton next door. On balance I would have to say that the Hilton is the superior property. I like the room layout at the Westin (I am in a paid upgrade to mountainview loft junior suite) but some things really are not great.

Upon arrival I had to move my baggage from the bus to the hotel door myself (no offer of help from the bell desk and even as I approached them pushing wheeled cases, I was still ignored until I shouted at them). At check-in I wasn't given any Plat amenity options, there is a blanket default 17% "tip" on everything at the property (over and above a $4 tray charge for room service). I found this positively offensive for the buffet at the Aubergine Grill (effectively being mugged for a $55 tip in return for being given a single glass of water and a bottle of wine) but not quite as offensive as the food served there at Xmas day. This is the only place I have stayed anywhere in the world where I had to make a special request to get shower gel in the bathroom (initially only soap, shampoo and conditioner were provided "as standard"), I really haven't yet been bothered trying to obtain a vanity kit.

A mountainview here means a view of any local mountains and not necessarily a view of WB as you might expect. The kitchen is also much less useful than that at the Hilton even though it does come with an oven, the layout means that cooking smells end up covering everything even when doing simple things like cooking bacon. It really can only be used to warm very simple things, which is a shame given the equipment present. I also had to have the minibar items which filled all the free space on the counter and in the very small fridge removed in order to have any space for anything else. The room wasn't properly cleaned prior to my arrival (I found bits of dried rice from the previous occupant under the rolling ottoman in the lounge and around the sofa and I don't think it has been vacuumed since I arrived).

As for the Exec level fee, I apparently have this bundled with my room rate but I frankly wouldn't bother. I am assuming that anyone who rents skis from the WB rentals within the property gets free storage (possibly a big assumption), certainly no-one asked for our room details for the storage of our rental boards (as we haven't seen our own since check in at London). Plats get free internet anyway and I whilst I do quite like the wake up coffee and pastries, the same coffee can be made in room using the complimentary coffee maker and Starbucks coffee and the pastries are nothing special. The evening turndown is quite fun though with a different mini gift each night (note it seems only one per room however not one per guest). As for a 10% discount in the Aubergine Grill it has to be about the least inspiring ambience of any hotel restaurant I have ever visited feeling rather like sitting in a draughty corridor, so I won't be going down that route again. It would be interesting to know if some alternative amenity should be provided in place of the one effectively bundled into a resort fee for the Exec Level? Perhaps the shower gel is my alternative amenity?

On the plus side the concierge service is efficient and helpful and the room is quite nice (but I wouldn't fancy a standard junior suite). I would however definitely take the Hilton over the Westin for future stays.

It is a real shame the essential elements of this property are rather good but it doesn't seem to come together and there seems to be some utterly ludicrous cost saving taking place, I would be hopping mad right now if I was paying the $1100++ going rate.