Nita Lake Lodge

The Nita Lake Lodge starts with a prestigious location in the Creekside area of the Western Canadian resort town of Whistler, outside of the main Village area. It’s part of a growing movement toward modern ski hotels, something that’s catching on perhaps more quickly here (perhaps owing to the 2010 Olympics) than elsewhere in North America. And if it means more luxurious modern-rustic lodges like this one, then it’s a trend we have no problem endorsing.

With 77 suites, it’s fairly modest in size, but the accommodations are anything but cramped. The smallest is a studio suite, and it still comes with a fireplace and a 40-inch LCD television, not to mention geothermally heated floors and oversized modern bathrooms with deep soaking tubs. The look is contemporary, a little bit minimalist-chic, but still warm and inviting, in earth tones and natural wood and stone.

A spa and fitness center are part of the modern ski-resort package, as is a restaurant serving dishes drawn from largely organic and local B.C. produce. The distance from Whistler Village turns out to be a plus; Creekside is quieter, a bit more of an escape, and the lift from Creekside goes to the top of the very same Whistler Mountain.