Fairmont Chateau Whistler

We don’t mean to offend anyone in Colorado, California or Vermont when we say Whistler and Blackcomb are home to North America’s best skiing and snowboarding; it’s merely a statement of fact. Blessed with the longest season and the greatest vertical drop of any resort on the continent, in addition to dozens of feet of Pacific Northwest snowfall every year, Whistler is not just the Canadian ski capital, but an international destination as well.

At the foot of Blackcomb mountain you’ll find what many rate as the finest ski hotel in North America, The Fairmont Chateau Whistler. This massive ski-in ski-out castle is, on the inside, surprisingly warm and inviting, more like a traditional country retreat than a big-time corporate chain hotel, with rustic wooden beams supporting the lobby’s ceiling, and an elegant, traditional look to the guest rooms, far from the utilitarian anti-style of many ski hotels.

Of course, comfort is king, in any ski resort, and there’s nothing fussy about this place—however fine the furnishings, there’s nothing that couldn’t take an accidental kick from a ski-booted foot. Views are rather impressive, whether of the mountains, the village, or the ski slopes themselves, and the enormous soaking tubs come in handy after a long day on the slopes. The gold-level rooms have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs, and offer access to a private lounge.

The best spa in town operates within the hotel, and the heated outdoor pool and Jacuzzis are open to all guests. And even in summer, this place loses none of its luster; the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course is one of the region’s finest, made more challenging by the unpredictable British Columbia landscape.