The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler

The Westin anchors Whistler Village, the pedestrian core that serves as base camp for one of North America's most ambitious year-round mountain resorts. This purpose-built alpine town, carved from the southern Pacific Ranges 125 kilometres north of Vancouver, transformed from logging outpost to Olympic host over the past half-century. The village hums with skiers shuffling toward gondolas in winter, mountain bikers hosing mud from suspension forks in summer, and a persistent undercurrent of après energy spilling from patios at all hours.

Whistler Blackcomb rises on either side, twin peaks linked by the Peak 2 Peak gondola that arcs over the valley like a declaration of ambition. Below, cobblestone plazas lined with cedar-shingled buildings house gear shops, galleries, and restaurants where servers still wear fleece vests unironically. Lost Lake sits two kilometres beyond the village edge, its forested loop trail a rare moment of quiet in a town built for adrenaline.

Vancouver International Airport lies 103 kilometres south. The Sea-to-Sky Highway traces the coastline through Squamish before climbing into the mountains, a journey that delivers you from rainforest to subalpine in ninety minutes.

Whistler Blackcomb sprawls across more than 8,000 acres four kilometres north, its 200-plus runs ranging from groomed boulevards to black-diamond chutes that hold powder long after storms pass. Summer redraws the map: the Whistler Mountain Bike Park opens 80 kilometres of trails ranging from flowy berms to technical rock gardens. The gondola runs year-round for those who prefer gravity-assisted descents. Closer in, Whistler Golf Course sits 800 metres away, its narrow fairways threading between Douglas fir and hemlock, while Nicklaus North, three kilometres north, sprawls beside Green Lake with mountain views from nearly every tee box.

Rainbow Falls drops 40 metres over moss-slick granite 3.4 kilometres south along Highway 99, accessible via a short trail that winds through old-growth forest. Book a table at the Whistler Farmers Market one kilometre north on Sunday mornings from June through October, where vendors sell smoked salmon, foraged mushrooms, and preserves made from wild huckleberries. Lost Lake Beach, 2.2 kilometres away, offers sandy shoreline and lifeguarded swimming when snowmelt warms the water above tolerable.

Winter arrives with conviction. November through March blankets the mountains in an average five to six metres of snow, while the village itself hovers just below freezing. Grey light filters through cloud cover most days, and the air smells of wet wood smoke from hundreds of fireplaces.

Summer compresses into July and August, when temperatures climb into the low twenties and the sun doesn't set until after nine. Trails dry out, patios fill, and the resort sheds its mono-seasonal identity. Wildflowers colonize alpine meadows above the treeline.

Spring and fall serve as shoulder seasons of variable commitment. May brings longer days and retreating snow, though rain dominates. October offers brief windows of crystalline weather before the skies close in again, the mountains dusted white while the valley holds onto autumn colour.