Our Four Seasons Whistler review takes you inside one of Whistler’s best luxury hotels to see what it’s like to stay here.
When you arrive at the Four Seasons Whistler in the middle of the winter, you immediately get a cosy alpine resort vibe.
The modern rustic decor features stone, dark wood and fabrics in natural tones, with the cushy atmosphere enhanced by roaring log fires. Large windows offer mountain, valley and forest views and the overall feel is one of luxury and serenity.
We love all the little touches that really make you feel special. A complimentary glass of wine or hot chocolate when you return from the slopes, for example, or freshly baked cookies in the bedroom in the evening.
The outdoor heated pool, jacuzzi and sauna are unforgettable, and our kids love the outdoor s’mores station.
We visited during one of the peak weeks of the year – early January when, although Canadian schools have gone back, the Australians and South Americans arrive in Whistler in force.
With this in mind, the hotel was fully booked, and yet it never felt overly busy (except at the 8am breakfast slot). It maintained a serene and relaxed mountain lodge ambience throughout.
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Reasons to Love the Four Seasons Whistler
- It is luxurious with a wonderful Alpine mountain lodge feel.
- The heated outdoor pool and spa facilities are fantastic.
- It is just a five-minute walk from the gondola at Blackcomb Base.
- Kids will love the outdoor fire pits for s’mores making.
- You’ll find one of Whistler’s best steak restaurants here.
Hotel Location
The hotel is ideally located for skiing in Whistler. It is just a five-minute walk from the Blackcomb Base. Here you’ll find the gondola to take you up the mountain, plus Whistler Kids ski school and several bars and restaurants.
A massive bonus is the Four Seasons has a ski concierge, located right at Blackcomb Base. This means you don’t need to carry your skis back and forth to the hotel every day.
The walk into Whistler Village is around 10-15 minutes. We often chose to walk into the village in the evening, it’s a beautiful walk, flat and easy.
If you don’t like the idea of walking, a complimentary shuttle bus leaves every 20 minutes or so, doing a loop around the village so you can pick it up after dinner to take you home too.
We loved being slightly removed from the busy village centre, allowing for a more serene mountain escape, while still having easy access to ski slopes, restaurants, and shops.
Looking for things to do in the area? Read my article about Things to do in Whistler.
Rooms at the Four Seasons Whistler
There are 273 rooms and suites at the Whistler Four Seasons. Our room was a Deluxe Room, which is the entry-level room category.
At 51 square metres it was plenty spacious for our family of four, with a cozy yet elegant alpine design. The king-size bed was incredibly comfortable, and the sofa bed provided a great sleeping arrangement for the kids.
We hugely appreciated the daily room service and turn-down service, where the bed was converted into a sofa every morning and returned to a bed in the evening, giving us extra space during the day.
We had a large wardrobe, which gave us plenty of shelves and hanging space for ski gear and our non-ski clothes, and we also made use of the TV console shelving for extra kids ski clothes.
The gas fireplace added a warm, inviting touch, and there was also a private balcony, although it was a bit too cold while we visited, so we didn’t brave sitting out there.
The bathroom was a good size, with a separate bathtub and rain shower and also a separate WC cubicle, making it flexible for family use. There was also plenty of room for hanging up wet ski gear!
Facilities
The highlight of the hotel for us was the heated outdoor pool, hot tubs and sauna. Easing into the steaming hot water after a day of skiing, surrounded by snow-covered trees is one of our favourite memories.
There’s even a poolside bar, with staff to bring you a drink while you sit and soak! If you’re feeling really brave you can take a quick run for a roll in the snow too.
The indoor facilities are impressive too with steam rooms and saunas and luxurious changing areas.
I even managed to sneak off to the spa for a much-needed post-ski massage and it was one of the best hotel massages I have ever had.
The kids loved the s’mores area – free marshmallows and hot chocolates every evening with firepits to make your s’mores. Amazing!
The ski concierge service was a game-changer, making ski rentals and storage effortless. We pre-booked our ski hire via the Whistler app to pick up at the Four Seasons hire shop, which is located inside the hotel.
Ski equipment hire was efficient, and once organised, they arranged for it to be transferred to the ski concierge at Blackcomb Base. All equipment is then stored here so you can walk unencumbered to the slopes in the morning.
At the end of the ski day, you can ski directly to the Four Seasons tent at the bottom of the slopes, clip off your skis, and then wander down into the ski concierge to take off your boots and grab a hot chocolate and a cookie. Magic.
Food & Drink
There are two onsite restaurants at the Four Seasons Whistler – Braidwood Tavern and Sidecut.
Braidwood Tavern is the all-day, more casual restaurant dishing up breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks at the bar.
It’s a cozy and inviting area with a roaring log fire, comfy sofa areas and sports on the TV screens behind the bar.
Breakfast here is either a buffet or a la carte. If you are visiting during peak periods and need to get out the door for kids’ ski lessons, I would advise getting here early and opting for the buffet. It was sometimes hard to get a table at that crucial 8 am slot, and a la carte service could be slow.
We never struggled to get a table for apres-ski drinks here, unlike at the popular Mallard Lounge at nearby Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and they serve up a mean Caesar.
Sidecut is one of our favourite restaurants in Whistler. Serving up incredible steaks and innovative cocktails in an elegant setting, it’s definitely one for a special occasion.
But it’s not too self-important not to have a kids’ menu and be welcoming to families. Our server even emerged from the kitchen with a couple of carrots for the kids when she heard they had been outside making snowmen!
Beyond the restaurants, we loved all the little added touches to the hospitality service. There was a daily wine-tasting station featuring local BC wines to try out.
Some days the kids were delighted to find a maple syrup on snow station (if you know, you know!) And there was always a complimentary hot chocolate, lemonade or cookie on offer when we returned from the slopes.