Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler Review
Updated December 2021: This hotel has now returned to full service with daily housekeeping and a full buffet offered for Marriot Platinum and above members. This is quite surprising and impressive, considering Whistler has a terrible worker shortage right now, but I’m happy they’re able to offer these services this winter. I’ve added updated pictures from my latest 5 day stay this December to reflect these changes.
On my second trip to BC, I wanted to head back to Whistler to really see if my mountain biking skills had kept up to my high school days (Narrator: They did not). As I was a bit disappointed with my stay at the Hilton Whistler, and the Delta Whistler didn’t offer many elite benefits, I decided that I would review the Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler to complete the Whistler trifecta. Spoiler - this is the points hotel you want to stay at in Whistler. Built-in 2000, and recent renovated (2018), this 400 room hotel is an outstanding place to stay when you’re in Whistler.
Booking
As a category 7 hotel, the Westin Whistler is an expensive hotel on points. The hotel is 70,000 / 60,000 / 50,000 points a night (Peak / Base / Off-Peak) with most nights during the ski season falling under the peak rate, and most nights in the summer falling under the base rate, with a few nights at the Off-Peak rate during the off-seasons. As those are exceptionally high rates, I booked a cash rate.
A base-level studio room can be had for roughly $220 in the summer if booked well in advance whereas weekdays during the ski season go for ~$500 a night or over $700 on the weekends. (Note: In 2021, these rates were at least $350 a night in summer, especially if not booked in advance)
As I was staying with a friend, I used my Suite Upgrades (I chose 5 of them as a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite) to upgrade to the Bi-Level loft.
I then realised that there were two-bedroom suites available, and as Ricky says, I successfully talked my way into a two-bedroom suite. As you can see, I would never pay this price, but it was awesome to have, especially considering that the Hilton wouldn’t upgrade me to a suite.
Not bad for $230 a night
Arrival
We arrived at the hotel in the early afternoon on the most stunning fall day, as it was over 27 degrees in the village by mid-afternoon. The lobby of the hotel is awesome. I do generally think Westin’s have nice lobby’s, like the lobby at the Westin Punta Cana.
The Westin Wall!
The lobby wasn’t very busy, but everyone was wearing a mask and social distancing was enforced. We were checked in by the friendly front desk agent, who let us know that we would receive breakfast in the restaurant because I am a Marriott Platinum Elite.
The room, on the top floor, was awesome. At over 800 square feet, it’s one of the best upgrades that I’ve had in North America. (Note: I’ve now stayed at the hotel again, and we, unfortunately, were only upgraded to 1 Bedroom Suite. That said, I’m also booked in this hotel later in. the year, and I was also upgraded to a one-bedroom suite)
There were two relatively similar bedrooms, both had an ensuite bathroom, while the back room had a private ensuite bathroom, whereas the front room shared a bathroom with the main living space. The bedrooms were simple but had a comfy Westin Heavenly Bed with bedside tables.
The bedside tables had plugs, which are a modern necessity, ain’t nobody got time to dig for an outlet!
The bathroom in the room near the entranceway had a shower and a bathtub.
There were individual toiletries along with Westin Bathrobes, which are my favourite 4-star bathrobes (it’s just not the same as the Bodrum Edition). The overall bathroom felt more like a 3-star hotel with decent toiletries than a 4-star hotel. The kitchen was fully stocked, perfect if you’re a big group looking to save some money in this notoriously expensive tourist city.
The main room was well set up with a full kitchen, including stove, oven and full fridge.
There was also a dining area for 4
The sitting room had a large pull-out couch, along with a nice big TV, perfect for watching the Raptors play, all while a beautiful view of the Whistler Valley and the mountains to the South.
For those of you who have to get some work done (spoiler - us), there was a desk that actually served its purpose.
The view from the two-person balcony was spectacular, looking out over the driving range and the valley. Even in the winter, it would be nice to have the afternoon sun on the balcony.
As for room COVID procedures, there wasn’t really much in the room itself, except for some alcohol wipes near the phone. I’m not really sure why people think the phone is where COVID is going to spread.
Facilities
One of the reasons we wanted to stay at this hotel is the pool, and boy did it not disappoint. The COVID procedures at the Westin Whistler Resort and Spa were spot on - there was someone monitoring compliance, there was a simple online sign-in system, it was well signed. In addition, the front desk agent clearly explained what was going on during check-in. (Note: This system was removed for summer 2021, it’s more or less first come first serve)
We were lucky that we were there on a weekday, I suspect weekends would change the relaxing atmosphere as kids would be running amok around the pool.
I also like that they invested in high quality signs - they recognize that COVID-19 is here for the near future and the tourism industry has to inspire confidence so that people consider travelling again.
The pool itself was nice, but not amazing. It did feel much more upscale than the Hilton and the Delta. There was an indoor part of the pool and a hot tub.
Along with a large outdoor part and an outdoor hot tub. There was also a section of chairs that you could relax on.
The fitness centre was limited to 5 people and you were not able to use weights, but there were treadmills and 2 (!!!) Peloton bikes. You heard that, the Westin Whistler has Peloton bikes!
Two Peloton bikes at the Westin Whistler
There was also a mini-mall on site with several restaurants and stores, but some of them were closed due to COVID.
Dining
As a Marriott Platinum Elite, I was entitled to breakfast for two at the Grill and Vine, on-site at the Westin Whistler. The breakfast menu, below, was available a-la-carte during much of the pandemic, Platinum Elite + members now get access to the buffet.
No spoilers, we both had the eggs benedict both days. The breakfast included juice, coffee (including a Latte) and gratuities (although in the age of COVID-19 I usually add an additional tip). While this wasn’t a massive buffet like the Westin Punta Cana, it was still a solid start to the day.
Not bad for a platinum breakfast
The Grill and Vine at the Westin Whistler kept up the COVID protocols unlike any other hotel I’ve stayed at since March 2020. The seating was spaced out and I felt totally safe eating inside there. It’s now back to normal seating as of December 2021.
In December 2021, I stayed again and even though I booked through a 3rd party, the hotel honoured my status with an upgrade and breakfast. That’s the service I love which makes it worth spending the money on this hotel. The buffet was solid before skiing, with an omelette bar on the weekends.
In addition to the buffet, Grill and Vine also had a takeout area that served little snacks and coffees, which is popular with skiiers.
The Point
Overall, the Westin Whistler is the best points hotel in Whistler. Although the hotel’s price point is more expensive than the Delta and Hilton, the attention to detail, even for a 400 hotel room in a mass tourism mecca, the hotel had enough attention to detail to make it worth it. When you’re using your points in Whistler, stay at the Whistler Westin.
