Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler

The Mrs. and I have adopted “luxury travel” as a bit of a hobby (to the degree that we can afford it – we are not multi-millionaires). One of our primary ways to enable this are trips to Vancouver, B.C., which is only a 3-hour drive from our home (no airfare expense – yaa!). With that in mind, when we saw an absolute killer Amex Plat FHR daily rate for the Four Seasons Whistler during a period when we needed to be in Vancouver anyway, we jumped all over it. No regrets…but…some disappointments. One of the things the Mrs. and I have observed that makes Four Seasons properties special is the experience. It isn’t necessarily about the property itself…the Four Seasons Miami at the time of our visit was essentially brand new; the Four Seasons Singapore is showing its age with both a bit of wear and tear, as well as design themes. It is about the experience, and the majority of that is about the people. The Mrs. and I have speculated that there must be some “Four Seasons University” that staff are sent to, because the service, the hospitality, is always amazing. They seem to KNOW you are expecting something special, because you could be staying at the Marriott and saving a ton of money. At minimum, if there isn’t a “Four Seasons University”, then surely there is a rigorous hiring process that only the best and most experienced hospitality people could make through. Your first job in hospitality is not going to be at a Four Seasons. Unless it is the Four Seasons Whistler. There is a work visa program relationship between the British Commonwealth countries, primarily the U.K., Australia, and Canada, a program that is primarily leveraged by young people in their twenties. I know this because my wife was raised in Australia, and my university age son was raised in Canada. It is a very common thing for Brits to spend a year working in Canada or Australia someplace cool…like Sydney (Bondi Beach) or Canada (Whistler). For Canadians, its London and Sydney. For Aussies, its London and Whistler. The hospitality industry in all three cities leverage this. I’ve seen this in Sydney maybe times. And now I’ve seen it at the Four Seasons Whistler. Polite, pleasant, enthusiastic, and well-scrubbed is the staff at the Four Seasons Whistler. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. Experienced? Competent? Meh… The property is lovely – well up to Four Seasons standards (including the Four Seasons level artwork – I am always amazed at how the artwork doesn’t LOOK like “hotel artwork”…I can tell it is good stuff, and I care not a wit about art). Our room? Large and lovely, with in our case a great view. Expectations met. The people? I’m different. I know it. Having grown up quite working class and now living at a wee bit of a different station, the “Feeling Special” is a central part of the motivation behind our luxury travel hobby. “Feeling Special” is part of the reward for the hard work that makes $500 - $1000 per night hotel rooms possible it. And the Four Seasons, more than the Fairmont, and as it turns out, more than the Langham, ALWAYS delivers on this. Except when they didn’t at the Four Seasons Whistler. Not bad service. Certainly, in no way impolite or improper. And to be clear, the manage level staff – all experienced at other Four Seasons properties (at least the ones I spoke to) were great. But the Front Desk staff, the wait staff, the bell staff, all the front-line staff, perpetually seemed like they either waiting for me to tell them what to do, or that there was no expectation that they do anything beyond “check the box”. No mindset of “how do I solve this problem” versus “what is the correct answer”. At a Marriott, you ask about ice, you are told where the ice machine is. At a Four Seasons, the bellman who just dropped your bags either volunteers to get ice or promises to make sure that ice will appear in short order. At a Hilton, you ask for your car, they ask for your ticket, and then ask you what you are driving. At a Four Seasons, they greet you by name and then say “the _____, right?” (Yes, it is true, I don’t drive a Honda or a Toyota, or the like). Now, given the killer rate we were paying, a rate that included parking and breakfast, I should have NO complaints. But it was a Four Seasons. Except…not quite.

Best breakfast buffet we’ve had. Staff A+. Both a shuttle and car service that can be ordered to get to a particular spot in the Whistler Village. Then, if you walk somewhere , it will pick you up at the new spot. Nice gym. Comfortable bed. We went to Whistler for Thanksgiving dinner with our family, and after reading reviews, decided it was our #1 choice. We had a wonderful suite. Our service dog was with us, and the hotel provided bowls for her food and water, and a very comfy dog bed. The hotel has a very fun complimentary event daily and we were amazed with its generosity. The first day was a wine tasting, delicious hot chocolate and a sweet treat that was made by by melting a sugary treat and then making it hard by putting it on ice. Kids and adults loved it. Valet parking is required. Everyone loved the outdoor pool, and every room had comfy bathrobes to wear to it. The weekend outdoor market is walking distance from the hotel. It is now our first choice when we go to Whistler.,

I stayed at this hotel for a family ski trip, and it's perfectly designed so you don’t need to leave – it has everything and feels especially suited for families. Upon arrival, they welcomed my 2-year-old by taking her to a secret room to pick out a teddy bear. Over the next few days, the nanny took my daughter for more bears, and the staff were always kind, even when she had already taken one. The breakfast buffet is spectacular, and the restaurant is delicious. The Ski Valet service is very convenient since it’s a few minutes’ walk from the hotel to the mountain. They also had hot chocolate and delicious cookies at the Ski Valet, which was a nice treat. Some downsides are that it’s farther from the village and even from the Blackcomb gondola (compared to the Fairmont). Although there’s a shuttle service to take you to the village, it’s honestly less appealing since it’s so far. Having stayed at the Fairmont before, I’d say the Fairmont has a better pool and spa. I’d stay here again if I found a better rate than the Fairmont.

Beautiful mountain hotel with top notch service, and all the amenities. Our room was gorgeous, with a fireplace, deck, and changing room. We used the four season ebikes to ride around the village. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The hotel is an easy walk to the upper village.

Great hotel, staff was so kind and the pool was phenomenal. Easy walk to the village, however if you didn't want to walk, the shuttle was always available. Cookies in the afternoon with wine happy hour in the bar. Breakfast was better each day. Would recommend wholeheartedly.