The International Writers Magazine: Ski Whistler Grab Great Room Rates

---

A Personal View Of Whistler  • Jane Cassie Being a Vancouverite, I’ve always had a soft spot for North America’s favourite playground. Long before the marriage of Whistler to Blackcomb, I had joined other skiers at Creekside, where we’d escalate from base to summit in an ice box-like gondola followed by the pokey Red Chair. The journey took a frigid forty-five minutes and in spite of all the shivering, the end result was worth every chilly second.

Over the years there’s been a lot of bonding between these two peaks and now that it’s the venue of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games this mountain resort just keeps getting better. Not only has the downward descent broadened immensely since my childhood days but so have the year-round adventures and opportunities for overnight pampering, as I discover during this recent visit to the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside.
 
Location, Location, Location
This boutique-suite property provides a front row and centre location to both gondolas. Whether it’s to bike in summer sunshine, or ski the cloaked pathways of winter fluff, you can’t get any closer. Just footsteps away is the Excalibur, a covered joy ride that whisks boarders to Blackcomb’s Excelerator Chair, then onto a bounty of chiseled alpine runs. If Whistler’s more your style, load onto the adjacent Village Gondola where this solo scenic lift will transport you from ground level to the grand level of 1850 metre (6069 ft) in a quick twenty-two minutes. From top to bottom, there’s every pitch to suit any need; steep and deep, bumps and jumps, and all of those glorious groomers –take your pick. This downhill expedition is guaranteed to satisfy. 

Want To Check out Both Mountains In The Same Day? The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola (debuting December 12, 2008) allows you to soar between these two mile-high mountains in just eleven minutes. This revolutionary wonder ties the two summits together like the ribbon of a wrapped present, and what a sweet gift it is! Not only is there one pretty panorama when taking this aerodynamic lift high above Fitzsimmons Valley, there’s easy access to both mountains –and enough ski-able terrain to pacify any powder hound. Click on Pic for details of the ride

Hit Blackcomb’s dreamy Seventh Heaven and Angel Dust in the morning, then dig into Whistler’s wide open Glacier, Sun and Flute bowls in the afternoon. Grab breakfast at the Rendezvous on Blackcomb then nip into Whistler’s Roundhouse for lunch. With the union of these symbiotic soul mates, you can do it all, and now in the same day! Over two hundred manicured runs wrap the sensuous mountain contours, some of which funnel all the way down to the pedestrian Alpine village where you’ll find two hundred shops, ninety plus restaurants and five star properties like our weekend retreat, the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside.
 
Interior Treasures and Pleasures

Slate tiles lead the way into this cozy lobby area where indoor indulgences mix insouciantly with west coast architecture. Walls paneled with rich fir host paintings of indigenous wildlife, butter soft leather work handsomely with rich earth tones and tapestries, and an antler chandelier overrides an intimate sitting area that’s warmed by a crackling fire. It’s all delightfully designed and wonderfully ‘Whistler-esque.’

The adjacent reservation desk is just as unpretentious and our check-in is a breeze. The property hosts a hundred and twenty-one luxurious suites and in minutes we’re escorted to ours, a two-bedroom sanctuary on the sixth floor.
 
Over the next couple of days we whip up creative cuisine in our fully stocked kitchen, cozy up in front of the fireplace while watching a favourite flick, and get pampered by Aveda salon amenities in both of our granite-swathed bathrooms. Feather beds, down duvets, thirsty robes and high-speed wireless add to the divine mix, and floor to ceiling shuttered windows remind us of why we’re here. Like living life-size photos, each pane frames those omnipresent peaks that constantly emit that adventurous call.
 
Other pampering pass times
But before we steel away from this awesome posh spot, there are other leisure-loving moments to check out. Just down our hallway is the Vital Spirit Spa where we can book a massage or manicure and by descending to the second floor we’ll splash about in the outdoor pool, sooth in the eucalyptus steam room and take in more mountain views from two bubbly hot tubs. The full fitness centre helps burn off vacationing calories, the quaint Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub helps put them on, and the eclectic array of shops lightens our load. (from our wallets, that is)
 
Action and Adventure
This world-class wonderland hosts an abundance of year-round activity, and the concierge at Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside will book any adventure to suit your desire.
 
Advanced winter warriors wanting more than a glide down the slopes, may choose to go go heli or snowcat style where adept guides lead the way through uncluttered virgin terrain. Or check out the backcountry that’s closer to sea level. Thirty-two kilometers of Nordic track trail over icy lakes, encircle championship golf greens and weave through winter-quiet forests. Hop on a snowmobile, clip into snowshoes, mush a dogsled fuelled by Alaskan Huskies. There are lots of ways to discover Whistler’s roads that are less traveled.  

Though Whistler is synonymous with winter wonderland, there are over forty summer sensations to feed the adventurous soul. When weather warms, these powder pathways become a paradise for hikers, bikers, horse lovers and the occasional black bear. While some go in search of undulating terrain, others check it out with bird’s eye view on a flightseeing tour. Activities comes in every category, and whether it’s zip trekking through a coastal temperate rainforest, bungee blissing over raging whitewater or rap jumping (a face-forward free-fall) from Whistler’s summit, the exhilaration and excitement will suffice every adventurous pursuit. Image Jane Cassie

Blue Ribbon Kudos
This favourite mountain resort has unsurprisingly received countless accolades over the years. SKIING, SKI, Outside and TransWorld SNOWboarding are just a few of the more recent publications that have cast the much-deserved limelight their way. And in a recent issue of the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler, not only did Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre make the list of the top one hundred resorts in the world, but her sister property and our sweet retreat, the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside, was included in the list of the top twenty Canadian resorts. After this recent visit, I can certainly see why!  

Starting at only $219CAD (or @USD$170) per night up to December 18th, and $319CAD (or @USD$248) from January 4th through April 25th, those who book online at www.panpacificwest.com will enjoy increasing savings for booking multiple nights, adding up to a free night’s stay for those reserving five consecutive room nights.  The ascending savings’ scale is as follows: 10% discount per night off any room type for three nights booked 15% discount per night off any room type for four nights booked 20% discount per night off any room type for five nights booked

In order to secure these great rates during Whistler’s coming high season, guests must book and pay in advance through the online booking engine at www.panpacificwest.com  to secure the incredible current exchange rates.  The offer is available through April 25th, and subject to limited availability.
 
Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside
Toll Free: 1-888-905-9995
Direct: 604-905-2999
www.panpacific.com
whistler_res@panpacific.com
 
Tourism Whistler
http://www.tourismwhistler.com/
Jane & Brent Cassie Travel Writer / Photographer www.janecassie.com 
Co Owner/Editor www.travelwriterstales.com
Member of SATW, TMAC, BCATW
 

More Adventure Travel

Home

© Hackwriters 1999-2008 all rights reserved - all comments are the writers' own responsibility - no liability accepted by hackwriters.com or affiliates.