| When you rent a vacation home in a resort you don't | | | | Treeline and Forest Creek. If you want true ski-in, |
| know, it is very important to find out as much as | | | | ski-out make sure you understand exactly how far it |
| possible about the pros and cons of different | | | | is to the slopes. If you want to be near the Village as |
| locations within the resort. Take Whistler, BC, as an | | | | well as having true ski-in, ski-out then Snowy Creek is |
| example. Whistler is one of the top ski resorts in the | | | | almost your only option, but its popularity means that |
| world, repeatedly voted #1 in North America. Some | | | | you will pay a hefty premium for one of the 3-5 |
| of the rental homes in it are spectacular, extremely | | | | bedroom townhomes in this sought-after |
| convenient and desirable in every way. Others are | | | | development. |
| less so. Before you book, educate yourself about the | | | | Blueberry Hill |
| features of each possible location. | | | | This is an area of many very exclusive multi-$m |
| Village | | | | homes half-way between the Village and Creekside. |
| Many people want to be right in the Village in | | | | Most of the homes have great views over both |
| Whistler. This is understandable, since the Village is | | | | Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. You can get good |
| the center of shopping and restaurants, and the | | | | value here if you don't mind driving to both the |
| gondolas up both mountains leave from the top of | | | | Village and the lifts. |
| the Village. It is also an attractive location, since it is | | | | Taluswood |
| car-free and nicely-designed., with colorful low-rise | | | | This is an area on the lower slopes of Whistler |
| buildings and an array of cafes and shops. The | | | | Mountain, consisting of several different |
| downside is that the Village is predominantly one and | | | | sub-developments, namely Taluswood Phase 1, The |
| two-bedroom apartments, built fairly cheaply and | | | | Ridge, The Bluffs, The Heights and The Lookout. |
| generally small. They are very convenient, but with a | | | | These are all high-quality properties, with some of |
| few exceptions they are not spacious or luxurious | | | | the best being the original Taluswood Phase 1, where |
| and will not give you the feeling of being in a | | | | the homes have peeled log interiors, custom-built |
| mountain cabin or a ski lodge. The same applies to | | | | doors and everything is comfortingly heavy-duty. Go |
| most of the developments in Village North: | | | | for the Bluffs for the best views and the Ridge if |
| convenient, but very small and generally built to a low | | | | you want to be right on the slopes. Try the Heights |
| budget. The major exception is Montebello, which are | | | | and the Lookout for larger homes, some of which |
| 3 and 4-bedroom townhomes built and decorated to | | | | have great views. The only drawback here is that |
| a high standard, all with large private hot tubs and | | | | the ski-out now involves taking your skis off to cross |
| many with nice views over the mountains. Try | | | | the road. |
| Montebello for a quality modern home within a few | | | | Whistler Creekside |
| minutes walk of the Village. However, don't expect | | | | Although the commercial area near the gondola is |
| log construction and a mountain cabin feeling. | | | | brand new, this is largely an older area for vacation |
| Upper Village | | | | properties, with a lot of cheap and fairly run-down |
| The Upper Village is an area on the lower slopes of | | | | units (avoid Gondola Village at all costs). However, |
| Blackcomb Mountain on the upper side of Blackcomb | | | | there are some very upscale homes amid the dross, |
| Way. Some of these properties are true ski-in, | | | | and some of the older properties have been nicely |
| ski-out (look for the Aspens, Cedar Creek, Cedar | | | | renovated. Caution is the watchword here. |
| Hollow, Cedar Ridge, Pinnacle Ridge, Woodrun Lodge | | | | The bottom line, if you don't know the resort well, is |
| and Snowy Creek; others involve a short or short-ish | | | | to take advice from an expert. There are several |
| walk to the slopes. At the north end of the Upper | | | | agencies with a wide choice of properties where you |
| Village are several developments where you can ski | | | | can get information about the resort and its different |
| back but have to take the shuttle bus to get to the | | | | locations. |
| lifts in the morning. These include The Woods, | | | | |