Normally my quest for a nice hotel begins and doesn’t stray too far from the question: Is it clean? But this time my stay at Crystal Lodge has provided me with something a little more, an inviting experience.
Located in the centre of Whistler Village, the Crystal is within walking distance from the Whistler and Blackcomb mountain, and it’s also a quaint, almost homey hotel with a warm and welcoming lobby. During my stay it was decked out with holiday cheer, and there was even complimentary hot apple cider!
Interesting fact about the Crystal, if you notice that were are a few small steps of stairs while treading through the hotel room halls, it’s because it used to be two separate hotels, the other being Nancy Green. When the two joint together they connected the halls with steps, hence the occasional bump once in awhile.
I spent the night in the Crystal King room and it had a minimalistic look, clean with lots of wood accents and neutral colours. If you have an action packed day ahead of you, the room is quiet so you can get a good night’s sleep. The enormous king sized bed helped with my comfortable snooze as well.
Other than a clean and roomy bed, all rooms also come with free WiFi, an alarm clock with charging outlets, mini fridge, and my personal favourite: a full length mirror.
The bathroom was clean and I appreciate the spacious countertop space. I did not have the time, but the tub was also high enough for a nice, hot soak if you like.
Overall Crystal Lodge offered a homey yet professional hotel setting. I like the intimacy of the hotel being only a few floors, and the staff was informative and friendly. Within the hotel is also Basalt, an intimate fine dining restaurant, and Wild Wood, who’s won best breakfast in Whistler since 2012.
One last thing I enjoyed about the Crystal is that as an independent hotel they care deeply about customer feedback. They undergo a yearly review based on customer surveys and their new renovations have been based on the options they received.
So if you’re looking for a quaint hotel with plenty to eat and prime in location, the Crystal Lodge is worth my seal of approval, and I would consider booking my next Whistler trip stay here again.
Disclosure: Please note we were invited on a media tour of Whistler and our hotel stay was paid for, all opinions are our own.
