More Than Just a Place to Stay
It's where our story becomes part of yours
It's where our story becomes part of yours
Back in 1987, two friends sat around a campfire up on Vista Ridge, sharing a bottle of whiskey and dreaming out loud.
Margaret Chen had just returned from working at some of Europe's finest alpine resorts, while Thomas McKenzie grew up right here in Whistler, watching the mountains change with every season. They both felt something was missing - a place that honored the raw beauty of these peaks while offering the kind of warmth that makes you feel like you're visiting an old friend's cabin.
What started as sketches on napkins turned into blueprints, then foundation stones, then... well, then it became home for thousands of guests who've walked through our doors over the decades. Margaret insisted on floor-to-ceiling windows in every room because "why would anyone come to the mountains just to stare at walls?" Thomas made sure every piece of timber came from sustainable local sources, long before it was trendy to care about such things.
From humble beginnings to alpine luxury
Broke ground on what locals called "that crazy project up on Vista Drive." Nobody thought we'd make it through the first winter construction season. We proved 'em wrong, though it took three times longer than planned.
Opened with 42 rooms and one restaurant. Margaret's mom worked the front desk for the first six months because we couldn't afford proper staff yet. Guests still write to us about her homemade cookies at check-in.
Added what's now our signature wellness center after Margaret spent six months in the Swiss Alps studying thermal therapies. The natural hot springs we found during excavation? Total accident, and the best kind of lucky break.
Doubled our capacity to 98 rooms and suites. Built the conference center that nobody thought we needed - turns out corporate folks like mountain air too. Who knew?
Hosted international guests during the Vancouver Winter Olympics. That two-week period taught us we could handle anything - and I mean anything. Still have stories we can't quite believe ourselves.
Margaret and Thomas eventually retired (well, sort of - they still show up for staff dinners), but their vision lives on. We're now run by a team that includes Margaret's daughter and several staff members who started here as teens.
Our main building's design is actually based on traditional Coast Salish longhouses, which feels right since we're on traditional territories. The exposed timber beams? They're from trees that had to be cleared for the building site - Thomas refused to waste 'em.
That weird angle on the west wing that everyone asks about? Yeah, that wasn't entirely on purpose. During construction, we hit bedrock where we didn't expect it, and rather than blast through, we worked around it. Turned out to be one of our most photographed features.
Every renovation we've done since has kept that same philosophy - work with what the mountain gives you, don't fight against it.
Look, we could fill this section with fancy corporate jargon, but that's not really us.
We were doing green before green was cool. Solar panels on the roof since 2001. Our own water filtration system. Zero single-use plastics since 2015. We compost everything we can and have our own veggie garden that supplies the kitchen spring through fall.
Not because it looks good in marketing - because it's the right thing to do when you're living on the side of a mountain you love.
Roughly 85% of our staff are from Whistler and the Sea-to-Sky corridor. We pay living wages because we've seen what happens to mountain towns when workers can't afford to live there. We sponsor the local ski team, host fundraisers, and our conference center doubles as a community space during off-season.
This valley's been good to us - it's only fair we give back.
We've had guests come back every year for three decades. One couple had their first date here, got engaged here, married here, and now brings their grandkids. That doesn't happen by accident.
It happens when you remember someone's name, their favorite table, that they're allergic to shellfish, and you genuinely care about making their stay better than the last one.
You know what? Sometimes things don't go perfectly. Weather changes plans, pipes freeze, wildlife gets curious. We're upfront about it, we fix it fast, and we make it right.
We'd rather be honest and helpful than polished and fake. That's probably why our online reviews mention our staff more than our amenities - though the amenities are pretty great too, not gonna lie.
Our team - some faces you'll see every visit
Behind every smooth check-in, perfectly made bed, and memorable meal is someone who actually cares.
Our head chef, Laurent, has been here for 19 years. Started as a line cook, now he's teaching the next generation. Sarah at the front desk knows half our regulars by voice before they even give their name. Miguel in maintenance can fix literally anything - we're pretty sure he's some kind of wizard.
The average tenure here is over seven years, which is basically unheard of in hospitality. People stay because we treat them like family, and in turn, they treat guests the same way.
When you stay with us, you're not just booking a room - you're becoming part of a story that's been unfolding for decades, with characters who genuinely want you to love this place as much as we do.
We've been at this for over 35 years, and honestly? We're just getting started. Every guest adds something to our story - whether it's a first-time visitor or someone who's been coming since '89.
So yeah, we'd love to have you. Come see what all the fuss is about.
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