Stay at Creekside in Whistler: Lodging Ovations

Recently, (as some of you have previously read) Robyn and I stayed the weekend away from Vancouver in our home away from home; Whistler. To be more accurate it was actually in Creekside at the Evolution Mountain Lodge, part of the Lodging Ovations Resort. Now many people may overlook Creekside as a destination when going up to Whistler/Blackcomb, but you should not really over look it. In fact, you should check our Creekside and the amenities it has to offer those who love winter activities as much as we do.

Creekside

Creekside was the original ski access onto Whistler Mountain back in 1966 when the first gondola was built. Eventually, when Blackcomb Mountain opened in 1980, Whistler Village was born between the two mountains and Creekside became a quieter, tight-knit community with ties to the original ski access. To this day, thousands of residents and visitors still go to Creekside, not only for the little boutiques, après ski (at Dusty’s) but easy access to Whistler via the Creekside Gondola.

Want some reasons why to visit Creekside? Check out these great reasons to visit:

• Ski-in, Ski-out access to Whistler
• Site of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Alpine Skiing Events
• CAN-SKI rental and retail store
• Easy access to the Valley Trail
• World-renowned Rim Rock Café
• Awesome views of Whistler Peak (you can even see Harmony Chair!)
• Nita and Alta Lake parks
• Great restaurants within walking distance from the various accommodations
• Less crowded and quieter than Whistler Village
• Local grocery store

Robyn and I actually love going to Creekside for our day trips up to the snow. We have never stayed over night in Creekside until this past weekend.

Lodging Ovations

When I think of Creekside, I typically do think of the Creekside Gondola, Dusty’s and perhaps Nita Lake. Though what you notice when you are in Creekside is the various accommodations that are situated around the Creekside gondola itself; Legends, First Tracks and Evolution. These three upscale resort hotels makes up the Lodging Ovations Resort which can cater to a large variety of travellers.

Legends: Located in the middle of Creekside, Legends is a condominium-styled lodge that is great for value-minded families. Offering one, two and even three bedroom suites, they are the closest slope-side accommodation in Creekside. Some of their suites even have views of the Dave Murry Downhill! Now who doesn’t like waking up to seeing a ski run?

First Tracks Lodge: A popular choice among travellers seeking peace and quiet, First Tracks Lodge ranks in the top 10 out of 56 on Tripadvisor.com’s list for Whistler accommodations. With a mix of luxurious comforts with a feel of home away from home, First Tracks Lodge can provide that private mountain atmosphere with amenities nearby.

Evolution: According to Lodging Ovations, Evolution is “for the hip and trendy set looking for their “natural environment”". This is where our trip comes into play and Robyn and I could not disagree with that statement. Once we figured out we needed to check-in at Legends and got to our room in Evolution, we were astonished and mesmerized with what our suite had in store for us.

When we opened up the door we were greeted by a 2-bedroom suite larger than our apartment in the West End.

Living room with plenty of sitting which not only looked good, but was definitely comfortable. Did I mention the gas fireplace that also can be seen in the main bedroom? It put out a good amount of heat too, not to mention the romantic ambiance it helped create.

The kitchen was impressive. At home we have what is referred to as a “galley” kitchen, so this one with its hidden full-sized refrigerator, stainless-steel appliances, granite counter tops and an island was a great place to make a dinner or two. We utilized Creekside Market to buy groceries and make use of all the kitchen space during our weekend stay.

On to the bedroom! The king-sized bed was extremely comfortable and we wanted to take it home with us. You cannot see it in the photo, but the fireplace is on off to the left. Both bedrooms were done up the same and separated by the living room. Each bedroom also has a full bathroom attached with a deep soaker tub. If you ever get a chance to stay at the Evolution, we both highly-recommend having a soak! Of course, you can always make use of they pool and hot-tubs outside of course.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the bathroom was the heated floors, yup when you talk about luxury accommodation, Lodging Ovations definitely pulls out all the stops! If I have not already mentioned it, the shower stall is quite roomy and I love the waterfall-type shower head too!

The private balcony, well not entirely private but it is quite roomy! This particular room’s balcony (with entrance from the living room) looks out to the back of the property and over to the pool area. The great thing about the way the suite was set up was that we could just lay in bed and watch the snow fall all day long. It would also be a great place in the Summer to hang out and chill with friends over cold drinks.

Amenities:

Now we did not stay at the other two lodges that Lodging Ovations run, but I would assume their amenities are similar to that of Evolution. Evolution is the newer building among the three and was completed in 2008. When you stay at Evolution you can expect to have amenities that includes

• Free Wireless Internet (it’s fast too!)
• Ski/Bike Lockers
• Fitness Room
• Games Room
• Heated Pool and Hot Tubs (all year round)
• Pets are allowed
• and more!

Room Types:

There are 3 room types to choose from

• 1 Bedroom
• 2 Bedroom
• 3 Bedroom

All the suites do offer the same in-suite items such as kitchens, large spacious living rooms and great bathrooms. The great thing about having a kitchen available, is that you can save some money by purchasing groceries and cooking in your suite! Though, if you want to there are some fantastic restaurants nearby you can also go to in case you’re too tired from a day in the snow! Après at Dusty’s is a must!

Their prices do vary based on dates you select, but for what you get the rooms are definitely priced well! Check out their current deals & packages!

A Very Much Needed, Relaxing Weekend

Robyn and I were totally relaxed during our weekend stay at Evolution. We didn’t really want to leave and we could easily see ourselves stay there again. In fact, we’ve decided that if we do spend time up at Whistler and it is not just a day trip for some ski and board action, we would stay at least 3 days! There is so much to do and see in both Creekside and Whistler Village that it’s definitely worth staying for a bit longer.

Coming up next: Our first day on the slopes of Whistler!