Whistler: It IS for Kids

The other day I put out a question on Facebook about what to do when we go to Whistler. I got some great suggestions!

And while we didn’t get to any of the ideas, I wanted to share them with you. If you’re planning to go up to Whistler but aren’t sure about bringing young children I can tell you that I felt the same way.

My son is not quite three years old and is so used to his bedtime routine that it was quite a challenge getting him to sleep the first night. But, after lots of fun in the sun and activity the second night wasn’t so bad.

Our Accommodations at the HI Whistler Hostel

We stayed at HI Whistler Hostel in the Olympic Village. At first, I was reluctant to try it as these days I prefer more creature comforts, like plush beds and luxurious surroundings. What I discovered was that I didn’t mind ‘roughing’ it at the Whistler Hostel. The rooms were clean, cozy and the beds comfy! Free wifi everywhere, and amenities like an internet cafe, pool table, living area, media room to take in a movie and a full on kitchen with refrigerator space for all. Everyone was kind and friendly and it was fun to see young people from around the world.

Staying at the hostel in summer was so reasonable that we didn’t mind splurging a bit when we went out & about. And for a place that hosts lots of young people, it was quiet and well, perfect.

The only downside to being in the Hostel is that there are no restaurants in the immediate area. There is an awesome playground, a water park and lots of walking paths and undeniably gorgeous views, but with only a small cafe serving the entire Hostel, service is too casual and every time we ordered something, the kitchen had to adapt as they were often out of ingredients. My suggestion? Have a fresh sheet and chuck the menu. Service staff is pleasant and helpful which almost makes up for it.

Highlight

Our son loved the bunk beds (he’s an amazing climber already) which we though would be a downside should he wake in the night, but he slept through. Nothing like mountain air to help you sleep!

Whistler Olympic Village

We were not surprised to see how quiet the Olympic Village was where the Hostel is located. As we know from personal experience living in the Vancouver Olympic Village, the area is beautiful but construction was rushed and with that comes time to sort through all the problems that come with. I am sure that once the Whistler Olympic Village just off Cheakamus Lake Road at 1035 Legacy Way is occupied and retailers come in, it will be a gorgeous thriving community. You can see the view from our room in the photo above.

Whistler Interpretive Forest

We took a walk through the Whistler Interpretive Forest nearby the Hostel but had to turn around as the trails were a bit longer than we would have liked with our little one in tow. It is gorgeous though, and with paved bike paths throughout, if you’re prepared it would be an amazing trek. There is a suspension bridge you can reach on foot too, but again our little guy is just too little to walk that far and too big to carry!

Whistler Village

Whistler Village is always amazing but this time around for us was a different experience with our kidlet. The Olympic Village Plaza was chock full of tourists, musicians and the playground was heaven! It kept our little guy busy for hours, and we could take in the view and grab a coffee or ice cream or what have you. The shopping is pretty great too.

Thank you for all your suggestions on Facebook!

We will be going back to try them all because as we discovered, Whistler is for kids!