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Luxury travel blog » Places » North America » Canada » British Columbia » Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review

September 24, 2015 by Carol Perehudoff 15 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

‘Trying to decide where to stay in Whistler? Wondering about Whistler Village versus Creekside? Hopefully this will help: a Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review.’

I broke my cardinal rule of travelling: always stay central. You’d think I would have learned from my recent trip to Barcelona, when I chose an outlying hotel because it overlooked the ocean then spent every day on a buzz kill subway ride into town.

Was the same thing going to happen in Whistler, BC?

WanderingCarol A Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, mountains

Always stay central

 

Whistler: an outdoorsy kind of town

But, I thought, Whistler is a scenic mountain town in the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada’s most westerly province. It’s all about the outdoors. Wouldn’t it be better to stay on a lake? Wouldn’t it be better to stay at Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, Creekside? Wouldn’t it be romantic?

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, Nita Lake

Nita Lake

 

Choosing a hotel in Whistler

My gut said yes, my head said no, and since my gut (sadly) is bigger than my head, I let it talk me into booking Nita Lake Lodge, the only lakeside lodge in Whistler, located about 7 km south of Whistler Village in the laid back community of Creekside. The conversation between Gut and Head went something like this:

Gut: Free kayaks, canoes and bicycles!

Head: Remember Barcelona.

Gut: Outdoor hot tubs!

Head: I do like hot tubs.

Gut: And a spa. And the hotel sounds all lodge-y and cozy.

Head: But what if you want to be in Whistler Village? All the excitement happens there.

Gut: I have two words for you, you big stupid fathead: free shuttle.

Head: I’m not fat.

As you can see, my gut is a bit of a bully, but for once it knew what it was growling about. In fact, just thinking about our recent week at Nita Lake Lodge makes me feel all woodsy and calm.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, kayak

I am woodsy and calm

 

My Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review

“Sorry, we don’t have any lake view rooms left,” said the receptionist at check-in.

My heart sank just a little because 1) once I knew I didn’t have a lake view I wanted one, even though it hadn’t occurred to me before and 2) if my husband didn’t like Nita Lake Lodge I’d be blamed. That’s how it works. I plan the trips and I bear the responsibility for them being wonderful.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, hotel exterior

Nita Lake Lodge

 

It doesn’t seem fair, but on the plus side I get to stay where I want, which is usually a star or two higher than what my husband considers ‘luxury.’

FYI: Nita Lake Lodge is a 5-star. Did you really need to ask?

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, granite floor

Welcome to the outdoor indoors

 

Nita brings the outdoors in, or is that the indoors out?

While we waited for our keys I glanced around the lobby, then took a second glance to confirm I was indeed in a lobby and not some chic faux forest of Douglas fir columns, alder trim and blue granite ground. Luckily the art on the wall helped me conclude that yes, this was a hotel interior, although as the art is inspired by the Whistler environment it still took a few seconds.

(The tree stump table didn’t help either.)

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, lobby

Lobby (Photo credit: Nita Lake Lodge)

 

She’s not very observant

Before you say I’m not very observant (although you would be correct), let me say the ‘bringing the outdoors in’ design at Nita was intentional. Connecting Lake Placid Road with the lovely hiking and cycling Valley Trail that skirts Nita Lake, the lodge acts almost as an extension of the trail itself, and while I never saw anyone walking their bicycles through the stone-floored lobby, I was informed it does happen.

Valley Trail, Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, Creekside review

Valley Trail

 

Room 217

Once we found our room (the lodge is a bit of a gabled balconied maze) I walked in and saw the cathedral ceiling, four-poster bed, dark wood accents, basalt-stone gas fireplace and separate kitchenette.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review Room 217

Room 217

 

Then I stepped out onto the balcony and realized we did have a lake view after all, or at least a slice-of-lake view.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review Valley Trail

Our view

 

At that point I stopped caring what my husband thought because my gut, my head and I were all busy celebrating the fact that we had a week to spend at Nita Lake Lodge.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, lake view

Remoteness is a state of mind

 

Our Nita Lake Lodge, Whistler Creekside routine

Because Mark and I are adventurous, we like to travel around the world so that we can do exactly the same thing every day. In the mornings Mark would go down to the hotel’s Fix Cafe, which is a local Creekside hangout and a bit granola-y, while I’d loll about in the king-sized bed pretending to write working extremely hard.

Fix Cafe Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review

Fix Cafe (photo credit Nita Lake Lodge)

Nothing wrong with a little relaxation

Then I’d pad through the hotel spa to the two hot tubs on the rooftop deck and soak and gaze up dreamily at Whistler Mountain, unless it was foggy or rainy, then I’d look at my hands or stare aimlessly into space.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review outdoor hot tub

Hot tub!

Free activities at Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, Creekside

Almost every day we’d kayak or canoe around the glacially-fed Nita Lake, which, truth be told, is a slip of a lake, almost a lake-ette, so circling it is only slightly more challenging than doing a lap around a pretty alpine pond.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler review, kayak

She’s so sporty! (Not)

 

Cycling in Whistler

In the afternoon we often cycled from Creekside to Whistler Village along the Valley Trail, a route Mark found easy while I’d be wheezing, pedalling like mad behind him and cursing Whistler for having mountains, which was a bit counterproductive as the mountains are the reason we’d come.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, winter

Winter is coming (photo credit Nita Lake Lodge)

 

Nita Lake Lodge in Winter

Obviously if it were winter, we’d be skiing not cycling, so I feel compelled to tell you, as part of this Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, that the lodge is only 500 metres from the base of Whistler Mountain and the Creekside gondola. And that the lodge offers complimentary ski lockers. And free snowshoe rentals. And, if Nita Lake freezes over, you can skate.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review, dock in evening

Serenity now

 

Evenings at Nita Lake

Occasionally Mark and I went into Whistler Village on the lodge’s free shuttle (which is the best shuttle ever because there are no scheduled times, you just call it and it comes and gets you).

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review Aura restaurant

Aura (photo credit Nita Lake Lodge)

Let Whistler come to you

We soon discovered, however, that people from Whistler Village like to come to Nita Lake Lodge for the evening, so we thought we might as well hang around, too. We ate once at Aura, Nita Lodge’s fancy-ish restaurant with a menu based on locally-sourced ingredients (the chef even has a rooftop herb garden).

Patio, Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside blog review

It’s all about the patio (photo credit Nita Lake Lodge)

 

We also ate many times on the patio at the hotel’s Cure Lounge & Patio.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review patio and beer

Someone’s happy (and needs a shave).

Patience is a virtue

And only once did we see a lady being huffy because she couldn’t get a coveted patio seat (even though one came available as soon as she’d given up so we got it). And twice we went to the pub right next to Nita Lake Lodge for burgers and beer.

Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside review Cure Fireplace

Cure Lounge

 

What to do in Whistler

Of course we did other things, too, just not very many because we’re lazy. We went to Scandinave Spa Whistler and did the Peak to Peak Gondola experience and Mark did a mountain biking class (yikes! I wasn’t going near that one), but Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler Creekside formed the framework of our stay.

I still stand by my cardinal rule of travelling: always stay central. But happily, in Whistler the outdoors is the centre, and we were right where we needed to be.

 

 

Travel tips for Nita Lake Lodge

How much is Nita Lake Lodge? Generally the lowest price you’ll get for a studio without lake view at Nita Lake Lodge is $159. Price goes up for lake view rooms, on weekends, at different times of the year and for larger units.

During Christmas expect to pay much more (starting at about $639). Ski season is high season in Whistler so prices during the ski year start about $259 mid-week. Weekends are more expensive.

What I loved: the size of the rooms, the free sporting equipment ie kayaks, paddleboards, bicycles etc. And I loved that guests didn’t need to do a spa treatment to have use of the spa hot tubs because, as you know, the hot tub was my second home.

Also on property is an art gallery and a yoga studio.

The Rocky Mountaineer train leaves right at Nita Lake Lodge, so if you’re doing the Rainforest to Goldrush route it’s convenient.

Did you know? Creekside is actually older than Whistler Village. It was the original base of Whistler Mountain and where the first gondola was built. And if you want authenticity, Creekside retains its local flavour.

Where is Nita Lake Lodge?

Nita Lake Lodge is about 90-minutes north of Vancouver and a 5-minute drive from Whistler Village.

For more information visit the Nita Lake Lodge website

For more about exploring Canada visit Top Things to do in Canada

 

Our Rocky Mountaineer trip started in Banff

  • Read the 1st travel blog post of this Rocky Mountain Adventure at Lake Minnewanka and the Fairmont Banff Springs spa
  • 2nd post: I’m not late! Icefields Parkway Tour of the Canadian Rockies
  • 3rd post: Romance on the Rails: the Rainforest to Goldrush route

 

 

Filed Under: British Columbia, Canada, Hotels

About Carol Perehudoff

A former freelance travel columnist for the Toronto Star, Carol has won more than 20 writing and blogging awards and honours. A spa and luxury travel expert, she's written for top travel publications around the globe.

Comments

  1. Catherine Fowler says

    October 7, 2015 at 11:48 pm

    Beautiful landscape and beautiful lodge. Both are now on my bucket list.

  2. Michele Peterson (A Taste for Travel) says

    October 2, 2015 at 10:09 am

    Nita Lake Lodge looks gorgeous …a real hideaway without any crowds.

  3. Carol Perehudoff says

    September 29, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    Thanks, Eliz – It’s always a hard decision when you’re deciding where to spend your precious vacation days but we were thrilled with Whistler and Nita Lake Lake Lodge.

  4. eliz frank says

    September 28, 2015 at 5:32 pm

    From the looks of it, you picked a stunning location for a vacation. The pictures are equally beautiful too.

  5. theconservativemommy (@theconsmommy) says

    September 27, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    Gorgeous photos! Your travels look amazing :)

  6. Carol Perehudoff says

    September 26, 2015 at 8:28 am

    Thanks, Autumn. I haven’t been to Utah, but it’s on my list. (Everywhere is on my list.)

  7. Autumn @ Stay gold Autumn says

    September 25, 2015 at 11:06 pm

    Looks like a fabulous place and definitely reminds me of ski resorts I went to in Utah. I enjoy your writing style and I’m glad you at least got a bit of a view of the lake :). Looks beautiful!

  8. Carol Perehudoff says

    September 25, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    Yes, I loved it there, Jessica. Sometimes it IS nice to sit back and enjoy life. A lodge is a great place to do it.

  9. Jessica Young (@youngrubbish) says

    September 25, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    What a beautiful lodge! Looks like a great place to just sit back and enjoy life….

  10. Carol Perehudoff says

    September 25, 2015 at 9:10 am

    Thanks Jessica – I think you’d love it. It’s in such a wonderful setting.

  11. Jessica Beal Harlow says

    September 25, 2015 at 8:30 am

    This lodge looks absolutely amazing. I know I wouldn’t have to drag my husband for a stay there. He would love being surrounded by stunning views and stashed right in the middle of what looks like untouched nature. Might just be the perfect anniversary surprise?!

  12. Liz Mays says

    September 24, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    Whoa, that is the place to go for sure. What a beautiful place to stay and see this beautiful planet!

  13. Carol Perehudoff says

    September 24, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    Hey, Lelde, Thanks for your comment. And you’re close enough that you could do a visit sometime!

  14. sandysilly says

    September 24, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    Yes, Carol, I want to go there:))) !! (Lelde M.)

  15. Carol Perehudoff says

    September 24, 2015 at 11:11 am

    Hi, Liz – Yes, it’s a beautiful planet and Whistler is one of it’s top spots. Thanks for writing.

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