Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Apr 5, 2009
Crystal Lodge has a fantastic location as it is right in the heart of Whistler
Village and literally only 1 minute from the Whistler & Blackcomb Gondola's. The
hotel reception was run mainly by friendly Aussies who were very helpful.
We stayed in a Standard Room, the room was small and the furnishings tired and
in need of modernisation. Friends who holidayed with us had an even smaller
room! One drawback is there is really nowhere in your room to dry your kit or
boots overnight.
Apart from the inadequate room the rest of the set up at the Crystal Lodge was
really very good. The Hotel does not allow you to store ski's and snowboards in
your room (mainly because there is not enough room!) however do provide an
excellent valet service for you to store your equipment overnight at the
Carleton Lodge next to the Whistler Gondola. This is great as you can get rid of
your kit straight away after getting off the slopes.
The hotel as numerous places to drink and eat which can be accessed from within
the hotel or off the Village Stroll. These include a Starbucks, The Crystal
Lounge Bar, Rics Grill Restaurant, the Old Spaghetti Factory and the Mix Bar.
The Crystal Lounge is aimed at 20 something’s and the Mix at an older clientele.
Rics Grill serves very good food, for 2 we paid $130 for 3 courses and a bottle
of wine. The Old Spaghetti Factory is very reasonably priced and Ok if you want
.... Ok pasta and not much else.
There is a gym and heated swimming pool.
All-in-all I would stay at the Crystal Lodge again but would consider upgrading
to a more comfortably sized room or share one of the apartments with friends
that does not look over the Village Stroll. It’s Location and facilities do make
this a very appealing option at a good price in the heart of Whistler.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Mar 23, 2009
We've been to whistler several times in the past, most recently end of February
2009, 3 nights... first time at the Crystal Lodge. Almost everything was
excellent.... location, service, perfect. We had a third floor room and were not
bothered by the noise in the village. The bed was VERY bad.... king room.... 2
smaller beds pushed together.... had to contend with the ridge in the middle.
The mattresses were not equal height and one was much lumpier than the other. We
ate at Mik's restaurant which has the best Caesar salad (capers, prosciutto)....
and try a burger at Citta's.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Feb 20, 2009
We stayed at the Crystal for one week in Feb. We found the location to be
fantastic! Our room was only a few steps to the gondolas and right on the
village stroll. We liked the fact we could cook in our room as it had a full
kitchen. Staff are extremely courteous and helpful. Did hear some noise from the
village, but the location was worth it.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Feb 16, 2009
Crystal Lodge is a great full-service hotel, with phenomenal customer service,
right in the heart of Whistler village. The slopes, restaurants and shops are
right on the doorstep.
It is the people at the Crystal Lodge that make a difference. We always have a
great stay and are treated like family. They value their repeat visitors and
make every effort to make our stay great.
I recommend the Crystal Lodge to all of my friends!
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Feb 10, 2009
First the location - it is a great spot in Whistler village as others have
reviewed. Pretty noisy, but you expect that when staying on the village stroll.
Checking in - the room was not ready until 1600 which is the stated check in
time but pretty late in the day I thought. The reception staff varied greatly. I
realise Whistler is full of transient seasonal staff, as I have stayed in many
hotels in the area and found staff to be very good, but here the service
standard was fairly low.
The hotels website states it is a '4 peaks standard' property, this is not
comparable to a 4 star hotel. It is a 3 star property and it should be more
transparent about that. The rooms and amenities are not of a 4 star hotel - the
fitness room for example is in a sad state, the rooms (I stayed in a deluxe
room) was fine - light fittings still not fixed properly, functional washroom -
nothing fancy, tv old and huge which adds to the half-done refurbishment and
there was a pile of cigarette butts out on the balcony from the previous
occupant.
If you are looking for a comfortable luxurious hotel with good service then go
somewhere else. If you want a functional 3 star property in a good location then
book.Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Dec 13, 2008
In attempting to resolve a reservation issue, I found the staff to be
indifferent to my concerns, rude in response to my questions, and dishonest in
their notes to file regarding previous calls.
For anyone in a service industry to behave this way is baffling, but at this
time, in this economy, and for the type of service they provide, I am
astonished.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Dec 2, 2008
I stayed at this hotel in October because I needed a couple days out of the city
to relax and unwind and its exactly what I did.
The staff, accommodations, and location were absolutely great...
I've been to alot of other hotels and found the staff here far more friendly and
"real" making my experience stress free.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Oct 26, 2008
I went back and forth on whether to stay at this hotel or go with a cheaper
option. I decided on Crystal but chose one of their less expensive rooms... All
I can say is... not impressed! The room was tiny! The bathroom was so small that
the door just about hit the toilet when opened all the way! To make matters
worse our window looked out onto a construction site. Needless to say, I won't
be staying again.
That said, the staff seemed nice and the lobby was nicely decorated. I suppose
this hotel is a good option for those willing to shell out money for a more
expensive room. Don't waste your time with the cheap rooms.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Oct 2, 2008
Excellent Staff- we got a great deal on an upgrade to a suite with a kitchen-
April on front desk was extremely helpful. The hotel has had a lovely make over
which makes it very comfortable- we stayed on the village stroll and had no
problems with noise! Internet was a great price for 24hours- as with previous
experience all hotels in Whistler charge for parking and internet. And for value
and service it's a winner!!
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Sep 16, 2008
My husband and I stayed at the Crystal Lodge for one night during a 2 week road
trip through the Canadian Rockies and British Columbia.
The hotel location is ideal and the off-season rate I booked on their website
was reasonable...but beware if you book this hotel as they charge an
unreasonable amount for parking and there is a charge for internet service.
Needless to say, there wasn't a complimentary breakfast either.
The desk clerks at check-in and check-out were not friendly. While checking out
we asked if we could leave our car in the parking garage while we rode the
gondola. While the clerk was checking us out another couple came into the lobby
asking about the gondola ride and our clerk offered that couple discount coupons
for the gondola ride.....when I asked if we could also have discount coupons the
clerk told me those were the last two she had. Remember that this is after we
had already mentioned we were going to ride the gondola and she was in the
process of checking us out.
The ice machine on our floor didn't work and it was apparent it hadn't just quit
working because as I were heading to the ice machine a manager or security
person (lady wearing a hotel name badge) walked passed and asked me if the ice
machine was working now.
These are minor issues but I expected much better service from this hotel and
was disappointed with our stay.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Aug 28, 2008
My husband and I recently returned from our Seattle/Vancouver/Whistler vacation.
The Crystal Lodge was our home base in Whistler.
The location is truly fantastic. Right in the heart of the Village, we were
within steps of many dining and shopping options. The Gondolas and Ziptrek
headquarters were a very short stroll down the promenade. Our impression of the
other hotels in the immediate area is that they haven’t had the
updates/freshening that the Crystal Lodge has made in terms of décor. We made
sure to book a recently renovated room and were pleased with the comfortable,
modern choices in décor. The tall, beamed ceiling made up for the room’s narrow
width. The king size bed was just average both in comfort and linen.
The kitchenette was a nice feature that would come in handy on an extended ski
vacation. However, the bathroom was the lowlight of the room -- small, but
adequate.
While in the end I feel that the Crystal Lodge was the best choice for us for
our Whistler stay, there were several service issues that spoiled our stay.
We arrived via the Whistler Mountaineer and made sure the hotel knew our mode of
transportation. As the Crystal Lodge is one of the Mountaineer’s partner hotels,
I’m sure that the staff knows what time guests arriving by train every day will
be at their doorstep hoping to check-in. While official check-in is 4:00, it was
quite disheartening to see couple after couple allowed early check-in to their
rooms, while we were turned away twice due to housekeeping not getting to our
room. There was clearly no attempt to get housekeeping to our room right away so
we could prepare ourselves for our Ziptrek appointment. After waiting 2 hours,
on our second early check-in rejection, we had no choice but to retrieve our
bags from storage, tuck into a corridor off of the lobby, dig through our open
luggage and change clothes in a dirty bathroom. This bathroom was next to the
employee lounge where a large number of housekeeping staff were on break. It was
a very disappointing start to our stay.
While I’m glad the staff deemed my husband and I trustworthy, when we retrieved
our luggage from the front entry storage area in order to change clothes, the
staff member unlocked the door, and left us in there to find our bags while they
returned to the front desk. We looked at each other in amazement, wondering how
many guests had been given the opportunity to go through our “secured” luggage
unattended. Seriously, we had the pick of the bags in the room; quite
unsettling.
When we finally got to our room, there was an unmarked basket of beverages and
snacks on the desk. I suspected it was the hotel’s version of a mini-bar, but my
husband hoped that it was the Lodge’s way of apologizing for a check-in that
clearly distressed us. Just before he dug in, he called the front desk who
confirmed that it was indeed the mini-bar with price list. We searched for the
missing list, but there was none to be found and they offered no pricing info
when asked. Without that phone call, that would have been a very expensive
mistake.
Out of the numerous, revolving front desk staff, there were only 2 employees
that displayed the courtesy and hospitality we experienced at the other hotels
on our BC vacation. If we were to return to Whistler, I would shop around for
another hotel before returning to The Crystal Lodge. I can’t deny the fantastic
location and freshened interior helped to outweigh the negative service issues –
but I’m sure that there are other hotels that would show more appreciation for
our business.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Aug 20, 2008
My girlfriend and I stayed at the Crystal Lodge in Whistler Village for 2 nights
in August of 2008, and we couldn't have been happier with our hotel. The front
desk staff were friendly and helpful, and were very knowledgeable about the
Village and surrounding area. I had every question I asked answered with
confidence and a smile.
Our room (a Deluxe King Studio) was very nice, and by luck alone, happened to be
in a corner on the main entrance side of the hotel, and so was very quiet. I
would think that the rooms on the other side, facing the Village Stroll would be
much noisier, what with all the pubs and restaurants below. The king-sized bed
was huge, and amazingly comfortable. The room thermostat was a real treat
(nothing better than setting your personal AC to 15 degrees Celsius in the
middle of August). The kitchenette (counter+ sink, cupboards, and bar fridge),
which I'd initially thought unnecessary, was actually quite convenient, as it
was fully stocked with plates, bowls, glasses, and cutlery, which was perfect
for preparing snacks purchased from the Village grocery store. It even had a
corkscrew to open a bottle of wine we shared one night.
Housekeeping was very efficient (we left for 2 hours and they'd cleaned the room
by the time we'd returned), and did an excellent job. Everything was
straightened and cleaned, the bed made, dirty dishes replaced. Even some clothes
left on the floor were put into a neat-ish pile, and they were very good at
maintaining a standard of neatness while being respectful of our personal
effects.
The hotel rates are not too pricey for the quality you get. I booked our room
through the hotel website and got a great deal. Their advertising says that
their website will offer the lowest price available online, and from my
research, it's true.
Overall, I would definitely recommend the Crystal Lodge. It is a very nice
hotel, with excellent staff, and it really is "at the center of it all" as their
slogans says. It is quite literally a few steps from anything you might want in
the Village.
Hotel Review of the Crystal Lodge Hotel
Whistler
Jun 29, 2008
We stayed in this hotel for 2 nights in June. The reception staff were very
nice, helpful and friendly.
The room was clean and a decent size (although nothing particularly special).
There was a coin operated washing machine/tumble dryer down the hall, which was
very helpful.
The location was great - right in the centre of Whistler Village. It was a
little noisy at night, because our room overlooked one of the main squares.
Also, we were surprised to discover that there was a charge for the carpark
(from memory I think it was about $33 per day , so worth checking this in
advance).
A tip if you are staying in Whistler and like good/healthy/organic/fresh food -
we had breakfast and lunch at "Gone" which is a bakery tucked behind a bookshop.
If you can find it, it's well worth a visit. The breakfast menu was really
varied and the fresh veggie soup and sandwiches were great.
Crystal Lodge
Hotel Whistler
4154 Village Green
Whistler, British Columbia V0N 1B4 Canada |
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