By Cindy Hirschfield

Whistler, B.C.

Overview: Tucked into the north end of the Upper Village, the Four Seasons is appropriately removed from Whistler’s main party scene. After all, you’re not paying this kind of coin to be woken up by drunks in pink hats stumbling out of Maxx Fish at 2 a.m. Rooms mix neutral hues with dark-wood furniture, a tasteful combo that meshes with the hotel’s genteel ambiance, though the mod-chic Fifty Two 80 restaurant, with a huge round central fireplace, revs up the mood. Blackcomb’s base is a two-minute walk away.

Notable: At the slopeside ski concierge, you can store gear, don your dried and heated boots, arrange for tickets and lessons, then hop on the Wizard Express. Pilates, spin, and yoga classes at the hotel fitness center are free (spa treatments, though, are super spendy). And don’t walk through the lobby après ski without grabbing a mug of gourmet hot chocolate.

Our Take: If you can’t be comfortable at the Four Seasons, you’re suffering from some kind of princess-and-the-pea syndrome. That said, the décor is a tad on the generic side, more business travel than cozy mountain retreat.

Information: Regular rates start at $405 Canadian (and go way up). Fourseasons.com/whistler

From the Winter 2009-10 issue