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Find the best rate at the: Four Seasons Whistler here.

Whistler, a short and scenic two-hour drive from Vancouver (or about five hours from Seattle), is a truly international resort, with accents hailing from New York to New Zealand. Set in the Upper Village, the Four Seasons property has 273 rooms with cozy wood interiors and gas-burning fireplaces. The resort has a free-form outdoor pool and a spa with British Columbia-inspired treatments. It’s also less than two miles from the well-regarded Nicklaus North golf course. In winter, the hotel has a dedicated Ski Concierge, plus can easily arrange a variety of local activities and adventures come summer.

Why Families Love It:
Whistler itself has so many family activities that the hotel doesn’t need a formal children’s program, although the chain-wide Kids For All Seasons for ages five to 12 runs on some holidays. Children always get welcoming amenities like kid-sized bathrobes, there are children’s menus and china in the restaurants, and room service is an ever-popular option. The hotel provides childproofing items and complimentary use of bottle warmers, highchairs, strollers, and night lights, plus offers children’s products, from baby powder to pacifiers. In winter, in addition to skiing and snowboarding at North America’s best resort, you can go ice skating, dog sledding, and charging through the snow on sleigh rides.

In summer, try the climbing wall, hiking trails, mini-golf, orienteering, fishing, and horseback riding. You can take off-road ATV or Hummer tours, boat on one of Whistler’s five lakes or the River of Golden Dreams, or stroll around Meadow Park, perhaps stopping at the children’s water park or playground. Blackcomb Adventure Zone at the base of Blackcomb Mountain has a trapeze, trampoline, and mini-golf. Older kids can test their pedal mettle on miles of mountain-biking trails or in one of the jump parks, including one for beginners.

Special Events & Activities:
What would make a family get up at 6 a.m.? Bear-viewing excursions, which run May to October. Some 50 black bears live in the forests around the ski area and tour operators know where to find them. An entirely different type of eco-tour is Ziptrek, which will have you soaring on cables high above forest and rivers (offered year-round, happily not just at the crack of dawn).