Best Skiing Hotels in Canada (Using Marriott Points)
This winter, Social Distancing will return as the word of the season. While Canadians may want to get away to warmer destinations, that may not be possible or responsible, depending on how the current wave of COVID-19 cases go. That being said, responsible travel may be best served by Canadian ski trips. Marriott Bonvoy has several ski options around the country, perfect to use your points to social distance all while chasing the best possible snow and ski conditions.
British Columbia
There are plenty of options in Beautiful British Columbia, especially in one of the world ski capitals in Whistler. I’ve stayed in both the Delta Whistler and the Westin Whistler and without a doubt, the Westin is a better hotel. That being said, the Delta is good value during the ski season. Regardless, Whistler Blackcomb will please every skier, from beginners to experts.
The Delta Whistler Village Suites is located about a 7-minute walk from the main Whistler gondola base, which is still better than driving to the base in the morning. With a hot tub, pool and an all Suites set up, it’s a pretty good deal for families going for a ski vacation on points. When I went last year, we were upgraded to a two-bedroom suite, which worked out well for our large group.
The Platinum Upgrade worked well for a large group
That being said, don’t expect to get off-peak pricing for this hotel, as it’s full price from December to April at the Delta Whistler Village Suites. If you’re planning on going, I’d make a booking now, and if Marriott Bonvoy has another off-peak promo, you will be able to reduce the number of points you would have to spend.
Steep!
The other option in Whistler is the Westin Whistler, which in my opinion, is the better hotel. The facilities are nicer at the Westin, there is breakfast for Platinum members and the gondola is at the foot of the hotel. In addition, the Westin Whistler had the best COVID-19 procedures out of any hotel I have stayed at.
That Westin Whistler hot tub is going to feel great after a day of skiing!
Like the Delta, don’t expect to get off-peak pricing at The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, as it’s peak award price from December to April. That being said, if you’re planning on going, I’d make a booking now, and if Marriott Bonvoy has another off-peak promo, you will be able to reduce the number of points you would have to spend.
Although the skiing in Vancouver isn’t ideal, you might want to get your legs under you with some night skiing at Grouse Mountain, Mt. Seymour, or Cypress Mountain. If you’re coming from the east, staying at the Sheraton Wall Centre, Vancouver on the CAA package or the Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport, you could work from the hotel and then ski in North Vancouver in the evening.
Getting to Vancouver
Vancouver is easily accessible on points, with both Air Canada and WestJet flying numerous times a day from major cities. Currently, during the winter season, WestJet is flying approximately 7 times daily direct from Toronto, 13 times daily direct from Calgary, but they have not scheduled any flights from Ottawa or Montreal. On the other hand, Air Canada is flying 11 times daily from Toronto, 12 times daily from Calgary, twice daily from Ottawa and 4 times daily from Montreal.
If you are looking to book ski flights, I would book them before November 6th, in order to take advantage of the old Aeroplan award chart which guarantees 25,000 Aeroplan miles for a business class seat on the Dreamliner or the 777.
The British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia interior is an interesting destination for Skiers with points, with multiple Marriott hotels, although no hotels within walking distance to the mountains.
I’ve only heard good things about Big White Ski Resort. Unfortunately, there aren’t any points hotels available as ski-in, ski-out. That being said, there are three hotels about an hour drive away in Kelowna, which could be treacherous if there is a lot of snow.
Lots of options in Kelowna
The hotel that stands out is the Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort. With mid-winter rooms at only $150 a night, there could be a good opportunity to stay by the water and enjoy the warmer evenings in the interior.
Delta Kelowna (Provided)
Up the road in Vernon, Silver Star Mountain Resort provides a family-friendly resort that may be a little less busy. Although it’s farther from the airport, the trip from the mountain to the Category 3 Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Vernon is only about 20 minutes away. While not the sexiest of resorts, the Fairfield can provide fairly priced accommodation for several people using points, or with minimal out of the pocket cost of about $125 a night.
Finally, Kamloops is another interior city with access to a mountain resort, Sun Peaks. Sun Peaks is located about 50 minutes outside the city, depending on the weather. In Kamloops, there are two Marriott Bonvoy hotels, the Delta Hotels by Marriott Kamloops and the Fairfield Inn & Suites Kamloops.
Cheap options on points
Personally, as a Marriott Platinum, I would look towards the Delta Kamloops, as they are known to treat Platinums fairly well. The hotel rooms look nice and the rooms are recently renovated. For $150 a night, it’s a pretty good deal for a family looking to travel.
Delta Kamloops Room (Provided)
A little bit farther out (ok, at least a 2 and a half-hour drive) is the new Fairfield Inn & Suites Revelstoke. This hotel is expected to open in November, although it’s not bookable at this time. This could be a good value hotel to use as a base to explore Revelstoke Mountain Resort. I’ll update this article once there is more information with regards to this hotel.
Could be a good deal for those looking to ski for a week in Revelstoke
Getting to the BC Interior
Kelowna is the largest airport in the region by far. Westjet has scheduled 8 flights daily from Vancouver during the winter season, 8 daily from Calgary, and one daily from Toronto. In addition, WestJet also has three daily flights from Calgary to Kamloops.
Air Canada has scheduled 9 flights daily from Vancouver during the winter season, two daily from Calgary, and one daily from Toronto. In addition, Air Canada also has two daily flights from Calgary to Kamloops and 5 daily from Vancouver to Kamloops.
Alberta
There are no Marriott Bonvoy hotels nearer to the hills then the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. Although not in Banff National Park, the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge Autograph Collection hotel is the best place to experience social distancing and use as a base for downhill skiing and cross country skiing. Located about an hour outside of Calgary, the Lodge has a pretty famous nordic spa. After moving up to Category 6 during this year’s annual Bonvoy devaluation, paid rates are the way to go here, looking to be about $260 a night. That being said, Ski Lake Louise is 90 minutes away from the Lodge and Sunshine Village is about 60 minutes away.
If you’re looking for a bit of a cheaper hotel stay, it’s possible to drive into Sunshine Village in under 2 hours from Calgary. The Category 3 Four Points Calgary West is located at the Calgary Olympic Park. While there is a small hill, WinSport, it’s more than likely not going to be a destination, but could be a good place for a few night laps to warm up. That being said, solid Category 4 hotels like the Residence Inn Calgary Downtown/Beltline District, The Westin Calgary and Delta Hotels Calgary Downtown are all available.
Getting There
There are numerous flights to Calgary from major cities across Canada, with several daily direct flights from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. To note, WestJet flies their Dreamliner to Toronto once daily and Air Canada has a few flights from Montreal and Toronto on widebodies.
Ontario
I don’t think many people will come from around the country to ski in Ontario, but hey, us Ontarians do enjoy driving up the 400 to ski country. The most notable ski hotel in Ontario is the Westin Trillium House Blue Mountain. Located at the base of Blue Mountain, the Intrawest built resort about two hours north of Toronto.
It’s not cheap to live in Ontario
Nights are quite expensive at the Westin Blue Mountain, easily reaching over $600 a night during the peak season on the weekend. With that being said, the Westin Blue Mountain is a Category 6 hotel but there are a few nights that are only 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points a night. That being said, if you’re looking for a long weekend and holiday nights, I would check back often as there are a lot of sold-out weekends this winter.
If you can’t stay at the Westin Blue Mountain, the Fairfield Inn and Suites Barrie or the Four Points Sheraton Barrie (and the Fairfield Inn and Suites Orilla) are Category 3 hotels that are located within 30 minutes of many of the ski hills near Barrie, including Hardwood Hills, Mount St Louis Moonstone and Horseshoe Valley Resort. Heck, if you’re looking for Marriott Nights, you can head to the Category 1 TownePlace Suites Petawawa and go skiing at Camp Fortune or Camp Fortune.
Getting There
As the centre of the universe (just kidding), there are numerous flights to Toronto from major cities across Canada, with several daily direct flights from Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.
Quebec
I spent many years skiing in Quebec while I was studying at McGill. With a multitude of options throughout the province, it’s a great destination to burn Marriott Bonvoy points. There are three on hill resorts in Quebec, including two at Mt Tremblant, the Residence Inn Mont Tremblant Manoir Labelle and Le Westin Resort & Spa, Tremblant.
Westin Mont Tremblant (Marriott)
Unsurprising, another Intrawest resort, another Westin Resort. The Le Westin Resort Tremblant is located right in the village at the base of Mont Tremblant. The Cat 7 hotel is expensive on points, with most nights in February pricing at 70,000 Bonvoy points a night.
That being said, it’s only about $350 a night on weekends during the peak winter season.
The other option is the Category 6 Residence Inn Mont Tremblant, the cheaper option in the village. Nights can be grabbed for about $280 a night in January and a bit more in February and March (skiing in January is cold, but it’s not that bad!).
That’s much better value than the 60,000 points a night that the hotel costs throughout the winter.
Right now, the best value Marriott Bonvoy redemption for skiing is the brand new Delta Hotels, Mont Sainte-Anne, Resort & Convention Center. Located at the base of Mont Sainte-Anne, north of Quebec City, the Chateau Mont Sainte Anne has undergone a $20M renovation to update the facilities to modern standards. Expected to open on December 1st, the renovation of the hotel and condo suites are an exciting addition to the Delta brand. The facilities look great and I’ve already booked a weekend there for a ski vacation!
The new pool and hot tub area at the Mont St Anne Delta (Marriott)
Prepaid rates are about $440 a night on weekends in February, quite expensive for Quebec.
That being said, every night is pricing out at the standard rate for a category 6 hotel, 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, right around the value that I like to use them. I’m excited to try out this hotel this upcoming winter.
For those of you looking to experience the wonder that is skiing in the Eastern Townships, the Delta Hotels Sherbrooke Conference Centre is an affordable option for you. Located in the town of Sherbrooke, the Delta Sherbrooke underwent a $10M renovation in 2019. Even better, there are no less than 4 great ski resorts within an hour of Sherbrooke, Mont Orford, Owls Head, Bromont and Mont Sutton (This is an older article that breaks the four down nicely). The Delta Sherbooke is an affordable hotel, at about $170 a night on a weekend. I do think these prices can be lowered by corporate codes / discount codes and lack of demand.
That being said, it’s outstanding value using points. As a Category 2 hotel, there are several nights where it’s only 10,000 points a night, although most nights price at 12,500 points a night.
I can see myself spending a few nights here to go night skiing!
Getting to Quebec
There are numerous flights to Montreal from major cities across Canada, with several daily direct flights from Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver. Mont St Anne is a long drive from Montreal, so it makes sense to fly to Quebec City. WestJet recently cut flights to Quebec City, but Air Canada flies 10 times daily to Montreal and 4 times daily to Toronto.
The Point
It’s going to be a tough winter, both mentally, physically and for the economy. Taking part in socially distant activities like skiing can help the mental aspects of a long, potentially lonely winter while helping the Canadian tourism sector.
