Hilton Whistler Resort Review (Summer Version)
On our Socially Distanced Summer 2020 trip I decided to return to the outdoor mecca that is Whistler. Although there are several Marriott Bonvoy options available, including the Delta Whistler that I stayed at in the winter, I decided that my best option was to use up my Hilton Aspire credits on a stay at the Hilton Whistler. As I’ve already covered the Hilton Whistler review in Winter, this summer review will be a bit briefer, focusing on the seasonal differences and COVID precautions at the hotel.
Booking
The rates at the Hilton Whistler were much lower than in the peak winter season. We were able to book only a week in advance and grab the room for $160 a night, plus that pesky, money grab, resort fee.
Check-In
The check-in desk was friendly, but we immediately noticed that Hilton’s mandatory mask policy wasn’t adhered to by guests and visitors to the lobby.
Masks were not enforced, even by customer facing staff
I was travelling with a rental bike that I rented in Vancouver (as I wanted to explore the province on my bike, much like I did in Prince Edward County), and I was able to bring my bike into my room. I’m not sure if this is typical, as it seems the concierge usually takes care of this.
There were even bike tools by the door if you needed a quick fix, which is quite helpful.
Parking
Parking is notoriously expensive in Whistler hotels, including the Whistler Hilton which charges $34 a night. If you’re looking cheap Whistler parking, Whistler Lot 4 is $5 a day, and a short 10 minute walk through the village to get there. We dropped off our stuff at the hotel, then drove the car over to the parking lot before getting dinner.
The Room
We got to our room and the Hilton CleanStay (with Lysol) sticker on the door, signifying that the room was cleaned. At first, I thought the QR had a link to the specific room cleaning checklist, but it’s really just a link to their corporate site. I don’t think this sticker adds much value or consumer confidence, as the person cleaning the room can do the same thing as before, the only difference is that they put a sticker on the room.
We were upgraded to the same Premier Studio with Kitchen, which was great. Just like previously, this room provided a full kitchen, a comfy king bed and a suitable desk for those who need to work in Whistler.
The room is a lot bigger for just two people!
Breakfast
The breakfast provided during my previous stay was in the form of a buffet with an option for made to order eggs. This time, due to COVID-19, the whole dining room was physically distanced, but there was no spot to eat outside. Instead of the normal buffet, there was a specific HHonors breakfast, which the menu reads as follows:
For context, here is the full menu:
I ordered a coffee, a juice and the eggs benedict, which they let me replace the bacon with smoked salmon. The food was solid, but not outstanding, much like before.
Smoke Salmon Eggs Benedict
Omlette
Facilities
I won’t go into detail on the facilities, as I covered this in my previous review. The one thing I will address is the fact that COVID-19 protocols and social distancing rules were not followed at this hotel. The pool was well over capacity, with up to ten people in the tiny hot tub! Furthermore, staff were serving drinks to people in the hot tub who were clearly in violation of the social distancing rules. There was an attendant but their response was just a shrug. I brought this up with the front desk, and they basically said that they weren’t able to enforce the rule (which is BS, I stayed at the Westin a few weeks later, and they did an exceptional job of enforcement without being pushy), but they did waive the resort fees for my entire stay.
The Point
While I understand that the Hilton Whistler Resort is under pressure to sell rooms and provide value to customers, they ultimately failed to do their part to flatten the curve. The travel and tourism industry has to inspire consumer confidence in order to rebuild the industry, but it’s clear that the Hilton Whistler Resort just doesn’t have it right at this point.
Note: Thumbnail picture from Hilton Whistler Management via TripAdvisor
