Do NOT buy this groupon: I purchased this groupon, and it’s absolutely (in my opinion) false advertising. Who wrote this description? They deserve 10 stars on their over-use of adjectives, shame, shame. They state they are a 4.5 star hotel (Let’s go through the description the advertised below): what they are is a large house around other big homes in a cul-de-sac and they have made it into a 8 room b and b. The staff (or owners?), anyway the 2 people working there are very nice and likable, and Whistler itself is one of the most gorgeous places on the planet, but that does not justify saying this ‘boutique hotel and package’ is worth a $1069 value for 2 nights. The normal rate to book these rooms are around 235 dollars per night (which is over priced in itself), the yoga (again in a tiny room in the house) and breakfast are good, but again, this is not a ‘deal’. After you get there, you pay another 75 - 80 dollars in taxes, bringing your bill to $600 for 2 nights. You could stay at a real hotel, such as the Fairmont Chateau (and I looked it up) for much less during this exact stay we experienced. So, let’s see go through it: (and I’m calling it the ‘house’ from now on, as that is what it is).
Advertising in bold. Comments after:
$534 with today's Groupon you receive luxury two-night accommodations, three-course breakfast,
(there is nothing luxurious about this house, the walls are paper thin because they’ve squished so many rooms into the top floor, and the hallways are so hot they could hold hot yoga there if anyone could fit). The breakfast was very good, but you better not be a picky eater (good thing for them, we aren’t), the food was all home made and yummy, but was NOT 3 courses, it was yogurt (parfait one day, with melon the next) and then your meal (french toast one day, eggs the next). No substitutions, no choices, etc. Which again, we were fine with, anyone making me breakfast is fabulous, but huge over-sell on the chef and butler and 3 courses script. It’s a really nice guy who moved here from Australia.
evening and morning yoga classes,
(in a tiny room off the kitchen, the instructors who live elsewhere come to the house to teach. They were superb and wonderful people, but again an oversell)
and an optional nutrition and wellness seminar at Whistler Alpine Chalet Retreat in Whistler, B.C. ($1069 value).
This ‘value’ they place on it is ridiculous. Deepak Chopra was in Whistler at the same time, and you could stay at the Fairmont for less. The issue I have with this is this, if they said : “we have a nice, clean b and b in a cul-de-sac, around families with small kids and wonderful dogs, close to a lake, and you’re okay with being very quiet as we do have several rooms, and it’s worth $300 for 2 nights, so for 50% off, you can stay for $150”, fine. Then it would be worth it. But they completely over promise and under deliver.
Enjoy a two-night's stay at a luxurious 4.5-star European-style eight-room boutique hotel (this is NOT a hotel, its a big house and who gave them the star rating? the golden retriever who walks by?)
West-coast, chalet-inspired bed-and-breakfast-style rooms. Rooms feature heated bathroom floors, Jacuzzi tubs, separate showers, gas fireplaces, reclining high-back chairs, vaulted ceilings, and private balcony (there may be one room that has these features: jacuzzi tub: not, seperate shower: not, fireplace: not, chairs: not, vaulted ceilings: definitely not, balcony: not) The rooms are squished in and small, once I was in the bathroom and the guy in the room next door got a call on his cell and I actually jumped, I thought he was right beside me. Paper thin walls, and they ask you to have lights out at 11 pm as to not disturb other guests. (we were fine with that as we were doing a zen/yoga thing, but typically is it okay to have these restrictions after you pay $300 per night?)
Full complimentary use of steam room and soak in the outdoor hot tub: haha, this one makes me smile. The steam room is a steam shower in a tiny room (again off of the kitchen and dining room, you don’t feel comfortable to go down and use it really) and the outdoor hot tub we debated the new name for. ‘Tepid tub’ is what I’ll go with - we were cold in it and got out completely chilled. We asked if it could be warmed up and were told it wasn’t possible, plus it was likely quite old.
Cable TV, alarm clock, high-quality linens, bath robes, hair-dryer, and much more
Soak in outdoor hot tub and enjoy great views of surrounding trees of surrounding Alta Lake, as well as other amenities
Private butler attends to requests, makes visit stress-free: there is no butler, there were 2 nice people, and typically only one at a time, and they are laid back people and the food is great, but to choose the term butler? come on, now. And private? you eat in the dining area of the House, with the other people (mostly who bought their room on some hotel website and tell you they paid less than $80 dollars. Fantastic.)
Three-course gourmet morning breakfast prepared by on-site chef: again the food was great but not 3 courses. Shame, shame.
Free WiFi throughout, as well as free parking: should be free parking, its a flipping house!!!! in a cul de sac, you don’t pay for parking when you go to your relatives for dinner.
Massage therapist and salon services on site (additional fee)
Includes morning and evening yoga classes, afternoon tea, and wellness and nutrition seminar. Room types selected by first available. Not valid for December 20–January 2, 2011. (there is no afternoon tea, you can make a cup in the kitchen, but again, stop making it sound like something it's not).
Go somewhere else, unless you can book in for less than $100 per night, there are MUCH better places to stay in Whistler.
Whistler Alpine Chalet Retreat & Wellness reviews
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Whistler Alpine Chalet Retreat & Wellness – reviews, photos
3012 Alpine Crescent, Whistler, British Columbia V0N 1B3, Canada
Hotel amenities
Professional photos
62 traveller photos
Vancouver, Canada
1 review
“Read this before booking! Don't do it!”
17
people found this review helpful
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Stayed July 2011, travelled with friends
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Jason Hari, General Manager at Whistler Alpine Chalet Retreat & Wellness, responded to this review
15 July 2011
The facts of this stay are following:
As management we will keep this reply to the points not get into a verbal agreement with this reviewer who left causing damages to our property.
1.There is absolutely no false advertising. When you are booking a groupon, the first image you see is a picture of the chalet. This is an exact image of what Whistler Alpine Chalet is. Furthermore, when you click on the room descriptions you see images of exactly what your room will look like! We are not self rated! We are rated 4.5 stars by the provincial and federal tourism bodies.
2.The rooms are exactly west-coast style, this is a chalet that is custom built for 8 suites.
3. The following is a definition of Boutique hotel as per Wikipedia ….Boutique Hotel is a term popularized in North America and the United Kingdom to describe intimate, usually luxurious or quirky hotel environments. Boutique hotels differentiate themselves from larger chain/branded hotels and motels by providing personalized accommodation and services / facilities. Sometimes known as "design hotels" or "lifestyle hotels", boutique hotels began appearing in the 1980s in major cities like London, New York, and San Francisco.[1] Typically boutique hotels are furnished in a themed, stylish and/or aspirational manner. They usually are considerably smaller than mainstream hotels, often ranging from 3 to 50 guest rooms. Boutique hotels are always individual and focused on offering their services in a comfortable, intimate, and welcoming setting.
4.The package this guest was on was 2 nights accommodation, 3 course gourmet breakfast, 4 yoga classes and a nutrition and wellness seminar – is baffling that this guest expects all the above for less then $100 a night? So let’s be very clear…2 nights accommodations (all rooms are lovely, exact images are on site- if you could hear your neighbour, are you telling me when you stay in major chain hotel you never hear your neighbours, or people coming off an elevator?, if someone is loud everyone is going to hear them), 4 yoga classes!!! (each class is semi –private…the value of just each yoga class that is private or semi-private is $60 anywhere !!!, nutritional and wellness seminar is done by a certified dietician who sits down and goes through your entire lifestyle, provides you tips and habits on changes that may lead to a better lifestyle and furthermore puts you on a 4 week nutritional plan+ follow up if required- research how much this service is, research this and you will find this service is not less then $250-even $750! The 3 course breakfast for one of the days was Fresh Mixed Berries and Granola Yogurt Parfait, 2 Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Roasted Potatoes and Grilled Tomatoes, Freshly Baked Muffins, Fresh Orange Juice and Freshly Brewed Tea or Coffee… at which hotel or restaurant are you not going to pay at least $30 per person all of the above. Also parking is free!!! We are zoned are a commercial site and therefore should be charging for parking, but we do not.
5.Our location is perfect for guests who want a retreat! We are a 1 min walk to the lake, a lovely stroll or bike ride to the village or a 3 min drive. We would not be a retreat away from the hustle and bustle if we were located in the village itself!
6.Butler Service-first of all the description of a butler can be very varied as a quick search of Wikipeida will confirm, however one common trait within all the descriptions is the attendant entrusted with the care and serving. Our butler (British Term) or Hosts/Concierge Service (European/American Term) are responsible to ensuring that all activities are planned or assisted with, dinner recommendations are given, all aspects of your stay are stress free, your go to person for Whistler. They will arrange your yoga classesses, breakfast times, address any allergies etc..via communicating to chef.
7.For clarification for guests that are checking in we do ask you please keep in mind the following, we do not allow guests to use our private kitchen to prepare your dinner. Strictly due to Health and Safety our kitchen is solely for the use of the chef and staff. We feel we need to make this clear as the above guest was very upset that she could cook a full dinner because restaurants were too expensive in Whistler.
8.As a fyi, Groupon writes all descriptions for every customer…as you can tell from the script their style is their very own. They have a team of experienced writers.
9.Taxes are not fun for anyone, but they need to be paid. Groupons do not include taxes
As management we will keep this reply to the points not get into a verbal agreement with this reviewer who left causing damages to our property.
1.There is absolutely no false advertising. When you are booking a groupon, the first image you see is a picture of the chalet. This is an exact image of what Whistler Alpine Chalet is. Furthermore, when you click on the room descriptions you see images of exactly what your room will look like! We are not self rated! We are rated 4.5 stars by the provincial and federal tourism bodies.
2.The rooms are exactly west-coast style, this is a chalet that is custom built for 8 suites.
3. The following is a definition of Boutique hotel as per Wikipedia ….Boutique Hotel is a term popularized in North America and the United Kingdom to describe intimate, usually luxurious or quirky hotel environments. Boutique hotels differentiate themselves from larger chain/branded hotels and motels by providing personalized accommodation and services / facilities. Sometimes known as "design hotels" or "lifestyle hotels", boutique hotels began appearing in the 1980s in major cities like London, New York, and San Francisco.[1] Typically boutique hotels are furnished in a themed, stylish and/or aspirational manner. They usually are considerably smaller than mainstream hotels, often ranging from 3 to 50 guest rooms. Boutique hotels are always individual and focused on offering their services in a comfortable, intimate, and welcoming setting.
4.The package this guest was on was 2 nights accommodation, 3 course gourmet breakfast, 4 yoga classes and a nutrition and wellness seminar – is baffling that this guest expects all the above for less then $100 a night? So let’s be very clear…2 nights accommodations (all rooms are lovely, exact images are on site- if you could hear your neighbour, are you telling me when you stay in major chain hotel you never hear your neighbours, or people coming off an elevator?, if someone is loud everyone is going to hear them), 4 yoga classes!!! (each class is semi –private…the value of just each yoga class that is private or semi-private is $60 anywhere !!!, nutritional and wellness seminar is done by a certified dietician who sits down and goes through your entire lifestyle, provides you tips and habits on changes that may lead to a better lifestyle and furthermore puts you on a 4 week nutritional plan+ follow up if required- research how much this service is, research this and you will find this service is not less then $250-even $750! The 3 course breakfast for one of the days was Fresh Mixed Berries and Granola Yogurt Parfait, 2 Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Roasted Potatoes and Grilled Tomatoes, Freshly Baked Muffins, Fresh Orange Juice and Freshly Brewed Tea or Coffee… at which hotel or restaurant are you not going to pay at least $30 per person all of the above. Also parking is free!!! We are zoned are a commercial site and therefore should be charging for parking, but we do not.
5.Our location is perfect for guests who want a retreat! We are a 1 min walk to the lake, a lovely stroll or bike ride to the village or a 3 min drive. We would not be a retreat away from the hustle and bustle if we were located in the village itself!
6.Butler Service-first of all the description of a butler can be very varied as a quick search of Wikipeida will confirm, however one common trait within all the descriptions is the attendant entrusted with the care and serving. Our butler (British Term) or Hosts/Concierge Service (European/American Term) are responsible to ensuring that all activities are planned or assisted with, dinner recommendations are given, all aspects of your stay are stress free, your go to person for Whistler. They will arrange your yoga classesses, breakfast times, address any allergies etc..via communicating to chef.
7.For clarification for guests that are checking in we do ask you please keep in mind the following, we do not allow guests to use our private kitchen to prepare your dinner. Strictly due to Health and Safety our kitchen is solely for the use of the chef and staff. We feel we need to make this clear as the above guest was very upset that she could cook a full dinner because restaurants were too expensive in Whistler.
8.As a fyi, Groupon writes all descriptions for every customer…as you can tell from the script their style is their very own. They have a team of experienced writers.
9.Taxes are not fun for anyone, but they need to be paid. Groupons do not include taxes
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Toronto, Canada
2 reviews
“Neat experience but won't be coming back.”
8
people found this review helpful
I purchased 2 nights from Groupon which was a pretty good deal for Whistler during our time of stay. Prior to booking, I contacted the chalet with a few questions regarding luggage storage if we were to arrive before check-in/leave after check-out and a question about how to get to the lifts from where they are located. The concierge told us that luggage storage would not be a problem and that there was a bus stop right across the street from the chalet that takes us right to the lifts. From that experience and the ratings on Tripadvisor, I went ahead with the Groupon purchase.
We took the early bus from Vancouver to Whistler and as a result, arrived before check-in. We got to the chalet with the intention of dropping our luggage and head straight to the lifts. Firstly, the front doors were locked which kind of threw us off. We rang the bell and there was no answer. So, we knocked on the door and a guest had to open the door for us. The "butler" didn't really give us a warm greeting and told us that it was too early to check-in. I told him that we only wanted to store our luggage and we'd be back later to officially check-in. It was a very awkward welcome to the chalet. When we returned from the slopes, the "butler" was kind of awkward but he was kind and gave us a tour of the chalet.
The chalet itself is quite beautiful and is well kept. They have storage lockers for each room to keep their snowboard/ski equipment. The fireplace and dining area were nice and I was impressed by the heated floors. The room was nice and clean and kept warm by an amazing fireplace. My boyfriend and I enjoyed the flatscreen TV after a long day on the slopes. I had a problem with the shower because they had one of those plugs that you can just push down to fill the tub. Well, as I was showering, the tub would start to fill with water because the plug would block and slow down water from draining down the tub. It was annoying and I tried to remove the plug and I didn't have any luck.
The next morning, we had a different "butler" named Elise. She was warm and friendly and served us our breakfast. As for the gourmet breakfast, it was delicious! We would have appreciated seeing a menu prior to being served. They took into consideration that I was a vegetarian but they served my boyfriend salmon and he hates fish.
The distance from the chalet to the lifts was annoying. The bus stop isn't far but it's the wait and paying for the bus in change that got on my nerves. There was no other convenient way to get to and from the village. This was our first time in Whistler and now we know that the next time we go, we're going to plan on staying in the Village so that we're close to everything.
We ignored the no food/drink in the room rule because we thought it was ridiculous. We also tried out the hot tub which was dirty and the water was green and slimy. The next day I got a urinary tract infection (which I've never gotten before in my life) and I believe it was a result of the gross hot tub.
All in all, it wasn't the best hotel experience and I would not choose to stay there again.
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Stayed February 2011, travelled as a couple
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Bremerton, Washington
Senior Reviewer
“A nice place to stay”
3
people found this review helpful
The alpine chalet was a nice place to stay. It was very clean, quiet with friendly staff. We were Groupon Customers. I only mention this because while our stay was well worth the Groupon price, I don't think I would pay full price to stay here (I'm frugal, I don't pay full price to stay anywhere!). I outlined some details below. I do have some critiques, but overall it was a great experience!
Lots of people complain about their excessive rules on this site, but it wasn't bad. Personally, I think that the no food/drink in your room is a bit much. It kind of made me feel like I was coming home from college for the summer and having to live by my parents rules again. But like I said, it's not like it ruined our trip.
The breakfasts were wonderful! The one complaint I have is that the first available breakfast time is 8:15 which is too late if you plan to be at the mountain when the lifts open.
We stayed in the Fir Room. It was VERY small, but adequate. My wife and I found the bed to be quite uncomfortable.
My biggest complaint was the ironing board and iron...they are old pieces of junk! It annoyed me because for "4.5 star" accommodations, I expect a nice, new iron and ironing board. Especially because the clientele they attract will surely be going out for some nice dinners and need to freshen up their clothes once they unpack.
Again, my complaints are minor ones, but ones I would expect to be addressed for a 4.5 star accommodation.
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Stayed April 2011
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Vancouver
Senior Reviewer
“Pleasant surprise”
1
person found this review helpful
We booked the chalet through a Groupon promotion and it turned out to be a really good experience. We had looked at all the positive reviews prior to to booking and were really looking forward to our stay. Shortly before going I came back to this site and found a few quite negative reviews which left us a little apprehensive. Anyways, our stay was what we had orginally hoped for, very nice. The chalet is very clean, the rooms are well appointed, (adjacent room plumbing can be heard), the breakfast was very tasty and the staff were all very friendly and offered some excellent advice on a local spa and restaurants.
A couple of things to understand going here. They want their guests back by 11:00pm and they don't want you drinking alcohol in your room. They do have a very nice area with fireplace and leather couches where they encourage you to bring your wine and enjoy. Both of these probably designed to give all the guests a quiet night sleep. If you are young and want to party late, probably not your place to stay.
The only thing we didn't like was the chalet wants everybody to wear slippers (that are provided) once you enter the facility. We understand that ski season can pose it's issues with snow and boots but it was a bit too quirky for us.
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Stayed April 2011, travelled as a couple
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Vancouver, Canada
Senior Contributor
“Nice, but maybe not worth the money”
5
people found this review helpful
With the risk of getting a very defensive rebuttle from the owners (as I have seen they tend to do)...here goes:
Overall, it was fine. But NOT worth the money!!
The place was cute and quaint.
The "butler" they like to promote is really just a concierge. (He was perfectly nice, however! Wang, I think) But seriously, it's misleading to say you get your own "butler". uh huh.
The room was actually very nice - BUT we had the best one, with the jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. Though the sink was cracked and we couldn't use the jacuzzi past a certain time.
If we had a lesser room, I REALLY don't think it would have been worth the money!!!
The very touted breakfasts: it was good, not amazing. You get yogurt and fruit and granola then a "main course". Which was tastey, but didn't exactly rock our worlds. I guess we were expecting more with the advertising? It was supposed to be fantastic!! Had a Nutrition session - which was fine, but nothing amazing.
So yeah, overall, our stay was fine/adequate. It's a fine little hotel, I just felt we paid too much is all.
You can get a better value for your dollar.
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Stayed February 2011, travelled as a couple
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Additional Information about Whistler Alpine Chalet Retreat & Wellness
3012 Alpine Crescent, Whistler, British Columbia V0N 1B3, Canada
Price range (per night):*
INR8,304 - 22,236
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