Summer 2021 with Fairmont Chateau Whistler

We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us!

Happy September friends!! If you have been following along with my blog posts and Instagram this Summer, you will see that we have been trying to travel as much as we can locally with our little loves. Covid really put a damper on our travel plans so we have been making up for it with local trips these past few months. One thing I took for granted and realized only with covid is that our Province is so beautiful and there is so much to see and do here!

To say that travelling is easy with kids would be a lie, haha but the memories that we have made these past few months are ones that I will always remember. With Ethan turning 5 and starting Kindergarten, I wanted to spend as much time as possible doing things as a family! In all honesty, Ethan and I have been tied to the hip for the last 5 years. With him starting full-time School this year, I wanted to spend every minute together!

We ended our Summer with our annual stay at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler. We usually come up in August the week after Ethan’s Birthday (he calls it his Birthday trip). We spent almost a week here this past August and I know I say this after every stay at the Fairmont but this was probably our favorite time up! Everything was just perfect and with Liam being a little bit older, it made things a tad easier to balance both kids.

Our drive up was a little gloomy (que Vancouver rainy weather) but the sea to sky highway is always such a fun drive up. We stopped in Squamish to give the boys a little break and grab a few coffees. We arrived around 2pm and as always, we were greeted by the friendliest staff at Valet. If you haven’t stayed at a Fairmont before, the staff are literally the kindest people you will encounter at a hotel. Everything is always smiling or offering to help. (Especially when they see you with kids!).

One thing that I love about the Fairmont chain is that the hotel lobbies are always so grand! The Fairmont Chateau lobby boasts of all the cozy vibes with floral accents and elegant upscale furniture.

When we checked in last year, there were strict covid protocols (ie: temperature checks, etc) but this year with restrictions being lifted, you could go straight to check-in.

Our room was ready upon arrival which was so nice. We stayed in a one bedroom suite with two bathrooms and a gorgeous view of the mountains! Our room was SO beautiful and perfect for the 4 of us. There was a crib for Liam and of course the famous Fairmont robes that are oh so cozy! I love the separate living area and the fireplace was such a nice touch. It felt like home away from home.

Ethan immediately wanted to change into his robe so we hung around the room for a couple of hours since it was raining a bit. We then went to the Whistler playground so the kids could get in their playtime. We did take out for dinner that night as everyone was a bit tired.

The next morning, both boys slept in until 10am! In fact, they did this all 5 nights. It may have been the Fairmont beds combined with lots of new activities but whatever it was, I was there for it. We went for Breakfast at Wildflower which is the restaurant in the Fairmont and had a slow morning which was so nice.

I then went on a little hotel tour and it was so nice to see parts of the hotel that aren’t shared very often. We checked out the Fairmont Gold lounge which was soo nice. It’s on the higher floors and comes with its own lounge for breakfast and later on in the day, there are small bites and drinks available. We also checked out the rooftop terrace which is open on weekends and I had no idea this existed. It’s a beautiful space to relax and listen to live music. Next stop was the Vida Spa and it looked soo relaxing. I didn’t realize how big it was and I will definitely be visiting again next time I am up!

After the tour, we took the boys to run around the back of the hotel where there is a huge lawn space. There is usually family lawn games here and it’s a great space for families with children to hang out. We also were told that there was a kids Scavenger hunt that you could get from the concierge and Ethan was all about this! We grabbed one and took an hour or so to walk around the hotel and find things. It was super fun and Ethan loved it! He was given a little prize after he was done so he was happy!

We had dinner at the Mallard Lounge and I love that his lounge is so low key but elegant. The seating is far from traditional and Liam loved the live music!

The next morning we had room service and these slow mornings are ones that I live for. I loved that we slept in, walked over to the dining area and breakfast was there. It was such a nice treat! We had pancakes. Waffles, lots of coffee and Liam was a huge fan of the freshly squeezed OJ.

We then headed out to play mini golf which is situated right behind the hotel. This was so perfect for Ethan and I as he’s been asking to go golfing and I loved how close it was. It’s right next to the gondola which is also behind the hotel.

The rest of the day we spent at the pool because it was a super warm day! It felt nice to lazy around and not do much. Ethan ordered his regular Strawberry Daiquiri and I had a margarita! Yum! The pool is my favorite as I know most of you who are reading this and have been, would agree. It feels like you are at a resort in the Caribbean which feels so nice! There are private cabanas that you can rent as well as big loungers (pictured below).

The boys were exhausted so ordered in and played Mario Kart. We brought up our switch so we had video game nights which is perfect when you have kids and need to stay in.

The next day was super similar to the day above! Another room service and pool day. It was exactly what I was craving on this trip and I’m so glad we got lots of time to relax. Liam even took an hour nap in the cabana which meant I got to relax and enjoy my drink! Having young kids means adjusting to their schedules and their needs which I am totally okay with. What it does is make you slow down and I actually don’t mind it. You get to see the beauty in the little things and celebrate the small joys!

The next morning we had breakfast at Portobello which is my favorite place to grab breakfast in Whistler! It has such a cozy vibe and I love the fact that they have the most amazing cake donuts. We both got the dirty bowl (SO GOOD) and Ethan had waffles. Portobello never disappoints!

The boys then had a quick little shoot with Alta who is the resident dog. Both of the boys LOVE dogs and oh my goodness Alta was no exception. Liam was obsessed and looked for him daily in the lobby. It was the cutest thing! They ran around the grass with him while I chased them for photos. It was quick but fun. It was a bit of a gloomy day so we headed down to grab some board games. I love that the Fairmont offers this. It’s such a nice touch especially when you have kids. We hung out in the room for a couple of hours and then headed to the village to walk around and have dinner at Earls. After returning, the boys ran up and down the halls of our floor. This was one of their favorite things to do. They loved doing this and it got their energy out!

We checked out on Friday and we were so sad to leave! There was much more I wish we had done and one of which was one of the tours that the hotel offers. They have daily tours (walking around lost lake, yoga, swimming etc) and I will definitely be adding that to our list for a future stay.

This trip was one that I will never forget. Seeing both of my little babes so excited over things that we perhaps as adults overlook, made my heart so happy. I’m always reminded how much beauty there is in the small things and I’m so thankful for it. On our way home Ethan said he had the best vacation and that’s exactly what I wanted for both of them. Knowing that he starts Kindergarten this year (que the tears - me not him), I am so thankful for being able to create these beautiful memories with him!