OverviewLocated just off Highway 99 and about a 45-minute drive from Whistler Mountain, the Best Western Mountain Retreat Hotel is geared towards road travellers, visiting or passing through the area, who prefer an economical hotel close to the highway with an on-site restaurant.
This hotel has 87 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering one king or two queen beds, free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a microwave, a mini-fridge, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer.
Hotel amenities include an indoor pool with a waterslide, a hot tub, fitness facilities, a business centre, a convenience store, and on-site dining at Timberwolf (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily). Parking is free, pets are permitted for $20 per day per room. The hotel offers three wheelchair accessible rooms.
West Coast Railway Heritage Park is a 4-minute drive northwest of the hotel, while hiking is available at Stawamus Chief Mountain (roughly a 6-minute drive north). Walmart is a 6 minutes away on foot, and Sqamish Airport (YSE) is roughly 12 minutes north by car. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent on March 11, 2013: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets permitted for $20/day per room, wheelchair accessible.
The GoodThe majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive with praise going to the hotel's location, rooms and on-site restaurant.
Many guests praised the hotel's location. They found it to be near the highway, Whistler, shopping, restaurants, the local hospital, Tim Hortons, the Polar Express and a liquor store (located next door).
The hotel's accommodations were complimented by numerous reviewers. These guests described their rooms as clean, well equipped and spacious, with comfortable beds, a strong Wi-Fi signal, and great views of the mountains.
Several lodgers were pleased with the hotel's on-site restaurant. They described it as having a great selection with vegetarian options, fantastic service and inexpensive prices.
The Bad
While the majority of the reviews consulted for this analysis were very positive, there were a few common complaints about noise transfer, the staff and the hot tub.
Some guests reported noise disturbances during their stay, They reported being able to hear guests in adjacent rooms, overhead and in the hallway, as well as some traffic noise in highway-facing rooms and a children's hockey team in the common areas.
The hotel's staff were a source of complaint by some reviewers. They were characterized as unfriendly, unavailable, uninformed and "on the verge of being rude". It should be noted however that about the same number of reviewers described the staff as friendly, helpful and efficient.
A few lodgers had disappointing experiences with the hot tub. They described it as being closed for maintenance, not working properly, and warm instead of hot.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #3 out of 9 Squamish hotels from 59 guest reviews.
Expedia.com guest reviews rated the hotel 3.8 out of 5 with a 90% recommendation from 30 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.3 out of 10 from 32 reviews.
The author called the hotel on March 11, 2013 to verify some information.
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Analyzed by Erin H.
Erin loves to travel, and considers it her personal mission to help fellow travellers get the inside scoop, both good and bad, on Canadian Hotels.
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