The Cascade Lodge is a cozy retreat, located smack dab in the heart of Whistler, British Columbia—making it the perfect homebase for outdoor adventures. It also just so happens to have an extremely reasonable price point, making it one of the best bang-for-your-buck options in Whistler.
But what’s it really like to stay here—and is it a good choice when you’re visiting Whistler? After staying here (and paying for it out of our own pockets!), here’s an unbiased review of the Cascade Lodge in Whistler—and exactly what you can expect during your stay.
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Overview of the Cascade Lodge
If you want the TLDR on Cascade Lodge in Whistler, here goes…
The Cascade Lodge is a relatively new building—constructed in 1998 and renovated in 2008—with an incredibly convenient location near Whistler Village and all of the surrounding outdoor adventure.
The hotel and its rooms are simple, but cozy, offering everything you need for a stay. Plus, given its price point, it offers surprisingly nice amenities, including in-suite fireplaces and a heated outdoor pool and two hot tubs, open year round, with spectacular views of the surrounding Cascades.
That being said, it doesn’t offer a luxury experience—its decor is definitely on the basic side and there’s limited housekeeping for guests that are staying just a few nights. And, to be honest, given its reasonable price point, I kinda think that’s to be expected!
Accordingly, between its stellar location, comfortable rooms, and well-thought out amenities, Cascade Lodge offers an excellent value for most visitors, from families to solo travelers, who are coming to enjoy Whistler’s epic outdoor scene. I just probably wouldn’t recommend it if you’re expecting a luxurious honeymoon-type experience (that’s what the Four Seasons Whistler is for, y’all!).
Is that all you wanted to hear about the Cascade Lodge?
Want to learn even more about what to expect at the Cascade Lodge in Whistler?
Let’s get into it!
Where is the Cascade Lodge?
The Cascade Lodge is located here, right across from the Whistler Village. The Village is kind of the beating heart of Whistler, with a cluster of adorable restaurants, bars, and shops and plenty of outdoor features, like cozy fire pits, that creates a social atmosphere, especially during the busy skiing season.
Beyond its proximity to the Village, it’s also conveniently located less than a 15 minute walk or an even shorter shuttle ride to the ski lifts at the Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort.
My husband, Justin, and I actually visited in September to enjoy some of Whistler’s hiking trails and absolutely LOVED Cascade Lodge’s proximity to the Village. We backpacked the absolutely brutal Wedgemount Lake Trail the night before our stay in the hotel and didn’t have it in us for most of our visit to walk very far (i.e., more than a block at a time)—so having some of Whistler’s best restaurants within close proximity definitely came in clutch!
During our stay, we were given a room on the east side of the hotel and thought the hotel was incredibly quiet and peaceful. However, one downside of the location is how close the west side of the building is to the Sea to Sky Highway—I’ve heard some online grumblings from visitors regarding road noise for those whose rooms are located along the highway. Accordingly, if you’re a super light sleeper, you might want to call ahead of time and request a room on the east side of the building.
The Building and Grounds at The Cascade Lodge in Whistler
You know those stylish boutique hotels, with ultra modern furniture and cheeky artwork?
Yeah, the Cascade Lodge is definitely not that. Its decor is indisputably on the basic side—but totally clean and comfortable, nonetheless. For example, there’s several plush chairs and a cozy fireplace in the lobby area—but you’re not going to find any glittering chandeliers, subversive artwork, or complimentary champagne upon check-in here.
Given its location in the heart of downtown Whistler, there’s also not much “grounds” to speak of, other than a spacious lawn by the outdoor pool that’s perfect for soaking up the sun on a summer day. Otherwise, the exterior of the Cascade Lodge, including its landscaping, is immaculately maintained and attractive.
The only real drawback that’s worth noting about the property is that parking in the onsite underground lot is paid (approximately $25 CAD per 24 hours while we were visiting). While this definitely is common amongst hotels in Whistler, it’s nevertheless annoying and can definitely make your stay in Whistler quite a bit pricier.
Due to the hotel’s proximity to Whistler Village, you do have a lot of affordable parking options to choose from, like the city’s municipal paid lots (during our visit, we parked in Lot 5, which cost about $5 USD per day).
However, most of these are about a 10-15 minute walk away. This likely isn’t a huge deal to most travelers, but may not be ideal for those who have a lot of luggage or heavy equipment (like say… ski gear?).
The Rooms at Cascade Lodge in Whistler
There’s a variety of rooms that you can choose from at the Cascade Lodge—a studio, one bedroom suite, or two bedroom suite.
We booked a studio and were pretty impressed by its size and amenities. For example, the studios come with a nice kitchenette, including an induction stovetop, large mini-fridge, dishwasher, coffeemaker, and microwave.
Additionally, the impeccably clean room offered everything that you’d expect in a normal hotel room—a comfortable queen bed, flat screen TV, closet with plenty of room to hang clothes, and a decently sized en suite bathroom. Inarguably, the room’s best feature is its enormous (almost floor-to-ceiling!) windows, which provide stunning views of the surrounding Cascades and swing open wide to let in that fresh mountain air.
The one major complaint I have is that, instead of having black-out curtains, these MASSIVE windows only have shades, which do, at best, a mediocre job at keeping light out. Curiously, the suite configurations have black-out curtains for the windows of their living room areas, but still have shades in the bedroom. C’mon, Cascade Lodge—that’s totally a miss!
On a more nitpicky point, there’s limited drawer space in the studio configuration, with just two small drawers on the stand under the TV and a couple of drawers on the nightstands. We were only in Whistler for a handful of days, so it wasn’t a huge issue, but if you’re planning on a longer stay, this might be a bit annoying. It’s worth noting that the suites don’t have the issue, with a large dresser to suit all your storage needs.
Speaking of the suites, they come with a fully-equipped kitchen, including a big ol’ refrigerator, oven, and stove-top.
One bedroom suites can accommodate up to four guests, with a queen bed in the bedroom and a sofa bed in the living room, whereas the two bedroom suite can accommodate up to six guests (with a queen bed in each bedroom, plus the sofa bed in the living room). The best parts of the suites are definitely the cozy fireplaces in the living room and the spacious balconies to drink in those sweet mountain views with your morning coffee.
Much like the building itself, the rooms are perfectly clean and comfortable, but on the simpler side—don’t expect a rain shower, a pillow menu, or particularly stylish decor here.
The Service at Cascade Lodge in Whistler
All of the staff we interacted with at the Cascade Lodge were friendly and helpful. For example, a janitor saw me struggling with my bags and instantly stopped what he was doing to help me carry them.
As noted above, housekeeping services are limited for guests that are only staying in the hotel a few days. To be honest, we prefer our privacy and don’t typically get housekeeping services when we’re staying someplace anyway. However, it’s something to be aware of if you’re on the other end of the spectrum!
The Amenities at Cascade Lodge in Whistler
Given the Cascade Lodge’s price point, I was pleasantly surprised by its amenities.
Some of them are to be expected, like free wifi, while others are definitely solid perks, like the fitness room and sauna.
In my opinion, the two outdoor hot tubs and heated pool is a huge draw, especially given their jaw dropping views of the surrounding mountains. Throughout our entire return hike back from camping at Wedgemount Lake, Justin and I were incessantly talking about soaking our aching muscles in the hotel’s hot tub—and, lemme tell you, it did NOT disappoint!
Other amenities include onsite car rentals, ski rentals, complimentary ski valet (to drop off your gear after skiing or snowboarding, if you want to go grab dinner or drinks in the village), and onsite laundry facilities.
The only semi-standard perk that the Cascade Lodge doesn’t offer is some sort of complimentary breakfast—but, given that you’re just a block or so away from some of Whistler’s best restaurants and cafes, who really wants a muffin wrapped in plastic anyway?!
The Crowd at Cascade Lodge in Whistler
The guests at the Cascade Lodge seemed to totally run the gamut—during our stay, we met solo female travelers, groups of friends, families, older couples, you name it!
So regardless of what kind of traveler you are, you’ll feel right at home at the Cascade Lodge.
Cascade Lodge in Whistler Review
So would I recommend the Cascade Lodge?
Absolutely—so long as you’re not expecting a super luxurious or stylish experience, this hotel seriously is one of the best values in Whistler, with its comfy rooms, myriad of amenities, and unbeatable location in the heart of the city.
I hope you have a better idea of what to expect at the Cascade Lodge in Whistler. Let us know if you have any questions about staying at this hotel in the comments below!
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