Heart-of-the-action travelers, look no further. Off the beaten path, Crystal Lodge is not. Smack dab in the center of Whistler Village, it puts you right between Village and Mountain Squares – steps from the boutiques, coffee shops and almost too many great options for dinner. Soaring windows keep the airy lobby light and bright, the perfect gathering spot to compare souvenir hats and t-shirts after everyone’s had time to shop. You’re steps from the base of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, dramatically simplifying those already crazy mornings of gathering helmets and goggles, and stuffing pockets full of hand warmers and energy bars. The outdoor heated pool and hot tub await your victorious return from the slopes or trails. Leave your gear with the ski and bike valet, get changed and cannonball in. Need some peace and quiet to focus on dinner recipe details? Send your crew to the game room (open all winter) for ping pong, shuffleboard, foosball and Xbox. Or head out to dinner – there are multiple options right onsite, from The Old Spaghetti Factory to Basalt Wine & Salumeria.

Settle into your studio, loft studio or one-bedroom vacation suite and get semi-organized – morning’ll be here before you know it, with everyone in a mad dash to hit the slopes. Minimize the chaos of the glove-and-goggle search, and label the kids’ gear in advance. When you return victorious from your mountaineering adventures, flip on the gas fireplace and see if you have enough of everything you need to make the dinner you were planning. Or scrap that whole idea and order room service. Taking a day off from the slopes? Sleep in, make a mid-morning Starbucks run, then take your time browsing the onsite shops – Crystal Lodge has more attached stores and restaurants than any other Whistler resort – everything from Lululemon to Roots to CanSki.

Once you’ve spent a day or two exploring Whistler Village, branch out to the surrounding area. Spend a day kayaking or canoeing across one of the five nearby lakes, or book a tee time at one of the four pro-designed championship golf courses. Check the local event calendar for free concerts, and other events and festivals. Or head up-mountain for the incredible Peak 2 Peak 360 Experience. (It’s not every day you get to dine on “the rooftop of the world.”) Join all the other winter-embracers, and try as many snow-centric activities as you can, from snowmobiling and ice climbing, to terrain parks and back bowls, to the more mellow snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. You’ll quickly see why Whistler Blackcomb was voted the #1 Overall Resort by SKI Magazine.