Tucked into the heart of the vibrant village scene, Whistler Peak Lodge is just 350 steps to the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas (yes, someone counted). Grab your armloads of skis and boards from the ski storage area and head over early to beat the lines. It’s a quick ride up – master the skill of pulling your skis/boards from the slots while the gondola’s still moving, then stop for a group photo before you lose the speedy ones in your crew. Even if it’s been a while since you’ve hit the slopes, shockingly, it all comes back to you. (Muscle memory is an amazing thing.) Once everyone’s thoroughly exhausted, choose your preferred route down, and head back to your place to change into swimsuits. The blissfully warm indoor hot tub means no shivering on the way to and from. After a few days on the mountain, a spa visit will sound like an excellent idea (when is it not?!). Staffers recommend nearby Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa, West Coast Float and Scandinave Spa Whistler. And for any dinners you want to leave in the capable hands of local culinary pros, Whistler Village has four award-winning restaurants, plus local chocolate shops and an impressive 15,000 bottle wine cellar where they carry on the Napoleonic tradition of champagne sabering. (Salut.)

Standard, Superior and Deluxe studios with den and loft options, plus one- and two-bedroom suites have all just come off the final phase of a room renovation completed in the spring of 2016. Depending on the suite you choose, you’ll have 400 to nearly 700 square feet of living space, thankfully not overtaken by skis or bikes, thanks to the secure onsite storage area. Well equipped kitchens are pancake breakfast-ready, and have plenty of space for hiding snacks so they don’t disappear the first day. Gather fireside each evening, playing boards games until you spot the little ones yawning. Tuck them in and switch the laundry one last time before heading for your jetted tub, then calling it a night yourself.

Whistler Blackcomb has 8,1000 acres of ski and snowboard terrain with over 200 marked trails, 16 alpine bowls, a couple of glaciers, epic terrain parks and plenty of yard sale stories to take home. That said, if you’re wanting to add some new snow sports to your repertoire, try snowshoeing or hit the cross-country trails. Snowmobiling makes a great group outing, and the super-adventuresome may want to give ice climbing a go. The summer season dazzles with beaches and water sports on the five local lakes – plus four championship golf courses, including Big Sky, Fairmont Chateau, Nicklaus North and Whistler Golf Club. The annual Crankworx Mountain Bike Festival may inspire you to grab helmets and try a trail or two.