Where to Stay in Revelstoke

The first ski-in, ski-out accommodation in Revelstoke opened in March 2009. More is planned – but the pace of development has slowed significantly thanks to the global recession. In the meantime, there’s more accommodation to be had in mid-market hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts within the town itself, which is all a short drive from the ski area.

The first phase of the base village is now complete, and consists of upmarket self-catering apartments at the bottom of the Revelation gondola. The village base offers luxury ski-in ski-out accommodation at The Sutton Place Hotel. The outside is crafted from natural materials that blend into the landscape, whilst the interior is decorated in leather, granite and wood. The hotel houses the Rockford Wok bar/grill and a wine bar.

Hotel heli-ski bases

Hillcrest Hotel is the base for Selkirk-Tangiers heli-skiing. This a large hotel set on the Trans-Canadian highway out of town. The choppers leave right from outside the hotel, but if you want to visit the historic town centre, or ski the mountain resort, you’ll need to drive or jump in a cab. Rooms and public areas are spacious, and comfortable, but not luxurious, and they do a nice apres-ski buffet. Food is good, but not exceptional.

Regent Inn is the base for CMH heli-skiing, in a town-centre location. It’s too central for some, and several Tripadvisor reports complain about noise from the nearby railway, along which rumble mile-long freight trains – “the train toots every time it runs through the town,” complained one reporter. However, if you insist on a room on the other side of the hotel you’ll find this a convenient and well-run spot, which serves a great breakfast – although it’s almost fully booked for the rest of this winter.

Minto Manor is a three-room B&B, which is classed as “historic” in these parts (it’s just over 100 years old). It’s furnished in period style, so this isn’t the place to bring a hard-skiing, hard-partying group of blokes, but if you’re looking for somewhere quiet, charming and well-mannered, it’s just the ticket.

A star is born

Top place to stay is Bighorn, which is a fabulous house set on four storeys, with eight bedrooms. Each room is at least twice the size of those in an equivalent French chalet. The main living area has a 50ft ceiling. The cinema and games room are on a scale of both comfort and size never before seen in a chalet. Best bit is the helipad outside the door – you don’t go out skiing in the morning, the skiing comes to you. Your chopper and guides arrive by air at breakfast time and deliver you home again in the afternoon.