Retreating to Nita Lake Lodge

Let’s face it. This year has absolutely flown by.

And I can tell because I can’t remember the last time I got a good night’s sleep two nights in a row. Whether it’s work, family or friends, there’s always something that needs your attention and there’s no way that you can even think about the most important person in the room - yourself.

I’ve been running full steam for the last 11 months and quite frankly I’m over it. I’m so tired, exhausted, cranky and downright annoyed that I can’t actually seem to enjoy life despite working so hard for it. Often I find myself only dreaming of things I want to do but never can allocate time to really do it. Or I do things half ass and I get even further annoyed. And believe me when I say this can severely impact all your relationships; most importantly the one with yourself.

So when the time came for an opportunity for Keith and I to go away and spend some much needed R&R, I jumped - nope, LEAPT - at the chance. On top of that, we were staying at Nita Lake Lodge, which is one of my favourite places to stay in Whistler, and trying their Sleep Therapy package - which couldn’t come at a better time, quite frankly. 

For the last few nights before heading to Whistler, I had been sleeping terribly - like as in 3 hours a night. Not only is that not healthy, you simply can’t function. And so I didn’t. The Sleep Therapy Package at The Spa at Nita Lake Lodge is the real deal - I slept like a rock that evening following my treatment. Read more about the treatment in my latest 90-minute spa review and you’ll understand why.

Our suite at the lodge was perfect. It had cathedral ceilings and a gorgeous view of the lake. The room comes with a cozy seating area with gas fireplace and the most comfortable king size bed. For Keith, who’s 6-foot-4 inches tall, that’s a bonus. The bathrooms have heated floors and separate soaker tub (it’s MASSIVE) and spacious stand-up shower complete with full-size bottles of Occitane toiletries from France.

The location of Nita Lake Lodge is in Creekside Village, just 3 minutes drive south of Whistler Village. I actually like that it’s outside of the hustle and bustle (read: noise) of the village when I want peace and quiet, to decompress. And with Nita Lake right at its doorstep it’s incredibly healing. 

The spa is connected to the hotel and so you never have to step outside if you don’t want to. Again, more about the spa in my 90-minute spa review, but you really should check it out. It’s a full-service spa so you can pretty much get anything done there. 

If you do choose to step outside, there are a number of trails adjacent to the lake and Alpha Lake is literally right next door. In the summer, we love playing tennis on the grounds near Alpha Lake Park and my kids grew up tumbling around the playground there. It’s just idyllic for relaxing near water. You might also get lucky and spot the Rocky Mountaineer train passing by!

If you’re hungry, there’s Aura - a fantastic French-meets-Westcoast restaurant overlooking Nita Lake, serving courses with locally-sourced ingredients including vegetables, herbs and edible flowers that are grown on their own rooftop garden! There’s also Cure Lounge and Patio, which serves great cocktails along with more casual but still delicious fare. There’s a massive fireplace in the lounge, which is where I always love to be. And for those on the go, Fix Café is super handy if you just want to grab a coffee and muffin.

When we were up there, it also happened to be Cornucopia, which is Whistler’s celebration of food and drink. For ten days, foodies and oenophiles (plus beer and scotch and other liquor lovers) head up to Whistler to sample the best of the best. There are dinners, tastings and seminars. You can take part in all three or whatever you fancy. Keith and I ended up doing a bubbly tasting and a seminar on how to properly score wine. It was so fascinating and made me wonder if I should explore taking more wine classes!

At the end of the day, we left Whistler and Nita Lake incredibly happy, relaxed and yearning already to return. And return we shall, as ski season is now upon us and we can’t wait to go hit the slopes! 

Any plans to head to Whistler this season? DM me!