Embarc Whistler - Whistler Village

Yeah this place has gone downhill in the years since I've been coming here. When my parents bought into this place years ago it was the absolute best. Five stars back then. We loved it. Coming up here now as a 20-something myself was slightly disappointing, but it's still a great place to come. The penny-pinching is definitely evident. I don't mind the shampoos that are built into the shower (in fact I prefer that), but the only allowing us one coffee or tea? Really? Service was great. The people in the place next to us were having a party and we waited til past 10 to ring and they responded and shut it down politely which was nice. Everyone has always been really helpful here. On Club Intrawest as a whole, obviously it has gone downhill a bit since the glory days of the early 2000s, but we have still used the points all over the world at the partner resorts and have always been impressed.

We stayed here back in 2006 and enjoyed it, so we decided to come back. We have a five star Hawaii timeshare we used to exchange in for a week. Since we love fall colors we come during the shoulder season, and were here just before the mountain shut down to prepare for the winter. Nice time to travel as the restaurants that stay open really want your business. As to the resort, I have to say it seemed to have gone downhill. The living room furniture was horribly uncomfortable, as well as dirty. We saw couches downstairs in a parking stall, so perhaps they are swapping them out and we got an older room. The bed was awful, but we got a couple king comforters from housekeeping that made it bearable by putting them underneath the bottom sheet. Why they don 't have a couple foam rollers on hand is beyond me. And other reviews were spot on about old appliances, and stuff bought at discount stores. The dishwasher was loud and sounded like a few gears were worn out, and the stove was ancient. The kitchen was just barely equipped, which is unusual in a ski lodge type resort where many people stay at their home and cook. Very popular with families, and lots of little kids running in the hallways, fortunately not late at night lol. The internet was free and solid, a big plus, but the tv selection was awful. Bring some dvd 's or a RGB or HDMI cable so you can hook up a notebook and watch Comedy Central : . Staff was friendly, check in was smooth, and overall it was an ok experience, but it was not up to what our exchange company would consider 5 star. I would probably go to VRBO and find another option next time.

We had a fabulous time skiing in Whistler. The Intrawest has the most amazing staff and the location could not be better literally a 2 minute walk from the Blackcomb ski base. Overall the units are comfortable and really good to use as a base for skiing, but they are not luxurious; some of the furniture and furnishings etc. do look new (and bathrooms have been retiled) but the cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom are a bit battered and look quite dated. The appliances need to be dragged into the 21st century stainless steel would be nice! The bed was supremely comfortable and cosy with very soft/comfortable sheets and a duvet. Additional pillows and blankets were available in the cupboards. The biggest problem for us was the noise; we were in a unit overlooking the road and the snowploughs start at 1am... every 30 minutes you hear them driving around and ploughing the roads... even with earplugs this woke us up... next time we'll ask for a unit away from the road and hopefully avoid this as we are light sleepers. Overall, would definitely recommend and would come back...

I would give 0 Star if I could. I am so disappointed in this place. We exchanged our place in Cabo which is considered a studio but is a Junior Suite that sleeps 4, has a full kitchen, and is about 800 sqft for this 275 sqft hotel room with no kitchen and 1 queen bed. Also we had to wash bottles in the bathroom sink as there was no other sink and no kitchen. Staying in this small room with an infant was definitely difficult as we had a playpen, swing, and stroller and no room for any of it. But we managed and kept a positive attitude because it was our honeymoon. But, unfortunately, it just got worse from there.... we had a DVD player that didn 't work and only 2 outlets to use in the room. When we called the front desk that night we spoke to Theo, I believe, and he said nothing could be done about the DVD player and the 1 extension cord had been lent out! Seriously?! We also paid $21 for the first night for my husband to park his car because they only allotted for 1 car per unit which was understandable, but the 2nd day when we asked about where the overnight lot was we were told about the gal at the desk, Annetta I believe, said there is no overnight lot and begrudgingly gave my husband the 2nd night for free but then complained to the Manager about it. We got a call early the next morning from Charletta, the Manager, asking if we 'd sorted out our parking problem . I told her yes that we will park at the overnight lot down the street for $5 and that the gal at the desk didn 't know what she was talking about! We were treated like low class citizens that were trying to get away with something the way she talked to us both her and Annetta at the desk! BUT THE ICING ON THIS HORRIBLE CAKE was when I asked housekeeping on Wednesday when they would be cleaning our room (you get 1 clean midweek which is normal) and she said Thursday. I said GREAT because we will be gone ALL DAY and don 't have to worry about a napping baby! We were gone from 10am until 7pm and came back to a dirty room!!!!! I had thrown all the dirty towels on the bathroom floor to let them know we needed them r placed and they were still there along with our dirty sheets on the bed!!! When I called the front desk they said that there was an email that housekeeping didn 't have enough time to clean all the rooms and would get to ours on Friday. We check out Sunday morning!!! So we get a clean condo for basically 1 day?!?! I have stayed in places all over the world, including 3rd world countries such as India, Mexico, Honduras, etc and have never had a worse experience! I will NEVER stay at Embarc or any Diamond resort again. They obviously don 't care about their members or guests and only care about trying to sell you a bigger place or a place at all when you 're here. But once you 've purchased here you are forgotten and not cared for. So glad I don 't own here and will NEVER exchange to come here again. I 'd rather pay the higher prices and stay at a proper hotel.

**Cons:** The hallways are dimly lit and the overall vibe is stuck in the 90s. I heard they plan to renovate in 2017, so hopefully, that will change. The studio rooms are quite small and dark, comparable to a mid-range hotel. You'll find a mini fridge, microwave, and toaster crammed into a closet they call a kitchenette. (Just a note: the one-bedroom and two-bedroom units are much larger and have proper kitchens.) The layout of the two connected buildings is confusing; there’s only a bridge on the third level connecting them. The hallways twist and turn in different directions, and every amenity seems to be tucked away in some corner. Finding your way back can be a challenge, thanks to poorly placed and dimly lit signs. Do I sound like I’m complaining? This place just made me feel older than I am. The upper village doesn’t offer much compared to the main village, which is about a 10-minute walk. You’ll probably find yourself walking down to the main village for meals, drinks, or shopping. So what’s the benefit of being in the upper village? Only its closeness to the ski slopes, but if you’re not skiing, there’s really no advantage. As for the timeshare presentation, it’s quite tedious. Be prepared for a sales pitch about how this location is the best timeshare ever and how spending $35,000+ will save you money on vacations. We just nodded along; when they asked why we weren’t buying, we simply said it wasn’t for us, and the young salesman seemed stumped. I wasn’t impressed with the mattress either. I normally don’t fuss about bedding, but this was a spring mattress that shook with every movement. I even woke up once thinking there was an earthquake! I mention this because the salesman showed us a fancy memory foam mattress and claimed all the beds here were equally nice—definitely not true! **Pros:** The front desk staff is fantastic—friendly, chatty, and genuinely helpful. This place is great for families, with an arcade, a small grocery store, free DVDs, a selection of kids' movies, a movie theater with occasional free popcorn, and a pool. These amenities are perfect for kids. I also appreciated the adults-only lounge, pool, sauna, and hot tub, which offered a calm and uncrowded escape. However, I doubt many people would find it easily (see my earlier rant about the confusing layout and poor signage). The bathtubs in each room are spacious and perfect for a soak. Lastly, after check-out, you can enjoy the amenities until 10 PM, which is a nice bonus. The Wi-Fi password is "DAY," which was helpful since we stayed in Whistler until the evening. **Bottom line:** It’s dark and outdated, but family-friendly with decent amenities. You'll find enough to keep yourself entertained for a day in the building—just don’t expect to see much because of the poor lighting!