Awards
The annual resort rankings are in and again Whistler Blackcomb is on top with six “best overall” wins and over sixteen No.1 “category” wins. These accolades have positioned Whistler Blackcomb as one of the best ranked ski and snowboard destinations in the world.
“We are thrilled to be recognized among the best mountain resorts in the world,” says Stuart Rempel, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Whistler Blackcomb. “These awards are a credit to Whistler Blackcomb’s focus on improving every aspect of our business. We start with amazing physical assets - our mountains and reliable snow. Then we layer in our huge lift infrastructure and our commitment to the environment. On top of it all are our people. The guest relations team, groomers, snow makers, terrain park rangers, instructors, patrollers, front line staff and everyone in between all work together to exceed our customers’ expectations. We believe this approach is why Whistler Blackcomb is consistently ranked the No. 1 resort in North America and positions us among the best in the world.”
This year Whistler Blackcomb was recognized by SPIKE Marketing as the highest rated resort in the world for customer satisfaction and performance. The company’s Ski Base Results 2012 Survey involving 18,000 UK respondents ranked Whistler Blackcomb as the No. 1 resort they would recommend to a friend or colleague based on quality of skiing, accommodation, value for money, restaurants and bars, lifts and activities outside skiing. This ranking is a credit to Whistler Blackcomb’s attention to exceeding customer expectations in every aspect of its operations.
Whistler Blackcomb has been named the No. 1 overall ski resort in North America by the readers of SKI Magazine.
The 26th annual readers’ poll ranks the top 60 North America ski resorts in SKI Magazine’s Resort Guide, hitting newsstands on October 16. The survey of 20,000 SKI readers is the longest running and most comprehensive survey of its kind in the winter sports industry.
Along with being named the #1 overall resort, Whistler Blackcomb ranked highly in many other individual categories, including:
- #1 overall in Terrain Variety
- #2 overall in Service, Lodging, Après, Off Hill Activities, and Digital Presence.
- Whistler Blackcomb also placed in the top five resorts for Challenge of Terrain, Lifts, On-Mountain Food, Dining, Scenery, Terrain Parks, and Overall Guest Satisfaction.
#1 Resort People would recommend
The Spike Marketing Ski Base Results 2012 survey involving 18,000 UK respondents ranked Whistler Blackcomb as the No. 1 resort they would recommend to a friend or colleague to visit.
"NO. 1 OVERALL" RANKINGS WHISTLER BLACKCOMB ACHIEVED:
SKI Magazine, USA
Freeskier Magazine, USA
SBC Resort Guide, CAN
Best overall in B.C., onthesnow.com, USA
Powderhounds.com, USA
Findthebest.com, USA
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB CATEGORY WINS:
Top 50 Best Ski Resorts, The Independent, GBR
Best Net Promoter Score, Spike Marketing, GBR
Best in Snow Business, Canadian Ski Council, CAN
2012 BC Hydro Power Smart Excellence Awards Winner in the Power Smart Leader category, CAN
Best Apres - Dusty’s Bar & Grill, Ski Canada Magazine, CAN
One of Canada’s Greenest Employers, Canada’s Top 100 Employers, CAN
One of Canada’s Best Employers for Young People, Canada's Top 100 Employers, CAN
Best Ski Run & Lodge for Whistler Blackcomb & Fairmont Chateau Whistler, National Geographic, USA
Best Terrain: SKI Magazine, Powderhounds.com
Best Apres/Nightlife, FREESKIER, Powderhounds.com
Top Family Resort, CNN.com, Familyvacationcritic.com, USA
Best Park in the West, SBC Resort Guide
Best Terrain in the West, SBC Resort Guide
Best Lifts, Powderhounds.com
Best Winter Destination & Best Summer Destination, Georgia Straight Newspaper, CAN
Best Off-Piste, Powderhounds.com
OTHER "NOT TOO SHABBY" PLACING(S):
No. 2
Steep Skiing, FREESKIER
Service, SKI Magazine
Lodging, SKI Magazine
Off-Hill Activities, SKI Magazine
Digital Presence, SKI Magazine
Romantic Getaway, Georgia Straight Newspaper
No. 3
Dining, SKI Magazine
Outside Magazine, USA
No. 4
Powder Stashes, FREESKIER
Terrain Parks, SKI Magazine
Overall Satisfaction, SKI Magazine
Scenery, SKI Magazine
No. 5
Challenging Terrain, SKI Magazine
On-Mountain Food, SKI Magazine
Lifts, SKI Magazine
Best Resort in North America, TransWorld SNOWboarding, USA
Halfpipes, TransWorld SNOWboarding
"NO. 1 OVERALL" RANKINGS WHISTLER BLACKCOMB ACHIEVED:
FREESKIER - "The Best"
Onthesnow.com – No. 1 Favourite North American Resort 2011
Australia's Luxury Travel Magazine – No. 1 Overseas Ski Resort 2011
Findthebest.com – Best Ski Resort in the World
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB "TOP/BEST" INCLUSIONS:
Forbes.com – World's Best Ski Resorts
Yahoo.com – Top Five Ski Vacations in the World
Powderhounds.com – Top Overall Resorts
About.com – Top Ski Resorts
The Independent – 50 Best Ski Resorts
Virgin Holidays Responsible tourism Award - Highly commended
2012 Canada’s greenest employer award
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB CATEGORY WINS:
Value Award Winner: Up! Magazine
Best Terrain: onthesnow.com, SKI Magazine, TransWorld SNOWboarding, Powderhounds.com, and National Geographic
Best Après/Nightlife: FREESKIER, onthesnow.com, SKI Magazine, TransWorld SNOWboarding, and Powderhounds.com.
Best Family Resort: SKI Magazine (Canadian Resorts)
OTHER "NOT TOO SHABBY" PLACING(S):
No. 2
Terrain parks – onthesnow.com
Family – onthesnow.com
Digital Programs – SKI Magazine
Best Steeps - FREESKIER
No. 3
Resort in North America – SKI Magazine
Lifts – SKI Magazine
No. 4
Overall satisfaction – SKI Magazine
"vibe" – TransWorld SNOW Boarding
Top Destination in Canada – Trip Advisor
Best Powder – FREESKIER
No. 5
Best Family Resort in North America – SKI Magazine (No. 1 in Canada)
Best Pipe – Transworld SNOWBoarding
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB NAMED ONE OF CANADA'S GREENEST EMPLOYERS THREE YEARS RUNNING
For the third year in a row Whistler Blackcomb celebrated Earth Day (April 22) as one of Canada's Greenest Employers as awarded by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers project. Whistler Blackcomb received recognition for three new energy conservation projects for the 2010/2011 ski representing over 1.3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in electrical savings. The energy saved translates to the equivalent amount of power it takes to run 74 homes in British Columbia for one year.
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB NAMED FAVORITE NORTH AMERICAN RESORT IN ONTHESNOW.COM 2011 VISITORS CHOICE AWARDS
Whistler Blackcomb has claimed the title of "Favorite Overall Resort" in OnTheSnow.com's Visitors Choice Awards for the second year in a row. The OnTheSnow.com Visitor's Choice Awards are an annual list of favorite resorts as ranked by user ratings from the site's 3.4 million monthly unique visitors. OnTheSnow.com also named users' top regional picks in the Far West, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest and Rockies. Whistler Blackcomb ranked "Best Overall" from the Pacific Northwest region.
Whistler Blackcomb claims top spot in CondÉ Nast Traveler, FREESKIER Magazine, and Outside Magazine
Consistently ranked as No. 1, Whistler Blackcomb tops mountain resort rankings once again this season. Whistler Blackcomb placed in the top three in six "overall" award categories including:
- No. 1 “Best Place to Ski & Stay in North America” - Condé Nast Traveler’s annual readers’ pole (fourth consecutive)
- No. 1 “Top Resort in North America” - FREESKIER Magazine (third consecutive)
- No. 1 “Top Ski Resort in North America” - Outside Magazine.
- No. 1 “Favorite Overall” – Onthesnow.com
- No. 1 “Ski runs & Lodges” – National Geographic - “10 Best Book”
- No. 3 “Top Resort in North America” - Transworld Snowboard Magazine
- No. 3 “Top Ski Resort in North America - Ski Magazine
The annual magazine rankings rate resorts on a variety of set criteria, and Whistler Blackcomb consistently scores high in a variety of categories including terrain, snow quality, restaurants, lift capabilities, parks and pipes, snow school, lodging, amenities and much more. “Category” top three finishes for Whistler Blackcomb include:
Condé Nast Traveler
-No. 1 "Après"
-No. 2 "Dining"
Ski Magazine
-No. 1 Terrain
-No. 1 "Après"
Outside Magazine
-No. 1 "Mega-Resort"
-No. 1 Nightlife
-No. 2 Snowboarding
-No. 3 Spring Skiing
-No. 3 Scenery
Transworld Snowboarding
-No. 1 Nightlife
-No. 1 Lodging
-No. 2 "Vibe"
-No. 2 Terrain
Greenest Employer for 2010
Whistler Blackcomb has been named one of Canada's Greenest Employers for a second year in a row. Canada's Greenest Employers competition has been running since 2007 and is organized by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers project in partnership with Mediacorp Canada Inc. Applicants were judged on a variety of criteria, including uniqueness, success and longevity of environmental initiatives, as well as employee and community engagement.
Golden Eagle Award
Clif Bar has honoured Whistler Blackcomb with the Golden Eagle Award for Overall Environmental Excellence at the recent 2010 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) National Convention and Tradeshow. This is the third time Whistler Blackcomb has received this honour, which is considered the highest level of environmental achievement in the ski industry.
According to the NSAA, judges credited Whistler Blackcomb with its comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship, including its efforts to reduce waste and conserve energy. Golden Eagle judges also recognized Whistler Blackcomb's involvement in the development of the Fitzsimmons Creek Renewable Energy project; a Run-of-River project that will produce enough power to match the company's entire annual energy consumption, which includes snowguns, lift operation and on-mountain restaurants. The hydro-powered facility, which became operational in early 2010, is located entirely within Whistler Blackcomb's operating area and was produced in partnership with Innergex Renewable Energy Inc., Ledcor Power Group.
SKIING Magazine named Whistler Blackcomb No. 1
Overall resort in North America October 2009
For the 13th year in a row, readers at one of North America's premier ski magazines, SKIING, have ranked Whistler Blackcomb their choice for No. 1 resort and the resort they want to ski more than anywhere else. In addition to the terrain variety, nightlife and après ski activities always rank high. The après and nightlife scenes in Whistler Village are legendary, and it all takes place only steps from the base of the mountains.
"It's a poll of our readers, not the editors. And the readers overwhelmingly chose Whistler," says Jake Bogoch, editor of SKIING Magazine. "When our readers think of Whistler, they think of dark storms, granite-lined bowls, blocky cliffs, and long, long runs. That's why they want to go there more than anywhere else."
FREESKIER Magazine named Whistler Blackcomb No. 1
October 2009
Onthesnow.com readers rank Whistler Blackcomb North America's Favourite Ski Resort
Whistler Blackcomb has achieved the top spot as North America’s Favourite Resort in the annual Visitor’s Choice awards. Onthesnow.com is the most visited snow sports website and the Visitor’s Choice Awards are based on guest feedback.
Onthesnow.com, which attracts an audited 2.3 million individuals monthly during the winter, gave visitors the opportunity to write reviews of all North American resorts as well as rank them in five categories; favourite resort, best nightlife, most family friendly, best downhill terrain and best terrain park. Whistler Blackcomb received top honours as North America’s Favourite Resort for the second time in the past three seasons.
SKI Magazine, the resort has moved up one spot to the No. 2 position.
October 2009
Whistler Blackcomb has been named one of Canada's Greenest Employers, just in time for Earth Day (April 22). This nomination recognizes the company's some 3,800 employees for their dedication and contribution to sustainability in Whistler.
Launched in 2007, the Canada's Greenest Employers competition is organized by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the nation's largest publisher of employment-related periodicals and online directories, and published in Maclean's Magazine. This special designation recognizes the employers leading the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their organizations.
SKIING Magazine named Whistler Blackcomb No. 1 Overall resort in North America
October 2008
SKIING Magazine readers have named Whistler Blackcomb No.1 ski resort in North America for the twelfth year in a row. SKIING'S Best Après Scene award went to Whistler Blackcomb, with the Garibaldi Lift Company receiving accolades for its great food and variety of live concerts. Whistler Blackcomb also received a Top 5 ranking for Backcountry Access, Steeps, and Park; as well as a Top 10 ranking for Trees.
"We survey our readers annually and ask them what they think is the best resort. But this year we tweaked the question. We asked readers where they would go if money were no object. Essentially, where they want to ski most," says Jake Bogoch, editor of SKIING Magazine. "The answer was Whistler Blackcomb. On a personal level, I get it. I've skied at Whistler for the past seven winters and can't seem to stay away."
TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine 2009 Resort Poll ranks Whistler Blackcomb No. 1
TransWorld SNOWBoarding Magazine readers have named Whistler Blackcomb the best overall resort in North America for a third year in a row; have given its Nintendo Terrain Parks the coveted No. 1 designation for Best Park; and have named Whistler Blackcomb Top 5 in an additional nine categories.
The online TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine Resort Poll saw 1,600 readers log on to cast their votes, ranking a total of 154 North American resorts in 21 categories. Whistler Blackcomb also received No. 1 rankings for Best Terrain Variety, Best Vibe, Best Lifts and Best Challenge, while making it to the Top 5 in the categories of Best Nightlife (No. 2), Best On-Mountain Food (No. 2), Best Lodging (No. 2), Best Snow Quality (No.3), and Best Pipe (No. 5).
"Whistler Blackcomb's unstoppable three-year winning streak in the overall resort category is a reflection of the undisputable awesome factors at work: fast direct lifts, consistent snowfall, challenging terrain, and a perfect park," says TransWorld SNOWboarding Editor Annie Fast. "The legendary snowboard scene and stacked après options don't hurt. I love that our readers get it so right."
Conde Naste - December 2008
Cond Nast Traveler readers name Whistler No. 1 in North America Whistler, BC
Cond Nast Traveler magazine, a trend-setter in the travel industry, has awarded Whistler the top spot in its annual Best Places to Ski & Stay in North America reader survey in its December 2008 issue. Cond Nast Traveler readers were asked to evaluate North American ski resorts that they had visited in the past three years, and rate each resort. Whistler received the top score on the combined criteria of Terrain and Conditions, Lifts and Lines, Local Ambience, Local Dining, and Apres-Ski/Activities. Whistler Blackcomb also received special accolades for its PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.
Whistler also placed five of its hotels in North Americas top 25 ski hotels in the Cond Nast reader survey: Pan Pacific Whistler Village center, Four Seasons Resort & Spa, Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, Westin Resort & Spa, and Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
SKI Magazine named Whistler Blackcomb No. 3 overall resort
October 2008
SKI Magazine's annual "Top 50 Resort Guide" named Whistler Blackcomb No. 3 for the second year in a row. In addition to a No.3 overall ranking in SKI Magazine's Top 50 Resort Guide, Whistler Blackcomb also received a Top 5 ranking in 8 categories: Terrain/Variety (No.1), Après-Ski (No.2), Off Hill Activities (No. 3), Lifts (No.3), Lodging (No.3), Dining (No.4), Terrain/Challenge (No. 5) and Terrain Parks (No. 5).
Hardy's Skiing and Snowboarding Guide 2009 vote GLC Best AprÈs-Ski Venue in North America
Hardy's Skiing and Snowboarding Guide 2009, another UK-based publication, has given the Garibaldi Lift Company the award for Best Après-Ski Venue in North America. The awards are judged by a panel of experts, including the authors of the guide, and take into account nominations supplied by readers.
Outside Magazine - November 2008
Whistler Blackcomb ranked No. 2 Best Ski Resort in North America by Outside Magazine. The November 2008 issue named the Top 15 best resorts, as judged by Marc Peruzzi, a Colorado-based ski reporter, former Outside staffer, and editor of SKIING magazine from 2003 to 2008
Onthesnow.com readers rank Whistler Blackcomb North America's Favourite Ski Resort
Whistler Blackcomb also received the designation of North America's favorite ski resort by visitors of OnTheSnow.com, a popular online snow sports portal. The website, which attracts a Nielsen-audited 1.2 million unique monthly visitors during the winter, gave its visitors the opportunity to write reviews of all resorts in North America and they chose Whistler Blackcomb as their favourite.
Where to Ski and Snowboard's Best North American Resort Development 2008
The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola received the award for best North American Resort Development 2008 by leading UK publication, Where to Ski and Snowboard.