FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN RENTING A SKI CHALET
SKI-IN/SKI-OUT. This can be a misleading description. Check your rental for these ski access features:
Distance to ski trail
How far do you have to walk or drive until you can start skiing?
Difficulty of the ski trail
Is the nearest ski trail green, blue or black? Is it narrow, through trees, on an ungroomed seldom-traveled trail, on a road shared with cars?
Direct access to lifts
Does the ski trail take you directly to ski lifts? How many times must you remove your skis before arriving at a lift in order to cross a road, a parking lot or a surface uncovered by snow? How far must you ski before reaching the lift? (Too far will discourage any spontaneous desire to hit the slopes, and too near will increase the noise around the chalet.)
Quality and quantity of lifts
Does the ski-way take you to a single remote lift, or to numerous lifts that take you to various points on the mountain where you want to ski?
Snowbanks 6 is one of the few chalets at Big White that scores 5 out of 5 possible stars for ski-in/ski-out access. You can ski out directly from the back door and ski in to the back door, using a groomed green trail. 3 lifts (including Canada’s longest, the Snow Ghost) are a few non-stop minutes away.
SIZE MATTERS. Beware of "cozy."
Space
Will members of your party have enough elbow room or will they feel cramped? Comfortable roominess improves everyone’s moods. Having enough seating for everyone at mealtime is important for some groups, and not for others.
Privacy
The number of beds in a chalet is just part of the story. Equally important is the number of separate bedrooms. Ask for the size of beds and the number of beds in each bedroom, or be prepared for your friends and family to sleep in the living room on a sofa bed or futon.
Separation
Your trip will be much more enjoyable if there are separate spaces where members of your party can find seclusion. Not hearing the kids play the X-Box for hours while you and the grown-ups have a quiet conversation and grandma watches TV can mean the difference between a fun vacation and a miserable trip. Ask for the number of separate living or social spaces and whether they are on different floors. Is there a space for the little kids to play, and a different one where the teenagers can hang out? Or maybe a loft where you can snooze? Balconies for smokers?
Snowbanks 6 was designed with comfort in mind for parties of as many as 12 persons. 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, 2 social areas, a media room, and 3 outdoor balconies, so that even large groups can spread out. Up to 12 persons can sit down to dinner at the same time.
AMENITIES.
Entertainment
You can’t ski all the time, and if you aren’t sleeping you might want to have some entertainment opportunities. Is the chalet big enough to offer everything your party would want, such as: pool table, hot tub, sauna, multiple TVs with multiple channels (satellite, cable, antenna?), surround sound, books, games, videos, X-Box, etc.
Connectivity
Sometimes you have to reach out to the rest of the world. Having high-speed internet access in the chalet is better than looking for an internet café at midnight when the temperature outside is minus 2. Few chalets have broadband, and fewer still have wireless. The elite also boast a "secure" wireless network. Snowbanks 6 has it all.
Kitchen
Not everyone has a desire to spend their vacations preparing meals that are any more complicated than a quick breakfast. But if you love cooking, or if you must have a traditional dish during a holiday ski trip, you should ask about the culinary facilities before you book. Some rentals have little more than silverware and glassware; others offer everything from garlic presses to food processors.
Parking
Is there a garage? Is it heated? How far must you walk from your parking space to the front door of your rental? How many flights of stairs must you climb from the parking level to the main floor of the rental? How many parking spaces are reserved for your unit?
Creature Comforts