The Ultimate Big White Ski Guide

Mix mountains of snow with thousands of slopeside condos, abundant child-friendly amenities and a superb ski school, and you’ve got a recipe for ski-holiday success.

Why it’s legendary

This resort’s tagline – “It’s the Snow" – only tells part of the story. Granted, it’s a very significant part: Big White Mountain, the highest summit of British Columbia’s rolling Okanagan Highland, receives an average of nearly eight metres of snow each year, with the 2015–16 season topping 10 metres.

This isn’t just any snow, mind you. This is the Okanagan region’s famously fluffy champagne powder, which locals call ‘hero snow’ because it turns beginners into superstars.

Indeed, many hills would be content to rest on laurels as snowy as these, but not Big White. With beds for 17,000-plus guests, it offers more ski-in/ski-out lodging than any other mountain resort in Canada.

The ski and snowboard school is world class, resort amenities are smart and tasteful, and the 15 lifts serve 145 trails that encompass every type of terrain imaginable.

Then, when the sun sets, Western Canada’s largest expanse of night-skiing takes over, with more illuminated vertical than anywhere in North America.

Who will love it

Jerry Seinfeld once quipped that “there’s no such thing as fun for the whole family", which goes to show that the comedian had never been to Big White.

This is a family mountain first and foremost, with everything from the steep, cliff-ringed Parachute Bowl to cruisy powder-choked glades for mum and dad, an expansive (and selfie-friendly) terrain park for teens, and cartoon-themed runs for the little ones.

As for something the entire brood will appreciate, the ski school’s ‘door-to-ski’ shuttle service collects young pupils in the morning and drops them off in the afternoon. Bet you can taste that leisurely, uninterrupted coffee already.

Three things you must do

1. Take the Alpine T-bar to check out the otherworldly ‘snow ghosts’ that haunt the gentle uppermost sections of Big White’s two peaks. These fantastic figures are actually the snow-encrusted tops of evergreen trees.

2. Ski the Ogopogo. This new trail is littered with colourful gates that mimic the serpentine body of the Okanagan’s mythical lake creature for which the run is named. The intermediate tree run is also great fun for adults – just don’t be surprised when Junior boasts about getting to the tail first.

3. Sample Tabletop S’mores at the Globe Cafe and Tapas Bar: toast giant marshmallows on a table-top fire pit, dip them in rich chocolate ganache, and then sandwich the lot between graham crackers for a decadent DIY dessert.

Local secrets you should know

Seeing it for yourself always trumps just hearing about it, so why not have a local show you around the slopes?

Big White’s Snow Hosts program provides free guided mountain tours every morning. Make new friends, learn about local history and lore, and find Big White’s secret powder stashes.

Off the slopes

If your idea of a winter wonderland involves sleigh bells and snuggling under blankets, two unique dining packages fit the bill. Both begin in a sleigh pulled by a pair of Clydesdale horses.

Your destination: a cosy alpine cabin, where brunch includes bacon, eggs and pancakes with real maple syrup, and dinner features gourmet grilled fare prepared by the chefs at Kettle Valley Steakhouse.

Beyond skiing and boarding, there are plenty of thrilling ways to earn that sleigh-ride feast. A case in point is the 18-metre ice-climbing tower in Happy Valley Adventure Park, where you can also go tubing and ice skating.

Then again, do you really need a reason to pamper yourself? You’ve earned this holiday, so you might want to make the luxurious Elevation Village Spa your first stop. Two village locations offer treatments including massages, facials and nail care.

Best après-ski hotspots

Big White’s family focus means it is relatively quiet after the sun sets.

For fantastic views of those sunsets – not to mention the best grown-up hot chocolate anywhere – head to the enormous patio at Sessions Taphouse & Grill, which is just off the aptly named Perfection run.

There are exceptions to the mellow vibe. Take Snowshoe Sam’s; repeatedly touted by the ski media as one of North America’s best resort bars, it hosts DJs and live bands, and is famous for its flaming “Gunbarrel Coffee" that’s poured down the barrel of an antique shotgun.

Skiers will love

The gorgeous glades

Most named trails are flanked by meticulously thinned wooded slopes that deliver some of the best, and most forgiving, glade skiing on Earth.

There’s no better way for intermediates to take their skills into the snowy greenery.

Snowboarders will love

Rarely waiting in line

With a six-person chairlift and a quadruple one both serving the main village, and with the 13 other lifts bringing Big White’s total uphill capacity to 28,000 schussers per hour, getting up to the sublime Flagpole Glades is as effortless as gliding through them on a powder day.

Recommended places to stay

Budget

Urban Retreat Hostel

Ski-in/ski-out convenience with 90 dorm beds, seven private rooms, a full kitchen and an expansive lounge.

Address: 7470 Porcupine Road, Big White

Midrange

Inn at Big White

A hundred well-appointed units of various sizes rise over a gorgeous sunset-facing outdoor pool and hot tub.

Address: 5340 Big White Road, Kelowna

White Crystal Inn

Slopeside kitchenette and loft rooms with essential ski amenities such as an outdoor hot tub and equipment storage.

Address: 5315 Big White Road, Kelowna

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Family

Sundance Resort

A prime location near the village centre is complemented by a heated outdoor pool, outdoor hot tubs, fireplace-equipped lounge and in-house movie theatre. Units range from one-bedroom suites to four-bedroom cabins.

Address: 255 Feathertop Way, Beaverdell

Trappers Crossing

Multilevel condos are just steps from the slopes and the village centre.
All units feature gas fireplaces, private hot tubs and heated garages.

Address: 5350 Big White Road, Kelowna

Luxury

Stonebridge Lodge

Slopeside condos feature stone fireplaces, full kitchens with granite countertops, and private decks with hot tubs.

Address: 5255 Big White Road, Kelowna

Crescendo

This 480-square-metre chalet takes luxury to another level. Its five bedrooms, with 16 separate king, queen and twin beds, comfortably sleep 22 guests.

Address: Big White Ski Resort, Kelowna

Head to our extensive guide to exploring Canada.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.