The Ultimate Revelstoke Ski Guide

Home of the biggest vertical drop in North America, Revelstoke offers the off-piste experience on its marked trails, as well as a range of genuine backcountry adventures.

Why it’s a secret gem

Of the thousands of ski resorts around the world, only one – Revelstoke – offers a lift, snowcat, helicopter and backcountry skiing, all from its village base.

Before the ski area opened in 2007, its namesake town was already a hotbed of off-piste skiing and snowboarding, thanks to the generous 18 metres of annual snowfall that blankets the surrounding Selkirk Mountains. Now, the thriving resort on nearby Mount MacKenzie makes these snowy expanses accessible to all with five lifts and 1263 hectares of inbounds terrain featuring the largest vertical drop, 1713 metres, in North America. It also provides an ideal staging and training area for helicopter trips to nearby summits, as well as snowcat rides and guided backcountry excursions.

Revelstoke Canada — The mountains are truly spectacular.

Who will love it

If you’ve been known to duck the rope on a ski hill (or have at least wanted to), Revelstoke feeds the out-of-bounds urge like nowhere else. A sizable portion of its marked trails, especially the double-black chutes spilling into the North Bowl from the summit ridge, feel like they belong on a heliski itinerary or in a Warren Miller film. The more ‘Revie’ feeds the urge, the stronger it gets, which is where the resort’s various guided backcountry experiences come in, along with the mind-boggling 200,000 hectares of terrain they cover.

Three things you must do

1. Any adventure beyond resort boundaries should begin at the Revelstoke Outdoors Centre, which books and coordinates guided cat-skiing, heliskiing and backcountry touring excursions. Another option is to learn more about the backcountry before gliding into it by taking one of the single- or multi-day awareness and rescue courses on offer.

2. Revelstoke goes big even when it comes to beginner runs. At over 15 kilometres, The Last Spike is one of the longest ski trails in Canada. Take in the sublime scenery as it winds from top to bottom, with plenty of options for veering onto blue or black runs on the way down.

3. Revelstoke Aquatic Centre is a family-friendly indoor complex, a short drive from the resort, featuring a 25-metre lap pool, a leisure pool with a lazy river and waterslide, and a hot tub, sauna and steam room. Ideal for après-ski time or a break from the slopes.

Local secrets you should know about

The increasingly cosmopolitan railway town of Revelstoke contributes much to backcountry ski culture, including the highly relevant ‘Land of Thundering Snow’ exhibit at the Revelstoke Museum and Archives. It explores the science behind avalanches, the technology used to prevent them, and how the cascading snow affects mountain ecology.

A more hands-on safety experience can be had at the resort’s new Avalanche Ranch, which sprawls across a meadow at the top of the Revelation Gondola. Using a wireless network of buried targets, it lets visitors test their transceiver skills before any off-piste action.

Off the slopes

If you’re missing a furry friend back home, Revelstoke Dogsledding Adventures’ Alaskan huskies will cheer you right up, as they pull you through snow-clad forests on speedy sleds. You can even steer and yell “mush!" if you so desire.

Dog sledding Revelstoke — Be guided by the best dogs around.

Between skiing, swimming and mushing, your tired muscles have earned some pampering. Enter the Sutton Place Hotel’s serene Refinery Day Spa, which uses Aveda products in treatments such as Thai massage and aroma body wraps.

Best après-ski hotspots

Steps from the Revelation Gondola mid-station, the lift’s namesake post-and-beam lodge is the place to be on sunny afternoons when a 120-seat deck turns into burger-grilling and beer-sipping heaven.

Down in the resort village, the Mackenzie Common Tavern features a superb assortment of local microbrews and signature cocktails like the Ugly Sweater.

The town of Revelstoke, meanwhile, must have one of the highest pub-to-skier ratios in all of British Columbia, but there’s little doubt about which watering hole leads the pack.

The Village Idiot is textbook Canuck après, with ski-backed barstools, truly mountainous nacho plates and, thankfully, a free evening shuttle to and from the resort.

Village Idiot Revelstoke — Village Idiot – where the beers are cold and the company isn’t.

Skiers will love

Gracias Ridge

Traverse all the way across the precipitous North Bowl into the somewhat-less-gargantuan Greely Bowl, and you’ll reach this expert-skier playground. Snow-choked chutes lead to glades and vice versa, with the aptly named Beauty Glades next on the menu.

Snowboarders will love

The Paparazzi Pass

This innovative service uses high-definition video cameras spread across the mountain to capture your sickest (read: best) moves and relay them to your smartphone for later viewing.

Snowboarding Revelstoke — Snowboard through the Mountain ridges of Revelstoke

Recommended places to stay

Budget

Poppi’s Guesthouse

The five themed bedrooms in this whimsical, winsome property are decorated with murals depicting famous landmarks such as the Taj Mahal and Egypt’s pyramids.

Address: 313 1st E

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Midrange

Best Western Plus Revelstoke

This reliable chain option is 10 minutes from the mountain and features two outdoor hot tubs, a spa and fitness centre. Stays include free breakfast, parking and wi-fi.

Address: 1925 Laforme Boulevard

Family

Sandman Hotel Revelstoke

This 173-room property has a slight family edge on the Best Western next door, thanks to its two indoor swimming pools.

Address: 1901 Laforme Boulevard

Luxury

Sutton Place

The lone hotel in the resort village does the work of several properties with 205 ski-in/ski-out condo-style rooms and suites, as well as three on-site dining options.

Address: 2950 Camozzi Road

Sutton Place Revelstoke — Pure bliss at Sutton Place.

Is Canada on your mind? Head over to our travel guide for the folks up north to get some inspiration.

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.