Best winter getaways guide

The hotel: Nita Lake Lodge is an alpine fantasy perched on the edge of—you guessed it—Nita Lake, a five-minute drive from bustling Whistler Village. Food is the focus here: The chefs cure their own meat and source locally with delectable treats like early-season halibut and apple sabayon with saskatoon berries.

To do: Cross-country ski or snowshoe among the towering hemlocks in Lost Lake Park; it even has buggies on skis so you can tote your tots. For downhill, you no longer have to choose between Whistler and Blackcomb thanks to the new Peak 2 Peak Gondola, and the ski school is one of the best in the world—it puts GPS tracking armbands on kids so parents can zip off worry-free!

Après-ski: At the end of the day the village buzzes with style and swish from around the world. Slip into the bijou Alta Bistro for cocktails with hand-crafted infusions and tasty bites. Or indulge in hydrotherapy under the stars at the outdoor Scandinave Spa. —Antonia Whyatt