THE FACTS ABOUT ADARA

Canada

The 41-bedroom Adara is Whistler's first boutique hotel and a major change from the rusticity of the Canadian mountain village's other hotels, even though its woodsy exterior from a previous incarnation remains intact. Inside, thanks to the Canadian group Box Interior Design, the style is more Dolce & Gabbana than Davy Crockett. Ten pairs of orange- resin antlers grace a wall in the lobby, which is furnished with an acrylic-and-wood 'log-end' table by local craftsman Brent Comber and a nail-polish-red 'Canyon' sofa by Niels Bendtsen. In the bedrooms, the mountain-village-meets-Milan vibe extends to lacquered log beds, Verner Panton chairs covered with sheepskin throws and 'floating' fireplaces (an electric fireplace in a custom-designed unit made to look as though it's hanging in mid- air). The hotel has been attracting an A-list crowd and even welcomes pets: there is a 24-hour dog-walking service and sheepskin doggie beds are provided on request. The Adara is proof that Whistler is capable of reinventing itself as a sophisticated setting for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics; it is a snowball's throw from the town and a few metres from the Blackcomb and Whistler mountain gondolas, and the Whistler Golf Club in summer. All bedrooms have patios with front-row mountain views and you can end your day in the heated outdoor pool or Jacuzzi. There is no restaurant (there is one next door), but a Continental breakfast is served in the lobby. WHEN TO GO March, when the slopes aren't too crowded. ROOM TO BOOK Try to get a room on the Whistler Blackcomb side rather than one with vistas over the less impressive Sprout and Rainbow peaks. CONTACT 4122 Village Green, Whistler, British Columbia (00 1 604 905 4009; www.adarahotel.com). COST Superior doubles from C$150 (about £65)