![\"Mont](\"http:\/\/www.hodson.ca\/Travel\/wp-content\/pictures\/MontTremblant2013\/IMG-20130106-00083_edited-1.jpg\" "\\"Mont")
<\/p>\nWhile Nadine and I have taken a lot of vacations in warm weather, this would be our first trip together to a winter destination.\u00a0 Nadine had never skied before, and I haven\u2019t skied in several years, so going out west to the Rockies was out of the question!\u00a0 However, Mont Tremblant seemed like a good choice, offering a nice village setting, with good skiing available, but not too big a mountain that it\u2019s still appropriate for a beginner skier.<\/p>\n
We flew out of the Toronto Island airport with Porter airlines, as they are the only airline currently serving Mont Tremblant from Toronto.\u00a0 I would have preferred to leave from Pearson rather than having to go downtown to YTZ, but it\u2019s still better than driving all the way there (which might have been a nice option in the summer).<\/p>\n
Before we get too far into this trip report, please note that I didn\u2019t bring my usual camera gear.\u00a0 The plan was to take a ski trip, and to do lots of activities in the cold, which meant I didn\u2019t really want to be carrying a camera around.\u00a0 However, I did manage to take a few pictures during the trip using my Blackberry smartphone\u2014just don\u2019t expect the same photo quality that we have on other trip reports!<\/p>\n
We left Toronto which had very little snow, and arrived in Mont Tremblant just over an hour later, which appeared to have several feet of the white stuff!\u00a0 Pictured below is the Mont Tremblant airport terminal building.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Mont Tremblant airport is about a 40-minute shuttle ride from the village.\u00a0 It was an interesting shuttle ride.\u00a0 We travelled in a large van pulling a trailer that holds the luggage and ski equipment.\u00a0 Our driver didn\u2019t seem to care about the twisty roads covered in snow and ice, and was apparently more concerned with speed than safety.\u00a0 Fortunately, we arrived safely, although we did get stuck climbing the last stretch of road up the hill to our hotel.<\/p>\n
We arrived at the Fairmont Tremblant and proceeded directly to the Gold floor for our private check-in.\u00a0 After getting settled in our room, we went to the Gold floor lounge down the hall for a light dinner.\u00a0 Below is a picture of the lounge.<\/p>\n
![\"Gold](\"http:\/\/www.hodson.ca\/Travel\/wp-content\/pictures\/MontTremblant2013\/Mont-Tremblant-20130106-00087_edited-1.jpg\" "\\"Gold")
<\/p>\n
When staying at the Fairmont Tremblant, I highly recommend staying on the Gold floor.\u00a0 The incremental cost is not outrageous, and can actually work out cheaper than staying on a regular floor.\u00a0 Firstly, you have breakfast provided each morning, and you have drinks and snacks provided throughout the day, and appetizers in the evening.\u00a0 You can save enough money on meals to more than cover the upgrade to the gold floor.\u00a0 We also save by not having to book a suite.\u00a0 Normally, Nadine and I like to upgrade to a large suite.\u00a0 However, with access to the gold lounge, you have lots of space to relax in the evenings, so a standard gold room suits us just fine.\u00a0 In fact, because we stayed the week after New Year\u2019s the place was not busy.\u00a0 For half of our time here this week, we were the only guests on the floor, making the place feel like we had our own private lounge and concierge just for the two of us!<\/p>\n
Below is a photo of our room.\u00a0 It\u2019s a nice cozy room, with an updated bathroom.\u00a0 We have a beautiful view from the top floor, looking out over the village and the ski hills.\u00a0 The nice thing about the Fairmont Tremblant is that there are no bad views.\u00a0 In large hotels, or in city hotels, you can end up with views of an interior courtyard or even of the build next door!\u00a0 Not so here.\u00a0 The only options here are a view of the villiage, the mountain or the lake\u2014there are no bad options.<\/p>\n
![\"Our](\"http:\/\/www.hodson.ca\/Travel\/wp-content\/pictures\/MontTremblant2013\/Our-room.jpg\" "\\"Our")
<\/p>\n
After a snack in the lounge, we walked around exploring the hotel.\u00a0 Below is a photo of the ski hill access past the heated outdoor pools.\u00a0 The Fairmont is the only property at Mont Tremblant with direct ski-in\/ski-out access to the hills.<\/p>\n
![\"Ski](\"http:\/\/www.hodson.ca\/Travel\/wp-content\/pictures\/MontTremblant2013\/Ski-hill-access-by-the-pools.jpg\" "\\"Ski")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
While Nadine and I have taken a lot of vacations in warm weather, this would be our first trip together to a winter destination.\u00a0 Nadine had never skied before, and I haven\u2019t skied in several years, so going out west … Continue reading