Nothing average about these Squamish accommodations

There is something to be said for familiarity. At the end of a stressful day of meetings or a tiring bout of sightseeing, a cookie-cutter chain hotel room with no surprises can be a welcome respite. For those inclined to a little less predictability, Squamish has a few options – with another set to launch.

Nestled in a five-and-a-half-acre idyll are Sunwolf’s 12 riverside cabins. In truth, just moments away from downtown Squamish and an hour from the metropolis of Vancouver, guests sometimes call the resort from the road because they fear they have diverted onto a lane to nowhere. (The proprietors urge guests to ignore their GPS and follow the provided directions.) If persistent, they will eventually arrive at a compound where the Cheakamus and Cheekye rivers meet, in Brackendale.

“It kind of hits you out of nowhere,” said Zuzia Wodzynska, Sunwolf Riverside Resort’s office manager. “People don’t expect to find us where we are. For being so close to town and so close to a big city and so close to a world-class resort, we feel like a complete tear-away from all that rush.”

For a more rustic, slow-paced stay than a highway-side chain hotel or the glitz of Whistler, Sunwolf’s cabins offer a different style of stay but still just moments from everything the region has to offer.

“People who come here will use it as a jumping-off point for their winter adventures,” she said. “A lot of times, they’ll stay here with us if they’re going snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the Callaghan Valley or if they’re going to go snowmobiling. If they’re looking for an alternative to the Whistler resort town vibe, they’ll come and stay with us in the cabins. … They are pretty simple cabins, but they’ve got everything you might need.”

That includes fireplaces in every cabin (two of them woodburning) and all cabins are pet-friendly, so the canine kids can curl up cozily with the rest of the family.

Also on site is the award-winning brunch destination, Fergie's Café, where folks — guests at the resort or not — wolf down benedicts and coffee to fuel the Sea-to-Sky frolics.

Closer to the action — a lot closer — is Crash Hotel, the fresh remake of the old landmark Chieftain Hotel. Rooms come equipped with earplugs and general manager Chad Hubbs does not dispute the characterization of the inn as “party central.”

“We’re not a typical little boutique hotel,” he said. “We’re above a bar. We’re not trying to be anything other than that because sometimes there is noise on the weekend. We cater to the younger, more energetic crowd that wants to stay out till all hours of the night.”

The bar, now called The Goat, is the reinvention of the (in)famous Chieftain tavern, where generations of loggers and other resource workers guzzled Lucky Lagers. The rough edges are decidedly smoothed over.

“The bar is completely gutted and changed out,” said Hubbs. “We have a ton of arcade games in there and pool tables.” He describes it as a cross between “a party pub and a sports bar.”

If one does make it upstairs, the 27 rooms are entirely unique, each decorated by local artists and designers with a flair reflecting the Squamish vibe. In the morning, nab a “stay-and-play” promo, such as the Shred Shuttle to Whistler where, Hubbs said, guests can access the resort town “without all the crazy fuss and expense up there.”

Another unique offering is in the pre-development stage. Construction will begin in about a year on a new, 48-unit “microhotel” on Cleveland Avenue. The Beldi Micro Hotel will open in about two-and-a-half years, offering everything you expect in a hotel room — only smaller. The roughly 200-square-foot rooms will be equipped with king size, queen size or bunk beds, as well as a full bathroom, but no couches or frills.

It is a hotel focused around fun, said Rodney Wilson, a partner in the new hotel who is also the president of Airhouse Sports Academy in town.

“It’s aimed at Millennial travellers to Gen Xers, a younger crowd that are more interested in the lifestyle and activities and social aspects of a hotel, rather than a fancy spa,” he said.

In addition to a ground-floor restaurant, Beldi will have a rooftop patio that serves as a café in the early part of the day and transitions to a cocktail and champagne bar as the sun wanes.

Because the rooms are small, there will be a storage area for outdoor gear.

While the hotel itself won’t have a raft of amenities, they will offer a concierge-type service linking guests with existing local adventure options like e-bikes, river tours, eagle-watching or shuttles to the ski hills.

There are plenty of accommodations in Squamish for all tastes and budgets. These three offerings expand the ways to stay, especially for those who want to immerse themselves in the place they are visiting.