Whistler council has given the green light to a major liquor licence expansion at the Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa, approving an increase in its Liquor Primary Licence capacity from 128 to 297 persons to accommodate a new upscale bar.
The decision was made at the June 10 council meeting, where staff confirmed the new bar will be created by converting an existing banquet room inside the hotel. The lounge will be operated by the Hilton itself and will not have direct access from the street.
“It’s exciting to see reinvestments into tourism amenities and community amenities like this,” Mayor Jack Crompton said.
According to the staff report presented to council, the proposed new bar—labelled “Upscale Bar” in planning documents—will be located near the hotel’s main entrance from Whistler Way. The floor plan for the 203-square-metre space has been reviewed by the RMOW Building Department and the Whistler Fire Rescue Service and is approved for 169 persons, calculated at one person per 1.2 square metres.
The change is part of a tandem application that will see the 200-seat banquet room removed from the hotel’s food primary licence, reducing that capacity from 1,434 to 1,234. With the 169-seat addition to the liquor primary licence, the overall licenced capacity across both licences will be reduced by 31 seats.
Proposed hours of liquor service will remain unchanged, from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week—consistent with Whistler Village standards and matching the neighbouring Cinnamon Bear Bar, which is also operated by the Hilton.
The municipality’s Good Standing review found no compliance issues from the RCMP, Whistler Fire Rescue, or the Building and Bylaw Departments. The Hilton has entered into a Good Neighbour Agreement and submitted a Noise Mitigation Plan, including a commitment to close doors and windows by 10 p.m. The application is also subject to the RMOW's noise regulation bylaw.
“The required public notification process (newspaper ads and site sign) did not yield any comments regarding the application,” reads the letter to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) approved by council.
In its final recommendation to the LCRB, council concluded the expansion would provide “greater operational flexibility” for the Hilton without negatively impacting the surrounding community. While the increase in capacity is significant, council’s letter noted the bar will be “operated by Hilton Whistler (not independently operated) and is intended as an upscale adult-oriented bar.”
