Crystal Hut Fondue - Whistler

Will get the only positives out of the way first which was the skidoo trip up there and the singer on the guitar who did his best. If you factor that in to the price then you don't feel totally mugged. Unfortunately only 2 of us out of a party of 6 were riding the skidoos up to the Crystal Hut. Just short of CAD$1200 for 6 persons - 2 persons on a slow motion SnowCat ride up and down the mountain, 2 riders on the skidoos & their 2 passengers with a lousy fondue and a 'free' glass of awful wine waiting at the top.The only way to make this good value is if all of your party take a skidoo each (no passengers) and just write off the fondue. The 2 of our party who got the SnowCat were bored to tears on the outward journey and the prospect of going down was not ameliorated by one of the worst fondues we have ever eaten. We didn't expect it to be up there with the fondues we eat in the French Alps or the ones we make at home, but it was just so poor. The portion of beef that was meant to feed 4 adults was the size you would get for 1 person in France. The Chicken was already cooked and was dry - even more so when it was cooked in the broth fondue. No chips or sauteed potatoes either. Bear in mind that you are paying around $100 of your ticket price for the privilege of this fondue. You were only permitted 1 glass of wine if you were a skidoo rider, but it was so bad I wouldn't have ordered any more. One of our party did order a 2nd glass and was charged $12.95 which was a joke considering how much the trip had cost. We had asked for soft drinks like fruit juice or lemonade for the 2 children with us but were told they didn't have any! But we still got charged extra for the 1 glass of wine in spite of the children just having water. The restaurant element of this trip was just a money grabbing operation. You are given a piece of lukewarm fruit pie to see you off which is like something from a Little Chef. The irony of this is that the Crystal Hut boast that they serve the best waffles in the world -but you get pie not waffles. Ridiculous!Take my advice and only do this if all your party take individual skidoos as then you are getting around 3.5 hours of snowmobiling for a reasonable price. For most of the snow mobiling you will not going more than about 7mph in the dark following a set trail up and down to the Crystal Hut. However you do get about 20 mins of racing around a circuit which is good fun. You therefore get all that snowmobiling for your $200 which is decent value. In Europe I've paid the same for an hour. If you box clever and do it this way then the fondue would just be a "free" pit stop in the middle of your snow mobiling session rather than being the culinary "highlight" of your evening if you have the misfortune to go up on the SnowCat or are a passenger on the skidoos.If you can't or won't ride a skidoo then I would avoid this "experience" altogether and spend your dollars at a decent restaurant like RimRock or Sidecut.

We checked in at Whistler Village and were transported to the lodge where we geared up. It was raining and I wasn't wearing entirely appropriate clothes so I borrowed trousers, helmet, goggles & gloves. Boy was I glad of the extra clothes! We had a blizzard on the way up and arrived freezing cold to warm drinks and a simmering fondue. I would recommend wearing your ski gear to go. We had opportunities to race and go full throttle so the snowmobile ride was very generous. Our guide Eric was quirky and fun, teaching us how not to flip our machine and making it a great experience for usLive music and some birthday/anniversary celebrations made for a romantic cosy dinner. The fondue was average... it would be better with a better selection of cured meats and hot rather than cold potatoes. Beware if you're doing the snowmobile option (driver or passenger) you are only allowed one glass of wine whilst those riding the snowcat can have an unlimited flow so choose wisely!

I took the snowmobile and others took the snow cat. It was a different experience for sure but something I would only do once. It was a great evening - beautiful views and stars galore. The food was very average and the entertainment was fun but all in all I would say it is not a great value but an interesting experience. The service as great and the folks who led the snowmobiles and at dinner were excellent! We did have lots of fun though so I would give it 4 stars because of that.

Riding a snowmobile and a snowcat to a little log cabin at the top of a mountain for live music and fondue.....how is that for a dinner to remember! The music was not concert quality but it was super fun and everyone was singing along! The food was not the best ever but was yummy and we ate it all. This was great for a large party and well worth doing. All of the guests were super friendly and helpful. No need for super warm clothes as they have clothes for you if you ride a snowmobile. The cat is heated and the cabin is heated too. We lucked out and had a clear night. Amazing stars. Fun to see what all happens on the ski mountain at night!

My husband and I did this on 23rd December. After waiting outside in the cold for about 30mins, we went up to crystal hut in the snow cat. We were all cramped and very uncomfortable inside. The ride up took 1.5hrs with many stops along the way due to inexperienced riders on the snow mobiles going up in front of the snow cat which were stopping regularly. It was so boring in the snow cat and all we could smell was diesel!At crystal hut, they serve: chopped bread, chicken, beef, potato, carrot, broccoli and cauliflour. There is a chicken broth you can the foods in and also a warm cheese fondue to dip food in. There are 3 dips you can use too. The food was very average. We were then served a berry pie as a version of dessert. Everyone was given one drink but had to pay for any extras ($45 for a bottle of wine). There were about 50 people at dinner so you did not get your own table. It felt like a school camp dinner.The best part of the night was the guy playing guitar/singing. He was great.Following the meal, there was then another long ride back down the mountain with not enough room inside the snow mobile, everyone squished in and uncomfortable. You spend more time in the snow mobile than at dinner!Overall, it was not worth the price. I was not expecting the journey up the mountain to take as long or be so uncomfortable. I was expecting the food/drink to be better. Wish we spent the $189 per person going to one of the fine dining restaurants in Whistler (the food, drinks and service would be much better value for money).If you want to eat on top of the mountain, ride up on the gondolas and eat at one of the restaurants - it is a lot quicker and more scenic and enjoyable in the gondolas.