IT TOOK MORE THAN TWO YEARS OF COLLABORATING AND PROTOTYPING—NOT TO MENTION A FEW OVERNIGHT STAYS—BEFORE PANGEA FOUNDERS RUSSELL AND JELENA KLING WERE SATISFIED. The husband-and-wife team behind Whistler’s latest boutique property featuring 88 pod-style hotel rooms wanted to provide a well-appointed, modern hotel experience but at a fraction of the price of the average three-star Whistler lodging. “Think of your private pod as a luxury berth on a train, or a small cabin on a yacht,” Russell Kling says of the 32- to 41-square-foot spaces. “And they’re all equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay.”
Indeed, thanks to a collaboration with Vancouver interior and industrial design firm Bricault Design, Pangea’s pods balance a modern, yet warm feel with function.
“Materials were chosen primarily for durability given the nature of the product but we also wanted to convey a sense of warmth and playfulness,” says firm principal Marc Bricault. “Checkerboard patterned showers and washrooms, [and] pattern and texture throughout the project: dots, checks, hexagons. The hot pink was specifically used to add some drama and warmth.”
In each pod, expect double memory-foam mattresses, luxury linens, and pillows, a built-in fan for cooling (that also provides white noise), USB charging ports, storage cabinets that lock, natural wood-lined walls and a blackout curtain. As for bathroom facilities, Kling explains that while they’re shared, they were designed to avoid the typical hostel scenario in which guests walk down a long corridor and awkwardly stand around in their towels waiting for washroom access. “Each traditional bathroom is broken down into four individually accessible components: a shower cabin, a washroom, a stand-alone vanity with sink and backlit mirror; and a changing room with a full-length mirror. There are more than 60 components serving the 88 pods, with components exclusive to each suite.”
Pangea guests also have a slew of communal options, including its cafe, espresso bar, and full-service cocktail joint, The Living Room, a rooftop deck with a hot-pink bar that’s open year-round and The Toy Box, a spot to stash skis, snowboards, bikes, and wet outerwear post-shred.
“When guests walk in the door, they should feel that they’ve arrived somewhere unique; a place unlike any they’ve ever been in before, a place that is modern and cutting-edge, but also warm and welcoming—a space where all their travel needs are met, but also where they can hang out and relax.”