Where to Work Remotely in Whistler: A Guide to Coworking and Cafes

Whistler is a very seasonal place, and we aren’t just talking about the weather patterns, we are talking about the people. Travellers tend to come to our mountain town for a season or two and learn the local ways. Our typical seasonal visitors come from Australia, England, Japan, and other not-so-mountainous regions. Many people get a two-year working visa, and then never leave. Whistler is just that good; it collects people.

While people come to Whistler intending not to work, the high prices of housing and beer mean that most will eventually look for a seasonal job. But what if you are entirely self-funded? What if you are a digital nomad, traveling the world and funding your fun as you go?

Whistler has the best slopes, but what about the best coffee shops?

The Whistler lifestyle lends itself well to working remotely, whether that is in one of the best coffee shops in Whistler, or coworking. Whistler seasonal travellers form a tight-knit, party focused community, who work hard to play hard. If you get to set your hours, even better. You can schedule yourself around the days of thick snowfall and nights of hard partying. Both of which are frequent. While remote work won’t come with staff housing, it does mean you can work from your rented room or hostel common area.

Whistler is a go-to ski-town destination for young, location independent workers. We’ve got the nightlife, the mountains, the hostels, and the entrepreneurial spirit. But what are the best coffee shops in Whistler to work in? Does this small down have any dedicated coworking spaces?

But, writing in the common area does leave a lot to be desired. Although you control your schedule, you cannot control everyone else’s. Which is why sometimes you need to put on your real pants and escape to work in a coffee shop or coworking space. Whistler is chock full of good coffee, no matter what the Australians say, but what makes a good coffee shop for working in all day, every day?

5 Things a Digital Nomads Need In a Cafe

Whistler is a go-to destination for digital nomads

Space and Atmosphere: First and foremost, a digital nomad needs a bit of space to lay out their work. Files, daily planners, cords, and laptops tend to take over the surrounding work spaces. A hole in the wall cafe might make a quaint place for a first date, but it’s no good for anyone looking to dive deep into work for the day. A cafe needs to be well laid out, with a variety of seating. If you are forced to work on top of your neighbour, it’s hard to focus.
Wifi: It’s shocking but true, to this day there remain coffee shops with no wifi. While hard to believe for most nomadic travelers who’ve found free wifi in public parks before, there are still some cafes in Whistler that refuse to provide free access (or any access at all). Just wifi won’t cut it either, it’s got to be fast, and it must be free.
Electrical Outlets: Nobody likes an outlet hog, but unfortunately it comes with the territory of working in public spaces. You need to find at least one outlet, near a table, with enough electrical slots for your phone, your computer, and anything else you lug around for your daily grind. Trying to stretch a cord halfway across the coffee shop puts your computer and the other customers at risk. A coffee shop must have more than one outlet, and they must be placed logically next to workspaces.
Delicious and Affordable Coffee: A coffee shop must have coffee. But, it’s got to be well roasted, well-crafted and perfectly poured. Digital nomads are coffee snobs above all else, but they aren’t willing to pay for it. It has to be relatively affordable. You can’t work all day in a cafe just to spend all that hard earned cash on the coffee itself.
Friendliness and Flexibility: As you start developing regular coffee shop rotations, you’ll get to know the staff. In fact, they’ll welcome you with open arms because you smile, leave a tip (right?), and ask them about their day. But the polite chitchat and warm smile need to be returned. Staff at the cafe should make all customers feel welcome, even if they stay for hours at a time, every-single-day.