If you're looking for an affordable, family friendly hotel in the centre of Whistler, The Blackcomb Lodge ticks these boxes. Located in the Village Square, the hotel is about five minutes' walk along the pedestrianised Village Stroll to the main lift base. Make that 10 minutes if you have young kids carrying skis.
Our family of four (kids aged 4 and 2) checked in for four nights in December 2012. It was the week before the Christmas holidays, so we found a reduced early-season deal on Tourism Whistler's website for around C$114 per night (including tax). We booked a studio room, which included a super comfy huge king-size bed (with ample room for a moany 2-year-old on the second night), a sofa bed and a kitchen along one wall (comprising full cooker/oven, fridge, dishwasher and microwave plus all utensils, crockery and pans).
Our room was at the back of the hotel and was quiet, but I imagine it
could be noisy if your room is at the front, as the lodge overlooks
Whistler's main thoroughfare with various bars and restaurants close by.
(Speaking of which, if you do fancy treating yourself, fine-dining
restaurant Araxi is in the same building.)
The kids loved hanging out in the hotel room and made good use of Whistler's only indoor hotel pool in the basement. However, if you're not keen on reading in the bathroom while your kids are dropping off to sleep (or not, as the case may be), a studio might not be the best choice for you. It would also be on the small side if you have older kids. The hotel has loft suites available too if you need more space. Downstairs, there's a handy on-site ski hire shop, which stores skis for all guests.
A fourth dining-room chair would have been handy and the housekeeping service was a bit hit and miss (they didn't clean our room at all one day after we'd asked them to come back in 10 minutes), but in terms of location and value, The Blackcomb Lodge is a good budget option for a family trip to Whistler.
