If you are coming to Whistler to ski, I would recommend booking a hotel within walking distance of the lifts. Almost all the hotels will tell you that they are within walking distance but that sometimes means 500m-1.5km away which is way too far to walk in ski boots (especially with kids).
Here is a list of hotels that are within 500m or less of the gondolas based on their location in Whistler (Creekside, Main Village and Upper Village). You can find out more about each base here.