Short answer
For most groups, the best area is right by Blue Mountain Village — Blue View's Mountain cluster is a 10-minute walk to the Village, lifts, restaurants, and nightlife, with a shared pool and adjacent chalets you can book together. If you want the water, Aqua Villa sits on the Georgian Bay waterfront; for vintage character near the resort base, there's 44L in Tyrolean Village.
The three areas, and who each suits
Mountain cluster (Brooker Boulevard) — eight chalets a 10-minute walk to the Village; best for ski trips, group getaways, and anyone who wants to walk to nightlife and the lifts. Georgian Bay waterfront — Aqua Villa, with a bay-facing hot tub, steam sauna, and a sandy beach steps away; best for summer and water lovers. Tyrolean Village — 44L, a vintage chalet a 5-minute drive to the resort base; best for a quieter, characterful stay close to the hill.
Why the Mountain cluster wins for groups
Groups usually choose the Mountain cluster because it combines walkability to the Village with the ability to book several adjacent chalets together — each family private, everyone on one property, sharing a pool and firepits. See the eight walkable chalets on the near-the-Village page, and pick your configuration from two chalets up to four or five for 40–50 guests. Multi-family trips in particular get more out of a chalet per family on one property than any single large rental.
Nearby Collingwood and Thornbury
All three areas are within about 15 minutes of downtown Collingwood and a short drive from Thornbury, Scandinave Spa, wineries, and Georgian Bay beaches — so you're never far from dining, shopping, and things to do, wherever you base your group. In summer the calculation shifts slightly: the Mountain cluster's shared heated pool is open May to mid-September (see chalets with pool access and the summer rentals page), which is often the deciding factor for families travelling with kids.
Related questions
Should we stay in the Village or nearby?
Blue View's Mountain cluster is a 10-minute walk to the Village — close enough to walk to nightlife and lifts, but with the space, parking, and privacy of a whole chalet rather than a Village condo.
Where is best for a large group?
The Mountain cluster — eight adjacent chalets you can book together so your whole group stays on one property a short walk from the Village.
Waterfront or near the Village?
Choose the Mountain cluster for walkability to the Village and lifts; choose Aqua Villa on Georgian Bay for the water, beach, and bay-facing hot tub.