Sparkling Hill Resort Review

Love bling? Boy, do we have a hotel getaway for you – Sparkling Hill Resort. As the only Swarovski crystal hotel in the world, get ready to be impressed. With over 3.5 million crystals throughout (worth $10 million) and a total of $122 million to complete the hotel, opened in May 2010, it’s definitely the crown ‘jewel’ of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.

But the interior sparkles pale in comparison to the gorgeous natural beauty surrounding the 152-room hotel. Built upon a mountaintop, the views of the Okanagan Lake framed with soaring pine trees and verdant mountains is stunning.

Dining

Sparkling Hill Resort offers a breakfast, lunch and dinner at its fine dining restaurant PeakFine. The menus reflect an international flair with special attention to local produce, meats and fish. The wine menu is impressive, with many Okanagan Valley wine producers, as well as international wines, to choose from. The prices are steep, like 4-star big city steep. Expect to pay average $35 CAD for an entree. There is also a casual cafe and coffee shop – Barrique and Java. We had gracious service at both eateries. One barista/bartender in particular showed exemplary service at Barrique and Java when he went out of his way to create a beautiful cheese plate after the kitchen had closed.

Note: the restaurants close early and there is no after hours room service, so if arriving after 10 p.m. make sure to bring a snack or pick something up on your way to the hotel or you may end up eating cheesecake for dinner.

Spa

Sparkling Hill Resort’s KurSpa, as the largest European-style spa (40,000 feet) in North America, truly deems the hotel a bona fide wellness hotel. KurSpa offers exotic treatments like a Canadian Maple Scrub, Crystal Cranium, Canadian Glacier Mud Wrap and the first Cold Sauna in North America with temperatures of minus -110 Celsius. Available to all guests at no charge, the spa includes the swimming pools and a jacuzzi overlooking Okanagan Lake, fully-equipped gym, 11 saunas, relaxation space and a Kneipp Waterway walking therapy pool. Sparkling Hill Resort offers a multitude of wellness packages, including a 7-day cleanse.

Things to Do

Located nearby to many fine Okanagan Valley wineries, wine tours can be arranged. The Kalamalka Provincial Park is also nearby with hundreds of mountain biking trails. Within a few minutes walk from the hotel, several hiking trails are available, as well as a golf course nearby. Boating, swimming and fishing in the Okanagan Lake is also an option.

Rates

Many special packages are available, from girlfriend getaways to romance to wellness. Rates start at $175 CAD and go up to $1200 a night for a penthouse suite.