Sparkling Hill Resort

Always consistent with standard and unique menu items, high quality food and good portions. Atmosphere is very classy with great service and the views during the day are incredible. Don’t miss the opportunity eat here — and the Beef Filet is unreal.

I was really excited to get a night’s stay at the resort for a gift. After looking at the reviews, I was a bit worried. There was nothing to worry about!
Check in was painless and the desk workers were friendly and made sure we knew everything to have a great stay. Our package included a credit for dinner at the full serve restaurant and we had a 5:30 reservation. Our server was attentive and made the dinner excellent. I had the beef tenderloin ragout over rice with the daily soup-​seafood cream. My wife had the Caesar salad and the pork tenderloin over risotto. The salad was amazing and really good size. The soup was perfect and tasty. The beef tenderloin ragout was delicious and quite large. The pork was a little overdone, but the pulled pork risotto was amazing. We had a couple of drinks that were interesting and not too exotic. Dinner took about an hour, but we were the first in the restaurant.
Now to the spa. We loved the robes and slippers though they were a bit large for my petite wife. We went from steam room to different steam room making the rounds. I really enjoyed the crystal room as the eucalyptus really helped my sinuses open. Take time to enjoy the different showers as well-​different choices and fun. We ended up in the pools for a bit of time. Being outside in the pool overlooking the lake with the snow lightly falling was amazing. The indoor pool was nice and we spent time in the whirlpool tub to warm up.
Checkout was a breeze. So nice to have the valet bring up your car with bottled water waiting was a nice touch.
We will definitely go back if we can. My only negative is the price.-though for a special occasion this place delivers.

Very close to giving a 4 but it gets a 3 from me for a few reasons. I did not find the staff overly friendly whatsoever. We go to the hotel for a spa treatment before check in time and the lady at the spa was a huge snob. It’s not cheap to stay here… I thought the customer service would be insane and it was average at best.
Pool was great, saunas were awesome. Room service was ok. The meat and cheese tray was good value and we brought our own wine.
We went to the steak house at Predator Ridge golf course for dinner.

It was pretty amazing, we felt spoiled! The steam rooms are so creative and varied. We loved the pools and the music under the water in the indoor pool was fun! The views were beautiful and we loved the breakfast that was included. The prices were really high so we would only come for very special occasions. The room had a glass shower and bath tub all in the main room which seeing as there were four of us. …I wished for more privacy. We also found that it cut into our short stay when it took staff a very long time to bring a 4^th set of towels, housecoats etc that they forgot to provide. We also requested that they allow us to come earlier and were not accommodated. But we thought the front desk staff were friendly and helpful and overall really enjoyed our stay in this beautiful resort.

PeakFine: 2.5 out of 5, Stunning view. The food was visually amazing however the flavors left you aching for more. Muted notes and odd pairings.
PeakFine’s menu failed to capture the beauty of its surrounding.
#lostintranslation
#neededsalt

Overall, we had a good experience, but could be better.
Pros:
— european spa,
— nice breakfast buffet (considering it’s included with stay),
— beautiful views,
— tropical shower!
— LGBT and UBC Alumni rate special (ACard needed),
— free valet parking,
— rooms are nice (comfy bed).
Cons:
— building is in slight disrepair (mildew in spa, tiles and grout missing, one sauna was closed for repair),
— walking trail signage and map was confusing,
— had a rude server during dinner in Peakfine restaurant (food was expensive and just ok),
— spa treatments are hard to get (book in advance) and staff wasn’t very accommodating,
— early and strict checkout time (11am sharp!).

Beautiful location, loved the spas and the view of the lake! Would definitely be back.

Haven’t even checked in yet and the place has pretty bad service. Waiting extended periods of time for a beer at their bistro w only about 10 people In the café. Things are definitely overpriced for the food portions you get. Decent facility but needs serious work on service. Front desk wasn’t very nice and didn’t offer any other accommodations like using the pool facility for an early arrival. Guess I’m stuck at a poor serviced bistro. I would give this place zero stars if I could. Front desk is one of the worst ive ever experienced? Have you heard of smiling for once or offering options for incoming guests?

I shifted back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. The resort is in a beautiful location, and it’s hard to beat the surrounding natural beauty. The spa was very enjoyable. (I didn’t have any beauty treatments; just used the saunas and steam rooms.) Staff was very friendly and responsive.
The biggest downside for me was the food. I expected this resort to have better and more innovative food options. Everyone I was with also commented on the food, which was just «so-​so.»

This place was beautiful. When we first drove up to the resort I was definitely impressed, it was huge and had hanging crystal chandeliers in the foyer. We got to our room which was very trendy with its glass decorations. The best part about it was the huge bathtub overlooking the gold course.
One thing I really loved was the crystals hanging of the trees all around the resort. That is such a pretty little detail. I was there for a wedding which is good because we got a discounted price for our stay. Otherwise it comes to over $ 600 a night, which is outrageous. I think it is because they have included spa services in the bookings, but that is only access to the pools, saunas and gym. You have to pay extra for everything else. I must have sticker shock or something because I could never justify those prices? $ 115 for nutritional consultations? Like what is this place? There are psychiatrists on site that provide counselling services as well which was kind of weird. This must be a place were very rich people go to talk about the woes of being really rich and escape from the harsh upper class society.
The breakfast buffet was good but the café was lacking in the food/​service department. The only thing I liked was this mint and feta soup. It’s so crazy because everything here is so fancy you would think their food would be better. We should have been eating gourmet meals off of gold plates. Also, they charged me $ 10 for a single jack and coke… get over yourselves, that’s way too expensive. The staff is very uppity and there are so many rules in this place you can’t even sneeze without being told you’re too loud.
The pools and sauna area was pretty nice. I especially enjoyed the infinity pool outside. It was another beautiful view. I sat in the tea room after and got tea. I felt very important and the tea was actually pretty good. I would have liked to try the –110 degrees cryo room, but my boyfriend didn’t want to do it and I didn’t want to go alone.
One thing that I saw in the brochure was a couples relationship program at the resort. This is something I would actually pay for because it includes the counselling, food and massages etc. I think this is a great idea.
This place is getting 4 stars because it is a beautiful building, the pools and saunas were fun, and I got it at a discount. Would I ever go back and spend full price? Hell no. For two days here I could go to all-​inclusive for a week. Would I go back at a discounted rate and bring my animal with me to the pet friendly room? Yes. It seems that I am just not pish posh enough for a place like this to actually make me happy. I think when you see how fancy this place is you expect a lot more from the staff and resort as a whole. It’s pretty clear however that you’ll only get the luxury treatment if you are willing to spend money on the extras.

Stayed here for 2 nights. Amazing place, amazing views, amazing pool and spa, great breakfast food, worth every penny.
I should be more specific. The customer service was impeccable. There are exquisite attention to detail throughout. The room I stayed was definitely top notch, with fit and finish rivalling to surpassing a Fairmont or Shangri La room.
The spa, pool and sauna areas were really special. The infinity pool is warm and you can spend hours in it.
The place is a truly great place to go for honeymoon, couples vacation or spending time with family. Note that in some hotel rooms the shower and tub is not enclosed. So you probably don’t want to share a room with your mother in law.
I used gift cards from Costco which saved me 20% but I heard rumors these cards are no longer available at Costco.

We’ve stayed here about 9 times in the last 3 years. You’d think, because we’ve returned time after time, that we love it. It’s fair to say, we like it a lot. But I wouldn’t say we love it. We do love the steam rooms and pools. My favourite thing right now is the ‘Tropic’ shower. The lake view is very pretty. The beds are comfortable. The rooms are clean and quiet. The bathtubs are great for a good soak. Valet parking is great and quick. Peak Fine staff are professional. I find it to be a perfect 2 night getaway to just relax.
However, there are some really disappointing things about Sparkling Hill. Some things are me just being picky, but they’ve gotten to me over time:
— most of the front desk staff are great (and professional);however a couple of them can come across as rude.
— the breakfast is great for the most part, but things like the pastries seem to be Sysco/​frozen — which is disappointing for a «high-​end» restaurant. It’s not that difficult to make fresh muffins and scones onsite, is it?
— robes were missing at check in. Someone delivered them, but they were damp (ick!). later in our stay, I asked housekeeping for a fresh robe and towel and they said I would need to ask the spa for that.
— the mini fridges are terrible and hardly work at all!
— there are no fans in the water closet (toilet room)
— there is no ice machine — you have to request a bucket every time. We were told that ice was not available after the kitchen closes at 10pm.
— the coffee shop is way over priced for what we got. I have yet to get a properly made drink and a fresh item of food. I was told once that my hot chocolate, Bailey’s and whipped cream could not have the whipped cream because the kitchen was closed. Yet I was still charged $ 9. Other drinks have been really disappointing too. The cheesecake was old and dry. The pea soup was good. The sandwich was good too, but it wasn’t worth $ 8 (it was small). Every time we’ve eaten at the coffee shop, we overhear at least one other table complain about something with their order. My advice is to stick to bottled beer and wine — it’s hard to mess that up. (Unless the server doesn’t know how to open a bottle of wine, like we witnessed one time — the customer ended up doing it).
— sometimes there are blankets in the Serenity room, sometimes not
— spa staff are constantly going in and out of the Tea Room — it’s a little distracting when one is trying to relax
— keep an eye on your robe and slippers — ours were taken while in a steam room. We had to go to the front desk to get another set (embarrassing to be in the lobby dripping in our swimwear)
— more times than not, at least one of the steam rooms is down for maintenance. It can make for crowding in the other rooms and just disappointment when you’re looking forward to a particular room.
— on check out morning, we went to load the car and then came back to our room to make sure we got everything. Our room key wouldn’t work. Housekeeping said the resort often locks people out to make sure everyone knows to check out right away. It was 10:40am — check out is at 11:00am. I guess they really wanted us out.
— the room prices fluctuate so much — it seems there’s a new «deal» every couple of weeks. I understand seasonal fluctuations, but come on. It ranges from $ 150 to $ 330 per night on average. My co-​workers and I are always comparing our different prices.
— think very carefully if you plan to hold an event here. We did and, wow, did we ever overpay for what we got. So disappointing. Ask a lot of questions about food portions etc. or else your guests will go hungry.
— the Peak Fine restaurant is so disappointing. Why not offer amazing salads and gourmet burgers etc. at reasonable prices? This would entice so many more guests to stay and eat all meals there. Instead, I can see a lot of people dining at Predator Ridge, going into Vernon/​Kelowna, or bringing their own food. Such a lost revenue opportunity for Sparkling Hill!
I need to say that I am one of those guests that never speaks up and says anything to the hotel about my dissatisfaction. Instead I rant on here :(
Overall though, anytime I can get a reasonable price on a room, I really try to go to Sparkling Hill. And I book for 2 nights — 1 night just isn’t enough. I have learned to not expect perfection from this resort. It is what it is, and what it is, is a nice getaway.

This place is pretty pricey, especially for what is included.
You get to use the saunas, of which there are several, both dry and humid. An average breakfast buffet is also included, but be prepared to tip the waiter who clears your dishes and fills your coffee cup.
There is nothing to do here except walk one of the trails around the building or pay a shit-​ton more for one of the spa services.
The views are spectacular but the rooms were sub par for what is billed as an exclusive resort. There were bugs on the blinds, 5000 loose threads hanging from the bottom of a fabric bench (I trimmed them myself), fingerprints on the windows, and scratches all over the wooden side table surfaces.
We had no issues with the service, but oh MY GOD, the food options were tragic. Our first night there, we avoided the over priced restaurant and instead figured we would get a cheese board and couple of cocktails at Barrique and Java. Fifty dollars later, we had two tiny cocktails and a small plate with several crackers and two dollops of weird hummus. Apparently they had just sold their last cheese board. There was no other restaurant within close driving distance so we went to bed hungry.
The second day, we hit up a couple of the nearby wineries, which were fantastic, and got wise to the fact that there is a golf course and club house right down the street. We had dinner at the club house (standard fare like burgers etc) before retreating to the hotel for the night.
Glad I got to see this area, but would not return to this hotel.

I was worried based on the reviews but I loved this place! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay. I would definitely recommend visiting in the off season and avoiding weekends for most relaxation. We will plan on staying here again on our way to other travels and it’s great a place to spend a few days of R&R as a destination. Lots of good restaurants and activities in the area around Vernon. I think our stay was so nice because it wasn’t that busy when we were there. The place probably can’t comfortably accommodate as many guests as they have during the busy season. We got to enjoy some steam and sauna rooms alone, same for hot tub. The infinity pool was incredible and we were totally fogged in but still really beautiful! Breakfast was average, good tasty stuff, nothing incredible though. Very convenient to eat there to start your day. Looking forward to our next visit.

Gorgeous resort, stunning scenery, weird architectural design. Alright we know it’s owned by the Swarovski family and it’s fine if they wanted to use thousands of Swarovski crystals throughout the hotel but did they really need to place the tub in the living room of the suite? Maybe we’d like to go to Europe to experience the «European Design» not Vernon, BC!

One of the front desk ladies (Cathy or Jacky?) extremely unfriendly!!! RUINED our experience!!!
Otherwise huge spa, incredible view from every room. Nice infinity pool.
Resort restaurant is very nice too with helpful, attentive staff!

Sparkling Hill has always had an amazing location, great rooms, a luxurious spa, and stunning views.
Up until recently I found the food and service lacking; but on my most recent trip I found that they’d improved both.
A great place for a couple’s retreat!

Never has anything deserved 5 stars more than sparkling hill. Don’t believe the bad reviews that had one off bad experiences. If you educate yourself about the operating times of everything at the resort and know what to expect, you will have the time of your life.
The rooms were amazing, better than the Banff Springs. In fact better than any room we’ve ever stayed in around the world.
The highlight though was the cold sauna. Definitely worth it for the unique experience.
The regular saunas were amazing as well, with 9 different sauna and steam rooms to choose from. We tried them all twice, once in the evening and again in the morning after breakfast.
The staff at every turn was super friendly and quickly responded to any concerns we had.
We didn’t eat at the restaurant for dinner, choosing instead to dine in our room.
The breakfast was great, fresh scones made by their pastry chef was the highlight!

thus restaurant review only– hotel rooms and steam, service are above average. highly recommend it, but avoid eating in the downstairs casual dining. I believe the manager should be changed and hire well trained waitresses for such a high end hotel. it took us 40 min to get us our wine from waiting for her to come. we had to go to bar to ask for the wine. apparently when I was walking back several people said they gad to do the same thing too. overall experience was atrocious when we just wanted something quick– 2 hrs for wine and a sandwich and salad. they aren’t busy at all. waitress seemed like she had no sense of time. she was cleaning when we looked like we needed her to take our orders. again goes back to training .
the breakfast buffet went down a couple of notches as well. they used to have italian meats including prosciutto and now replaced with mostly American meat (disgusting). poached eggs are obsolete and replaced with packaged mixed scrambled eggs (processed). used to have fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. now replaced with herbal drink and apple juice? despite all of this I would go back because I can’t live without steam in my life!

Question: Where do Swarovski Crystals come to live in the «New World»?
Why, Sparkling Hill Resort in the Okanagen of course!
This resort is trés chic. Trés posh and beacoup Europeanne… As I drove up all I could think of is that this place looks like a pad that a master evil villain in a James Bond Movie would totally dig.
It’s metal clad exterior, married with glass everywhere showcase the hugest assortment of Swarovski crystals I could have ever imagined I would want to see. It’s really that impressive.
I came up to enjoy my first wedding anniversary. The resort is beautiful. It’s situated above Okanagen lake. There is a huge, I mean huge wellness centre where you can «enjoy» a minus 110C Freezer Sauna, frolic in 6 hot saunas that look like they came out of a clockwork orange, and beautiful relaxation and tea rooms. There are Crystals everywhere! Very surreal. Check out the photos Holmes.
Our «superior suite» was the only thing I wasn’t too crazy about. It was smallish, kind of «Ikea — like». The saving grace was the beautiful view of the lake we could enjoy from comfy chairs or our free standing soaker tub. LUX~!
The food at this place was stellar. Local grown meat and produce cooked in the Austrian way made our bellies happy after spending all that time in the spa!
Overall, we liked it a lot. Not quite Alila Villas Bali or Park Hyatt Tokyo, but for just outside of Vernon! WoW’s for sure.
g