We were on a pre-season trip to Summerland, to not only take in the area’s wineries, but to enjoy a restful weekend at Summerland Spa & Resort.
I have been to the Okanagan many times, but this would be my first stopping at and staying in Summerland. The resort is by the water with a view, it is central enough to get around quickly and easily, in and around town.
I travelled with a friend and was delighted that we both got our own suites. I have always shared a room or bed with a girl friend, but after being spoiled with my own accommodations and the ability to enjoy solo peace, I don’t think I can go back to sharing a space when travelling.
We were assigned units on the third floor. Through the door of mine was a fully furnished kitchen with tile flooring. Refrigerator, dish washer, stove/oven, microwave, sink, and coffeemaker. Everything you would need to live a comfortable and longer stay. Knives, dish ware, and utensils for in-room cooked meal, leftovers, and meals ordered from the lobby’s cafe. The only thing missing was napkins, paper towels, and cleaning supplying. But you can also ask the front desk or request housekeeping.
Past the kitchen is a spacious living room with a comfortable couch and large ottoman, fabric upholstered chair, and a folding table that doubles as a dining room table, should you want a seated dinner.
I, however would enjoy all and any of my in-suite meals out on the patio and its table, to be able to take in the one of a kind scenery. My room had a view of the pool, hot tub, and wetlands below.
The latter was especially interesting to me, as it is one one of only five natural wetlands along Okanagan Lake. The goal when building the resort was to always maintain this ecosystem for the birds that call it home and the turtles that come to roost. There is a path built along this marsh for locals to enjoy, which is not only accessible to hotel guests.
The master bedroom also has a window that overlooks a similar view to the patio. And it is best enjoyed with a seat on the bench, before the window.
The bed was a spacious king, and this humble queen was able to lounge as she pleased, wrapped in warm duvets and fluffy pillows. There was a closet for clothes, which also held two cloth robes, ideal for further lounging around in.
The suite was also equipped with a Murphy bed that was hidden in the cupboard by day and folded out by night. Along with the couch, this meant the room could sleep 6 comfortably. There were also extra pillows and blankets, including fleece throws for cozy nights on the couch or chilly evenings on the patio. There were two television sets available in the living room above the fireplace and mounted in the bedroom. I found myself not in need of neither considering all that the property offers in terms of amenities.
As for the washroom, with the single sink and extra counter space, it felt luxurious for one. The set up included drawers for binning, shelves for storage, and plenty of hooks to hang the multitude of body, hand, and face towels included. There was also a mini hair dryer and make up mirror with zoom reflection. You have the option for showering or taking a bath with two different stations. However the ergonomic bath tub was slow flow and slow to fill and I ended up deferring to the shower each time out of impatience-ness. The shower was rainfall with the option of a handheld hose. Plus, all the bolted down, complementary products, in family-size containers were located in the shower stall. Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
After dropping off our luggage, we didn’t get a lot of time to enjoy the above as we had an appointment at the spa.
Travelling on the highway from Burnaby, with no stops until we reached our destination, took 4 hours. With the strain to my body and fatigue to my mind, as the driver, I was eager to check-in and head to said spa. I highly recommend everyone doing the same, as there is no better way to start a vacation than slowing down before one.
The spa is located in a separate building, across from the hotel. They offer massages, facials, manicures and pedicures; and more recently, non-evasive medical beauty treatments. The likes that help with rosacea and dark spots, for longer term.
The owner is Farzana, who has been with the spa for over 11 years. She worked for it, before buying it and rebranding it to the iKhaya Day Spa, tying in to her South African background. A note visible through the names of each spa room, the decor art, and even beaded bracelets for purchase as souvenirs. Sadly they are unable to source South African scents and products to be able to have the theme go full 360. Instead, they use Canada’s #1 organic skincare, Eminence. I would get a first hand look at this product line with a 60 minute facial that went through cleaning, toning, exfoliating, moisturizing, serums and even sunscreen. To begin and in-between treatments I was also treated to a back and neck massage, head massage with oil, hand and arm massage, and hot towels. Not part of the regular treatment, but an add-on I recommend is the hot stone massage. I got a little taste, where the warmth of the stones, plus their smooth surface further released tension.
Once again, I walked away utterly relaxed and refreshed. I no longer carried all the tension from the drive up. This is definitely the way I want to start any trip or vacation going forward, and what I recommend as well.
After your treatments you need not leave right away. The spa has a relaxation lounge, kept dark with salt lamps, and recliners that I would be inclined to nap on. Here, you can also sip on complimentary tea, and nibble on some chocolate for energy.
In between our planned itinerary I spent my time enjoying the peace and space of my suite, while and being spoiled by the staff. The concierge team were kind and welcoming, one morning they delivered a breakfast basket to be enjoyed in our rooms, on another day they had bags of complimentary apples and pears to be claimed from the front desk.
There is a cafe on property that only opens until 3pm, serving breakfast and lunch with warm beverages and chilled smoothies in between. I felt for the lone employ taking all the orders then fulfilling them herself. This was a challenge she did well by communicating and explaining the circumstances to all customers approaching the counter.
The above mentioned breakfast basket was served in a wicker tray. It included orange juice, a fresh baked croissant, fresh sliced fruit, and yogurt topped with crunchy granola and dried coconut. I enjoyed this on the patio, taking in the sounds of the birds in the distance.
My second cafe meal was lunch for breakfast on my last day. I had their whole grain BLT with extra crispy bacon, paired with their house-made chicken and vegetable soup, and a side of creamy dill macaroni salad. And for drink I got “The Hulk” smoothie with spinach, barley powder, mango, and pineapple juice. Like the more traditional breakfast the day before, everything was clean and nutritious, and a delicious way to start the day.
There is room in the cafe to sit and eat, but I decided to take my meal up to my room, and jokingly said I would eat it in the tub.
For those who want to socialize with other guests there is a conference room that can be booked and a table for puzzling. There is also a library of board games to socialize over.
However, many guests chose the pool, seeing as it just opened for the season, coinciding with our arrival. There is a way to walk in via indoors, serving as a great pool for doing laps in. Adjacent was a hot tub with jets, for those preferring to relax, in order to get their heart rate up. Normally guests could also look to the sauna for a hot and dry healing experience, however it was under repair this weekend.
There was also a gym available 24 hours. Cardio machinery, yoga equipment, and a collection of handheld weights. I completed a few reps, but ultimately leaned into relaxing, given the setting.
The rest of our time was spent exploring what Summerland has to offer through its wineries and local brewery. This is documented in its own post.
