Fancy a European-inspired wellness retreat without leaving Canada? Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa delivers panoramic views, Swarovski crystal-studded architecture, standout dining options, and a 40,000-square-foot spa designed for deep rest and recovery. We spent a few nights at this stunning hilltop sanctuary in the Okanagan and experienced a blend of luxury, wellness, and nature in perfect balance.
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This travel feature is presented in partnership with Sparkling Hill Resort. The accommodations, amenities, spa experiences, and dining options described were experienced in person by a member of the Go Canada editorial team.
A recent visit during the peak of summer brought rest and rejuvenation in pools and misty saunas, hiking trails, and breezy lakeview evenings. But it’s easy to imagine the experience being just as restorative in the fall, with crackling fireplaces, warm steam circuits, and hearty mountain meals taking centre stage. Sparkling Hill feels built for all seasons, and built for slowing down.
ARRIVING AT A HILLTOP SANCTUARY
The approach to Sparkling Hill Resort builds anticipation. You leave the vibrant city of Vernon and follow a winding road up into the Predator Ridge community. The property sits on a granite bluff high above Okanagan Lake, and as you drive upward the view broadens until the resort’s modern glass façade appears at the top. The building glitters in the sunlight thanks to the more than 3.5 million Swarovski crystals that are integrated throughout the architecture. Conceived by Gernot Langes-Swarovski, patriarch of the Swarovski family, the resort was designed to bring European spa traditions to the Okanagan. From its hilltop perch you can see the Monashee Mountains to the east and Lake Okanagan to the west, setting the scene for a restorative getaway.
ROOMS WITH A VIEW
We stayed in a Lake View room and immediately fell in love with the panorama. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed Okanagan Lake as we soaked in a two-person soaker tub while watching flickers of light dance across the water at sunset. The open-concept layout includes a glass-walled shower, custom wellness beds, and Swarovski crystal accents. The rooms remain cool and serene even during summer heat; plush robes and slippers invite you to move effortlessly between the suite and spa.
Sparkling Hill is an adult-only wellness resort with 146 modern rooms and three penthouse suites. In addition to Lake View rooms, travellers can choose Mountain View rooms or Penthouse suites that provide both mountain and lake panoramas and a private sauna. Pet-friendly and accessible rooms are also available.
A EUROPEAN SPA EXPERIENCE IN THE OKANAGAN
The heart of Sparkling Hill is KurSpa, a 40,000 sq ft wellness complex that blends the German word for healing with the Latin word for water. Designed around the European hot-cold-rest cycle, KurSpa features steam rooms and saunas, movement and fitness studios, as well as indoor and outdoors pools. Spa access and treatments are exclusive to resort guests, and the facility is adult-only.
SIGNATURE STEAMS & SAUNAS
KurSpa’s signature steam and sauna circuit features seven unique rooms, each with its own temperature, scent, and sensory focus. We kept returning to the Crystal Steam room, where eucalyptus-scented vapour swirled around glimmering Swarovski crystals in a soothing 40°C mist. Another favourite was the Panorama Sauna, a cedar-lined space heated to 80°C, with windows framing an expansive view of Okanagan Lake. Cooler options like the Aqua Meditation Steam offered citrus-scented mist and gentle water sounds for a calming reset, while the Igloo room mimicked a frozen cave with peppermint air and crackling ice effects. Experiential showers complete the circuit with programs that mimic tropical rainstorms and gentle mists.
POOLS & HYDROTHERAPY
Beyond the saunas, KurSpa encourages relaxation through water. The heated outdoor infinity pool overlooks Okanagan Lake and the surrounding mountains. It is open year-round, so you can float in warm water even while snow blankets the hills in winter. Indoors, the hot pool is designed to improve circulation, and the serenity pool plays soft underwater music beneath a ceiling studded with Swarovski crystals. The Kneipp Hydrotherapy walkway, with alternating hot and cold chambers, sits adjacent to the pools and offers a bracing reset between heat sessions.
TREATMENTS & WELLNESS
KurSpa offers over 100 treatments, from classic massages to naturopathic services. We indulged in a 60-minute Couples Massage and emerged floating on air as the practitioners tailored pressure to our needs, leaving us relaxed and rejuvenated. The spa menu also includes whole-body cryotherapy, where guests spend up to three minutes in a -110°C chamber under supervision to stimulate the nervous and circulatory systems. Fitness and wellness activities round out the offerings; you can join guided hikes, yoga or aqua yoga sessions, and even undergo a BOD POD body-composition assessment. Guests are encouraged to arrive in robe and slippers and to refill reusable bottles at water stations throughout the spa.
FUEL FOR THE BODY AND SOUL
Aside from spending hours in the spa, on-site offerings help food and drink become part of the relaxation ritual. Sparkling Hill offers three distinct dining venues as well as a seasonal terrace, and each has its own character.
COFFEES AND COCKTAILS
Our stay began with a welcome drink at Barrique & Java, the resort’s all-day café and bar. In the morning it’s a cheerful venue to enjoy a coffee and a house-made pastry; by evening it becomes a cosy bar to gather over a glass of wine or cocktails. We sipped our drinks on the patio and were rewarded with our first uninterrupted look at Lake Okanagan. In summer, the nearby Terrace opens on an elevated deck. It serves lunch and cocktails and invites diners to savour northern Okanagan Valley vistas while breathing in fresh mountain air.
FARM, FOREST, AND FINE FOOD
PeakFine’s culinary philosophy combines ocean-to-table and farm-fresh ingredients, presenting contemporary favourites and global flavours with produce sourced from Canada’s coastlines, forests, and pastures. We lingered over an elegantly plated three-course dining experience that included seared BC scallops, perfectly cooked Sterling Silver filet mignon, and a wonderful mango lime & tequila Pavlova, all while watching the sun dip behind hills on the far side of Okanagan Lake through broad picture windows. The restaurant offers a complimentary full breakfast for guests each day and transforms into an elevated dining destination at dinner. Smart-casual attire is required.
RUSTIC AUSTRIAN FARE IN A REBUILT FARMHOUSE
Our favourite meal was at Gerni’s Farmhouse, a rustic restaurant that transported us back to some memorable meals we had on a road trip we took through Bavaria and Austria nearly a decade ago. Named after the resort’s owner, Gernot Langes-Swarovski, the restaurant celebrates traditional Austrian fare and architecture. The building itself is a 16th-century farmhouse from Weerberg, Austria that was dismantled in 2019, shipped across the Atlantic, and meticulously rebuilt on site.
We enjoyed sunset drinks al fresco on the spacious patio before moving inside to enjoy a generous plate of pork schnitzel with mushroom sauce and a hearty pork knuckle with sauerkraut while admiring exposed beams and wood-panelled walls. Our meal concluded with an indulgent homemade apple strudel paired with ice cream. Gerni’s serves lunch and dinner for walk-ins only and enforces a no-robe dress code.
THE OKANAGAN VALLEY: ROAM, REST, REPEAT
Sparkling Hill’s natural setting invites exploration. The resort and its neighbour Predator Ridge share more than 25 km of well-marked trails for hikers of all skill levels. A short morning stroll along these trails allowed us to breathe some cooler forest air and appreciate the same lake and mountain views we enjoyed from our room.
For golfers, Predator Ridge lies minutes away, featuring two 18-hole courses, consistently rated among the Top 25 golf courses in Canada. After a hike or a round, the spa’s pools and saunas provide the ideal recovery.
Further beyond the resort grounds, the Okanagan Valley beckons. Tee times can be arranged at The Rise Golf Course, designed by PGA legend Fred Couples, and wine enthusiasts can explore more than 180 wineries scattered throughout the valley. Vernon’s lakes and town provide further diversion, from stand-up paddleboarding on Kalamalka Lake to strolling through downtown murals and browsing farmers markets. After exploring, returning to the tranquillity of KurSpa feels like stepping back into a sanctuary.
Surrounded by nature and steeped in stillness, Sparkling Hill offers a different kind of luxury: one that lingers. After a few days here, you don’t just feel rested - you feel reset. Come for the spa or the views, but stay for the sense of calm that lingers long after you leave.
Full details, packages, and booking information can be found by visiting Sparkling Hill Resort.
Go Canada Staff
Editorial
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