All that glitters is definitely not gold at the new Sparkling Hill Resort in Vernon, B.C. It’s crystal all the way. About 3.5 million crystals worth $10 million to be precise.
We just returned from a beautiful long, long September weekend at this wellness hotel sitting atop a mountain near Predator Ridge Golf Resort off Hwy 97, north of Kelowna’s airport.
This European spa hotel is privately owned by none other than Mr. Gernot Langes-Swarovski himself, and it’s the Austrian crystal family’s only such resort in the world.
Crystals dangle from the open lobby ceilings of the three storey hotel, they’re embedded in the staircase handrails and the back of dining room chairs. They glittered over our window-side bathtub and a giant piece encased in our room glittered on the ceiling each night. Hanging crystal baubles twinkle above the staircase to the lower lounge level.
Just being surrounded by crystal is enough to make you feel wealthy, I mean, well. This place has an open concept 40,000 sq. ft. spa with North America’s only -110C cold sauna. Apparently three minutes is all you need to feel very energized. There are seven themed steam and sauna rooms, so you can have a cool shower under thunder and lightening, or a warm shower under tropical bird chirping skies.
There’s also this Kneipp water therapy, a foot spa with a series of hot and cold water you can walk through to improve circulation and sleep. The Kur Spa has more than 100 different treatments. I had a facial that had Botox-like after-effects and my husband had a Thai massage.
Tee times at The Rise and the Ridge prevented us from checking out the outdoor infinity pool or the indoor pool with underwater music.
The most relaxing of all? The quiet Serenity room has the hotel’s best sweeping view of the Okanagan Valley and lake and Monashee mountains with floor to ceiling windows along two corner walls.
1-877-275-1556 or www.sparklinghill.com
word traveller 
Very informative article. Can’t wait to visit Predator Ridge and Sparkling Hill Resort.
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We also golfed at The Rise, a Fred Couple’s course high up the mountain in Vernon, and some of the views from there were quite spectacular, looking down at the green and the lake beyond. The course made more use of the natural terrain than Predator Ridge and was therefore a little more challenging.
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