This post is written after a hosted trip with Sparkling Hill Resort. As always, all opinions, laughs, and dessert obsessions are entirely my own.
I fell onto the floor, holding my stomach, because I was laughing so hard. We had convinced our mom to do a “viral” hotel dance theme, and the chaos of coordinating us all had me in literal stitches. Four of us up on our bed, fully dressed in our Sparkling Hill robes and sunglasses, trying to do our best 5,6,7,8 dance moves… well, it was utterly hilarious (and totally worth it).
I felt like I was 13 again with my grade 8 girlfriends over for a sleepover. Instead, I was living my best 40’s life, with my 70+ year-old mom and our friends by our side at one of Canada’s most beautiful resorts. Our shennagans would be the constant theme throughout our mother-daughter trip to Sparkling Hill Resort while we spa’d, swam, soaked, and took in all of the resort amenities in a 3-day action-packed (and yet equally relaxing) stay in Vernon.
The Drive Up: When You First Spot It on the Hill
After a 4.5-hour drive from Vancouver, we reached the final stretch toward Sparkling Hill—just as a shimmer appeared atop the mountain. The approach to the resort may be my favourite part of the entire journey: a striking, geometric structure emerging from the rock, like a crystalline castle rising into view.
Sparkling Hill could have been built anywhere in the world. The founder, Gernot Langes-Swarovski, had a vision for a European-style wellness destination that was rooted in something deeply personal — providing guests with a holistic health journey. Gernot chose to build it here, in British Columbia, and as someone who lives in this province, I felt genuinely proud and so fortunate to be able to claim this place as our own.
Sparkling Hill Resort
Sparkling Hill Resort opened in 2010 and features over 2.5 million Swarovski crystals. As you arrive, hand your keys to the valet, and walk through the front entrance, thousands of those crystals cascade around you from above, beside you, through the hallways, and all the way into your room.
In the spring afternoon sun, they catch the light and throw little sparks everywhere — this magical glitter sensation that wraps around you, inviting you to an experience unlike anywhere else.
Sparkling Hill doesn’t feel like a hotel. It doesn’t even feel like a resort in the traditional sense. From the moment you step inside, Sparkling Hill feels like a wellness destination. A place that was designed — architecturally, philosophically, intentionally — as a place of restorative healing. The curved walls, the soft lines, the abundance of natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows, the crystal walls, the connection between indoors and out. It’s the yin and yang of inside and outside, and the architecture is the foundation for everything that follows.
Sparkling Hill Mother Daughter Trip
I had been to Sparkling Hills once before, and the whole time I had wished that my Mom was with me. Passionate about health and wellness, I knew that she’d love this place. So when Sparkling Hills invited us to come on up (and even bring friends) we knew we were up for an incredible weekend of luxury, adventure, and wellness.
The Rooms: A Mother-Daughter Sleepover in Luxury
Old-fashioned sleepovers make for the perfect recipe for a Mother-Daughter trip. Mom and I shared a luxury, lakeview, 2 queen bedroom suite. We loved that we could have a sleepover vibe all while having our own space, your own bed, your own side of the room, but you’re together. It’s a grown-up sleepover, and there’s something so special about that dynamic when you’re traveling with your mom.
The first thing you notice when you open your hotel room door is the view. Floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows looking straight out over Okanagan Lake, giving you a beautiful 180-degree view of the mountain and the blue lake below. The sunlight pours in, illuminating the entire room and making the crystals sparkle.
The room amenities include a beautiful walk-in shower, mirrors, and custom sinks, perfect for getting ready before dinner at PeakFine. And the centerpiece of the room – a lakeside soaker tub — perched right at the edge of the room, so you can enjoy your bath and have an amazing view of the lake at the same time.
And the beds. Those beds. I don’t know if it’s a foam topper or some kind of Okanagan magic, but the moment you get into that bed at night, you are done. We’d be lying there trying to text updates home, and within minutes, we’d just give up and sink into a deep sleep, wrapped in luxurious linens while looking out on an incredible view.
KurSpa at Sparkling Hill Resort
“Kur” is the German word for healing. “Spa” is Latin for water. Together, KurSpa translates to healing by water — and that European wellness philosophy of hot, cold, and rest is literally built into every inch of this space. The hot-cold-rest cycle isn’t just a suggestion; it’s the secret behind the whole experience.
When you first arrive at the KurSpa entrance, there’s a map. And that map gives you your first clue about what you’re in for. It’s enormous. Regularly credited as the largest spa of this type in Canada, none of us had ever been to a spa with this many options, rooms, and space. We’re talking an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a hot tub, Kneipp Hydrotheraphy loop (water stepping) a sauna circuit with 8 different saunas, steam, and cold rooms, a tea room, a serenity room, a gym, a fitness studio, a physiotherapy and massage clinic, a full aesthetics section, and a separate facial area we didn’t even make it to.
The design of KurSpa is so intentionally focused on the guest experience. You walk through curved corridors — no hard corners, no clinical edges. The Swarovski crystals are abundant, mixed into the decor, embedded in the walls, and hanging from above. You feel like you’re on a healing journey, rather than walking down a hallway to a treatment room. The architects and designers created something that doesn’t announce itself. You just feel good walking through it.
Even after three and a half days, we left wanting more as there was so much to do, you leave wanting to come back.
The Sauna Circuit at Sparkling Hill Resort
Open from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM daily, the sauna circuit is a self-guided experience where you move between hot rooms, steam rooms, and cold spaces at your own pace — creating your own version of the hot-cold-rest cycle. We did it together as a group on Saturday afternoon, which happens to be the busiest time of the week.
Pro tip: If you prefer a quieter experience, aim for early evening on a weekday, or later in the evening after dinner. Between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM on non-peak days can also be calmer. The saunas aren’t open in the mornings, but the pools, Serenity Room, and fitness studio are — so early birds still have plenty to enjoy.
What I loved most about doing the sauna circuit as a mother-daughter group was the flexibility. You could move at your own pace, linger in your favourite room, or loop back to a space you loved. You’re together, but you’re also each on your own wellness journey. No-one has to rush. No-one has to compromise. You just move through the heat and the cold and the rest, and by the time you’re done, you feel like a completely different version of yourself.
The Spa Treatments at Sparkling Hill Resort
All four of us booked treatments, and we each started with a bath enhancement before our main service. I hadn’t done this before but I loved the way this helped us transition into our spa experience. The bath was a thirty-minute service that included a private room, a gorgeous soaker tub, cold towels, and half an hour to just hit the reset button and relax. After the pace of a busy life, that transition time was everything.
- Jami: Essential Oil Bath, then the Himalayan Salt Detox — a full-body scrub, a Himalayan hot-stone massage, and a mango butter oil finish. Three treatments in one. Your skin feels like it’s brand new.
- Lorraine: Sea Salt Bath (anti-inflammatory), then the Espresso Coffee Scrub with a butter cream massage. Her aesthetician read the room perfectly — quiet when Lorraine needed quiet, chatty when the moment called for it. And she finished with a foot massage that had the rest of us genuinely jealous.
- Lana: Milk and Honey Bath, then the Himalayan Salt treatment with a hot stone massage. She fell asleep. That’s the review!
- Terri: Mustard Bath, then the Himalayan Salt treatment. Her aesthetician was a trained aesthetics instructor who knew everything about the facility, about Vernon, about the treatments. And she inspired Terri to try something she’d never done before — the Cryo Cold Chamber at -110°C.
Every single one of us walked out of our treatments feeling like our skin had been renewed, our nervous systems had been reset, and our bodies had been genuinely cared for. Not pampered in a fluffy, superficial way. Cared for. There’s a difference.
Cryo Cold Chamber
My Mom never ceases to amaze me, and she did it again when she signed us up for a session in the -110 Cryo Cold Chamber. Before I knew it, there I was, watching our crew in a –110°C chamber, dancing in circles around the room. When they all came out, there were high fives and big energy that exploded through the room. I love that my Mom can continue to try new things and make living like a senior her greatest adventure yet!
Our Favourite Spots at Sparkling Hill Resort
We each had our own favourite spot:
- Jami: The Serenity Room. Perched out over the edge of the building, with views of the golf course and the lake, floor-length drapes you can pull for privacy, and the most comfortable plus loungers you’ve ever sat in.
- Terri: The hot tub. Huge, never cramped, incredible lighting, sun streaming in on your face. She could have stayed there all day.
- Lana: The yoga room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water and mountains, that feeling of being outside while you’re inside, sun warming your face in tree pose.
- Lorraine: Any moment by the water, with her daughter and her friends around her, sharing stories. Which honestly says everything about why this trip mattered.
The Dining: Art on a Plate (and a dessert I’ll never forget)
Sparkling Hill Resort has three distinct dining experiences, and together they tell a complete story about what this resort believes food should be.
PeakFine
Fine dining on the peak of the mountain — PeakFine is exactly what the name implies. We had dinner here twice, and both nights were three-course experiences that felt like events. The new chef Alex Paliavoi is doing something special — every plate that came out looked like a work of art. And then you tasted it, and it was somehow even better than it looked.
The food is rooted in seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, nutritious and nourishing even when you’re indulging. The portions are generous (in the best way), and the service is in a league of its own.
Our servers took our dining experience to a whole new level. With warm personalities and a passion for detail, the staff made our meals fun and personal. They laughed with us, or made us laugh with their jokes, answered every question, and accommodated every dietary need with easel. When one of our favourite servers wasn’t there on our last morning, we were all genuinely sad. That’s how good the service was.
The dress code is an invitation, not a rule. You can dress up — and we did, because we were excited for an excuse to get sparkly — but you won’t feel out of place if you keep it more casual. About 80% of guests were in their Sparkling Hill robes at breakfast, and at our table we debated if we were team robe, or team clothes… 50% of the table being dressed for the day while me and my Mom were still lounge ready in our cozy robes.
And then there was the dessert. The Passion and Blackberry Mousse — vanilla Swiss roll, blackberry gel, silky passion ganache, vegan chocolate, blackberry sauce. Gluten-free, vegan, nut-free. I can honestly say it was the BEST dessert I’ve ever had and I felt so spoiled being able to indulge in the magical treat that was safe and accommodated all my dietary restrictions.
Barrique
Barrique offers a more casual affair down on the lower level. A perfect menu of comfort food you’ll find sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie boards perfect for sharing. (We even brought one back to our room for afternoon treats) My personal favourite was their mocktail menu, with drinks like the delicious hibiscus lemonade and a blackberry fizz that were as pretty as they were delicious. The pastry chef here is also worth noting — beautiful gluten-free options that don’t taste like an afterthought.
Gerni’s Farmhouse
Here’s where it gets really fun. Gerni’s Farmhouse is not just a restaurant. It is a 500-year-old Austrian farmhouse — built in 1587 in Weerberg, Austria — that was carefully disassembled, shipped to Canada, and rebuilt on the grounds of Sparkling Hill in 2020 by the same craftspeople. We sat in what would have been the original master bedroom, surrounded by all-original wood. Our server wore traditional Austrian dress and knew every detail of the farmhouse’s history.
The menu is traditional Austrian fare — schnitzel, Rindsrouladen and Hühnerbrust. I practically licked the plate after ordering the Gebratene Hühnerbrus, the best chicken and mushroom risotto I’ve ever had. Starting in May, they bring out long communal tables on the patio and host live music. We missed that by a few weeks and are already planning our return trip around it.
There was a moment at Gerni’s — and at every meal, actually — where we all just looked at each other and felt this wave of gratitude. We didn’t have to cook. We got to sit in a beautiful space, eat incredible food from different cultures around the world, and just be together. As moms, as daughters, as women who normally take the lead on food prep in our houses, it was a treat beyond words to have this elevated dining experience day after day!
The Nature: Hiking, Birds, and Breathing Room
One of the things I love about Sparkling Hill was how much the surrounding nature adds to the experience. Perched on top of a mountain the resort is surrounded by hiking trails. In the lobby, they have a trail map showing the route options ranging from a quick 20-minute stroll to a two-hour trek. Trails are marked at every intersection, so you always know where you are and can choose to push further or loop back. And the map even marks the best photo spots with little camera icons — making it easy to find the best photo spots!
We went out on a couple of different hikes, and it was just so good to move our bodies in that air, with those views. There are wide, gentle main trails if you want an easy stroll, and narrower single-track trails that hug the side of the mountain if you want more elevation and more adventure. The views are stunning in every direction.
There are also approximately 130 different bird species in the region. At that elevation, you get to see them at eye level — soaring, foraging, gliding over the lake. We spotted them from our room windows, from the yoga studio, from the restaurant. It’s one of those details that sounds small but adds something magical to the whole experience.
A Note on Sustainability
Sparkling Hill takes its environmental responsibility seriously. They have:
- Eliminated single-use plastics
- Encourage guests to bring refillable water bottles, and throughout the resort, there are beautiful infused water stations — cucumber, orange, lemon, lime and mint — along with complimentary tea and coffee stations.
- Have EV charging stations
- Use geothermal systems for heat control
- Soap upcycling program in partnership with Canada Food For Children where soaps are sanitized, processed, and packaged so they can be used by those in need.
Fun sustainable idea… You can bring your own containers if you want to take home leftovers from your meals (and trust me, there will be leftovers).
Practical Planning Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Getting There
Drive from the Lower Mainland. Leave around 12:00 PM, and you’ll arrive in time to check in, explore the resort, and make it to dinner. That first evening sets the whole tone — don’t skip it.
What to Pack
Pack lighter than you think you need to. You will wear your robe more than any other item of clothing you bring. Guaranteed.
- Bathing suits (you’ll live in them)
- Robe-friendly slippers (they also provide spa slippers)
- One or two elevated dinner outfits for PeakFine and Gerni’s
- Casual comfortable clothes for lounging
- Yoga/workout clothes if you’re doing fitness classes
- Proper hiking shoes and outdoor clothing for the trails
- Refillable water bottle
- A wet bag for your swimsuit on checkout day
- Camera or fully charged phone — the content creates itself here
- Books or something for quiet downtime in the Serenity Room
Booking Tips
Book your spa treatments in advance — they fill up. And here’s a tip worth its weight in gold: watch for Black Friday deals. Rumour has it that they offer some great deals on Black Friday / Cyber Monday!
Pro Tips
- Saunas open at 2:00 PM. Mornings are for pools, yoga, the Serenity Room, and hiking.
- Saturday afternoons in the sauna circuit are the busiest. Aim for weekday evenings or later in the evening for a quieter experience.
- The fitness classes are $10 each and absolutely worth it — especially the sunrise yoga overlooking the golf course.
- If you want to add an excursion, 50th Parallel Winery is nearby and a beautiful afternoon add-on.
- Alcohol is not included in the meal package and is charged to your room — just good to know ahead of time.
Why You Should Take Your Mom on This Trip
Here’s the thing about a trip like this: it requires effort. You have to put it on the calendar. You have to coordinate schedules, get support from partners and family, and move all the pieces. As busy women — moms, daughters, friends, professionals — we don’t always prioritize investing in ourselves and in the relationships that matter most to us.
This trip reminded me why we should.
There is something about being in a place that is designed for your wellness — not just your relaxation, not just your fun, but your actual holistic health — with the people you love most, that changes the texture of your time together. You’re not just on a vacation. You’re investing in your relationship with your mom, or your daughter, or your best friend and her mom. You’re creating memories that go deeper than a photo or a reel.
We laughed until our stomachs hurt. We wore matching robes. We ate the same dessert twice. We moved our bodies, soaked our bones, breathed mountain air, and sat in centuries-old wood in an Austrian farmhouse talking about life. We were busy women who carved out three days to be fully present with each other, and every single one of us — two generations represented at that table — came home different than we arrived.
Ten out of ten we recommend. We’re already planning our next Sparkling Hill mother-daughter trip.
Ready to Book?
Visit Sparkling Hill Resort to explore rooms, spa packages, and retreats. The resort is adults-only (16+), so this is your permission slip to leave the kids at home and go invest in yourself and the women in your life.
And if you go, order the Passion and Blackberry Mousse. Both nights. Trust me.
Have you done a mother-daughter wellness trip? Tell me about it in the comments — I’d love to hear where you went and what made it special.
