Sitting high on a
cliff in Vernon, B.C., is a building that would fit in among the Emerald City, Ice Palace and Prince
Charming’s Castle of our favourite fairytales. Inside the doors, however, doesn’t await a glass slipper or a
horse of a different colour, but a more grown-up take on wonderland. Opening April 30, 2010, Sparkling Hill
Resort’s general manager and CEO, Hans-Peter Mayr, hopes to change the wellness industry in North
America.
Mayr came to Canada visiting from Austria to experience local spas, the Canadian lifestyle and the beautiful,
natural surroundings the Okanagan valley has to offer. Mayr loved the beauty of the Okanagan and the
lifestyle and decided to bring European wellness traditions and innovations to Canada after his own 13 years
in the wellness industry in Austria. That was back in 2000 and the property was bought in 2003. Construction
started in the late summer of 2008 but building of a road leading up to the site and preparation of the site
started long before.
The location plays an important role in the visitor’s experience and the resort uses it to the guest’s
advantage. Sparkling Hill is situated on a cliff above Lake Okanagan in Vernon, just 25 minutes from Kelowna
International Airport. Just out the door and down the hill from Sparkling Hill Resort is the famous Predator
Ridge Golf Resort, one of the only two public golf courses in Western Canada to rank in ScoreGolf
magazine’s Canadian Top 25. Sparkling Hill plans to feature the local wine selection and superior local
produce in a region known for its orchards and vineyards.
The resort will offer more than 100 spa services, the most intriguing of which is the cold sauna. The
procedure involves entering the cold sauna wearing just a small swimsuit, head covering, thick gloves and
socks, and mouth and ear protection. First, the participant enters into two pre-rooms; one at -15 C and the
other at -60 C. After 30 seconds they move into the main chamber at -110 C for a maximum of three minutes.
Whilst in the chamber the skin temperature drops to -2 C. The blood vessels quickly build a protection zone
and core body temperature is maintained. The idea is that the nervous and circulatory systems are given a big
kick. Mayr says that if people who suffer from chronic pain use the chamber for three minutes, twice a day
for 10 days, the user may be pain-free for six to nine months. The treatment has also been used to help
people deal with depression.
This is one part of the Sparkling Hill Whole Body Wellness program. “We would like guests to have real
benefits after leaving so they aren’t just thinking of the next two weeks but about the next six to eight
months because they will have less pain, they can move better and they will know a little bit more about
healthy eating and cooking,” Mayr says. They also have a variety of other saunas ranging from 8 C to 80 C
offering an array of scents, textures and stimulants.
Sparkling Hill’s name has a literal meaning because of their collaboration with Swarovski crystal. With
Swarovski crystals incorporated into many aspect of its design, Sparkling Hill is uniquely beautiful. “In
Europe we know about the effects of what we are offering at Sparkling Hill Resort but not in this way. We are
creating an experience. It’s the small details. The details make it very special,” Mayr says. Gernot
Langes-Swarovski is personally involved with this project, allowing Sparkling Hill to use the ingenuity and
creative technology of Swarovski crystal elements. Swarovski has, for more than 45 years, had a Crystal
Architecture department that designs crystal pieces to incorporate into the structure of private homes, jets,
ships and commercial buildings. When you enter the resort, you are greeted with an 18-metre-high entrance
crystal, and crystal art pieces can be seen all throughout the resort in the spa, restaurant and in the
private rooms.
Mayr has worked closely with the local community and attempted to keep the area surrounding the hotel scenery
as pristine as possible. “Everybody who has viewed the project to date is excited. When they see the
360-degree view they are amazed.
Mayr feels the guest experience at Sparkling Hill Resort will be distinctly different. “When you are at
Sparkling Hill you feel very different. This place is so special. There’s so much energy and the views around
the resort are so inspiring. Our guests should leave and feel different for a long time,” Mayer says. “We are
pleased to offer a European-inspired wellness resort to Canada and North America.” •
Photo courtesy
of Sparkling Hill
