To feel right at home in the heart of Canada’s rich wine country, look no further than Casa Loma Lakeshore Resort. Welcoming families and travellers since the 1960s, Casa Loma is well versed in making its guests feel right at home. Nestled into a quiet lakeside Okanagan suburban neighbourhood, with the lake shore lapping at its feet, Casa Loma is the perfect destination to relax and recharge in. But don’t let the quiet neighbourhood fool you – the hotel is just minutes from downtown Kelowna BC, with all of its vibrant bars, shops, clubs, and, of course, endless array of wineries.
Casa Loma is a boutique resort: this is not your typical large-scale mass-tourist hotel. Rather, this is a small complex of lakeside condos, villas, and townhouses. There is an outdoor communal barbeque, beach, vast pool area, and endless rolling lawns of fresh cut, lush, green grass. When reclining on your deck chair as you look out onto the peaceful shores of the Okanagan Lake, it becomes clear why this has been a Kelowna favourite since the 1960s: this place is beautiful.In terms of its offerings, Casa Loma Lakeshore Resort offers 29 individually designed and owned condo units with one, two, and two plus den bedrooms. There is a seasonal outdoor heated pool and hot tub, plus children’s pool with the aforementioned central BBQ area for all guests to use. There is a sandy private beach with direct access to the lake, and a fire-pit point at the end of the beach for all guests to also use, creating a delicious campfire ambience for those hot summer nights. For those that like to splash around in the water, there is a Floating Swim Dock on the lake to swim out to, and some of the villas and townhouses have their own private BBQ for family and friend gatherings. To stay active, there are two newly resurfaced tennis courts, a children’s playground, basketball key and natural sandy beach to run around on (or recline on!).
The location too, is unparalleled. Just a few minutes drive from downtown Kelowna, Casa Loma boasts an exclusive location next to Kalamoir Regional Park. This stunning expanse offers a flurry of hiking and biking trails along the lakeshore, with picnic table and more private beaches in the Park. There are local biking companies that offer bike and wine tasting tours, as well as boat rentals at a discount rate. In short – it’s hard to be bored, as much as the relaxing vibes might impel you to, when you’re at Casa Loma.My guest and I arrived late on a Friday night, having managed a 4 hour drive from Vancouver downtown after a busy day’s work. The drive is spectacular – think, rolling hills, winding mountainous roads, and a slow ascent to dry, desert like terrain – and despite how long it took, we were excited to arrive to our new home away from home.
Given we were past the check-in hour, our kind hosts left our keys in the key-lock by the reception so that we could let ourselves in. Our condo was on the ground floor, with a terrace adjoining the plush lawn connecting us to the lakeshore. Huge and spacious, with attractive minimalist décor coupled with plush furnishings and a homely feel, our condo made the perfect welcome. The living room area featured an open plan kitchen, fully equipped with everything you might need for the stay – from a dish washer, to toaster and grill, to wine glasses and coffee maker – it was stocked up well. The living room area featured a large TV and dining table area, with a patio next to it with dining chairs and table. Two deck chairs lay on the patio (which my guest and I enjoyed even in the evenings, as we lay outside and listened to the summer cicadas at sunset). The bedroom was equally spacious, with a further television and large double bed, walk in wardrobe and den area, and en-suite bathroom. Marble and modern, the bathroom was a good size for the condo, and featured two doors that went out onto the hallway and into the bedroom. As a 1 bedroom condo, it sleeps four people including children and sits at 900 square ft.There is the Casa Grande Suite, which is larger, and offers 1,500 square feet of Lake Okanagan living on the first floor. With three bedrooms, and sleeping up to 8 people, this breathtaking condo has two bathrooms and gas fireplace, plus a private BBQ on the deck, a slight upgrade from the standard 1 bedroom that we occupied.
The two bedroom villas are 700 square feet of cottage-style living, and are located on the north and south side of the main condo building. Each cottage sleeps up to 6 people and range from single to triplex units, with waterfront walkouts. Depending on the size, some have one or two bathrooms, and all have patios.For food, whilst Casa Loma focuses on self-catering, there is an endless array of options for dining nearby. Aside from all the home-delivery food options, there is a Nesters market for groceries a short walk or drive away. For drinks, the options are world-class, with the renowned Quail’s Gate and Mission Hill wineries based just a 10 minute drive away. There are other wineries nearer too, though it is worth noting the exceptional panoramic lunch and dinner venues that both of these beautiful wineries offer. The Hatch, Beaumont Family Estate, Little Straw, Grizzli, and Rollingdale winery are all less than 10 minutes away. Wine lovers, rejoice.
And what could be more perfect than retiring to your Casa after a long day of wine tasting in the hot Kelowna sun, wandering through vineyards, and lounging around on your lilo by the lake? With a bottle of wine or two bought fresh from the local producers, fresh produce from the Okanagan countryside, and beautiful lakeshore views, Casa Loma is the perfect place to escape to. We highly recommend it.
Casa Loma Lakeshore Resort
2777 Casa Loma Road
West Kelowna
BC V1Z 1T6
Canada
