Vancouver Island — Canada's Unknown Wine Destination

The soothing mountain and ocean views from your private balcony at The Beach Club Resort in Parksville are exactly what you need to start the perfect romantic getaway in Vancouver Island and discover Canada’s unknown wine destination.

Choose from our expert tips to plan for your memorable trip to the Pacific Coast and find out why Vancouver Island was number one island in Continental US & Canada in the 2015 World’s Best Awards by Travel + Leisure magazine. 

Enjoy Outdoor Activities by the Sea at Your Doorstep

The sun-kissed Parksville Beach Boardwalk and the lulling waves of the Pacific Ocean are the perfect backdrop for an energizing morning run or a long evening walk at The Beach Club Resort. 

The hotel is located in the heart of Parksville which means you have easy access to a variety of outdoor activities for two. Call ahead and rent a kayak for two at Adventuress to explore the West Coast waters. Or discover the stunning views of water falls while hiking the trails at Little Qualicum Falls, 15 minutes away from Parksville. 

Explore Top-Rated Wineries Less than One Hour Away

You won't need to go too far from The Beach Club Resort to explore some of the top-rated Vancouver Island wineries, making them the perfect destination for a day trip.

The Millstone Estate Winery, a small, family-owned maker of handcrafted wines, is just a half-an-hour drive from the hotel. Visit for some of the finest wines aged in oak, the breathtaking views of the Millstone River Valley, and the organic eggs produced by free range chickens roaming around the vineyard, rated by locals as some of the best they've tried. 

For award-winning wines, the Beaufort Vineyard and Estate Winery is the right place to visit. Committed to innovating and producing outstanding wines, the estate has won, so far, over 78 international and national awards, including two double gold medals for their white wine 2014 Beaudacious and their red wine 2015 Foch Cab. Take a bottle home with you or become a Beaufort Case Club member for exclusive events.

Discover the Best Parksville Restaurants for Wine Lovers

Wickaninnish Inn is not the only Wine Spectator award-winning restaurant in Vancouver Island. At The Beach Club Resort, savor the finest of the West Coast cuisine mastered by Executive Chef Rick Davidson at the Pacific Prime Restaurant & Lounge, paired with local and international wines, handpicked by the resident sommelier. The epic ocean and mountain views from the beachfront patio complement the ideal dining experience.

Realm Food Co., a restaurant focusing on sustainability and locally-sourced ingredients within walking distance from the hotel, and Bistro694, combining international recipes with local ingredients in Qualicum Beach, are also part of the list of top-recommended restaurants in the area.

Complete Your Itinerary with these Must-Visit Spots

Coombs Old Country Market started off as a stall on the side of the road selling fruit to travellers on their way to the West Coast in 1973, run by an immigrant couple from Norway. It's not just for the great food that people visit the market. The goats on the Norwegian-style grass-covered roof are one of Coombs' most famous tourist attractions. Enjoy lunch on the terrace as the goats mind their own business on the green roof above you.

At Canada's unknown wine destination, no trip is complete without sampling some local cheese. At Morningstar Farm, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks has been crafting the best artisanal cheeses for over 15 years. Take a self-guided tour or book a guided one in advance to learn all about this local family-owned company. 

Canmore with the Family

An Incredible Vacation The Whole Family Will Love

You can't beat Canmore for a family vacation. Whether young or young at heart, there's something to pique all interests. 10 Hikes has put together some great suggestions for how to make the most of your time — from activities to where to stay, and where to dine. And, if hiking is your thing, be sure to check out their directory of the best hikes in Canmore and Banff.

A Top Hiking Getaway in the Canadian Rockies

Ready for an adventurous start to fall?

Our friends at 10 Hikes have compiled some top hikes in the Canmore area complete with all the other recommendations you need to round out an adventurous getaway (including some R&R at Solara Resort & Spa).

A Rocky Mountain High — 150 Years and Counting

Swiss guides in Banff

Stretching almost 5,000 kilometres through two countries, the Rocky Mountains dominate the skyline from peak to valley. This impressive mountain chain, incorporating at least 100 separate ranges, is known to all as 'The Rockies'. Extending from the jagged peaks of British Columbia down the continent to southern New Mexico, this enormous natural monument can be seen from space.

Visitors today are just as impressed by the awe-inspiring vistas of these diverse ranges as were the first humans who scaled their snow-peaked heights and fished and canoed their glacial lakes and rivers.

As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday we look back on the first tourists to visit this spot and realize that the area's natural beauty and magnificence hasn't changed since time long ago.

The Rockies developed a reputation as a tourist haven with the first trans-Canada mass transportation system.

Canada's first transcontinental train

Less than 20 years after Confederation a train arrived at Port Moody, British Columbia, the first one, in fact, to travel on the new tracks through the Rockies linking east and west. The journey had taken 139 hours, as passengers travelled from Montreal in the east all the way to the Pacific coast.

What must those early passengers have thought as they left the cityscape behind and entered the great wilderness of Alberta? As they left the vastness of the prairies, they would have been greeted by the towering expansive mountains. Perhaps from the window they may have spied in the distance some of the wide range of native wildlife that share the natural resources, including elk, bighorn sheep, deer, bears, coyotes, wolves, moose, lynx, and mountain lions.

Bighorn Sheep

These premier visitors would set the trend for future journeys as the Canadian Rockies quickly became a world-class tourist destination for travellers who love to hike, explore, climb, fish, hunt, camp, and appreciate this beautiful and vast land.

Many of these first visitors were from Switzerland, mountaineers lured by the promise of fresh powder and unchartered slopes. The Rockies were a challenge for even the most experienced climbers and featured such diverse terrain that the Canadian Pacific Railways used the slogan “50 Switzerlands in one” in their advertising efforts.

These Swiss guides brought with them expertise, specialist equipment and a love for the sport. They became their own tourist draw and brought legitimacy to the Rockies as a mountain adventure destination, Banff being designated by the Canadian government as the country's first national park in 1885. 

Their exploration of the area won them fame and honours, with many peaks still bearing the name of the Swiss guide who scaled them. An entire mountaineering industry was built on the work of these early European adventurers.

Johnston Canyon

As well as climbing there were other activities that brought visitors to the Rockies and continue to do so today.

Natural points of interest, if well cared for (which invariably means leaving them alone) can last for millennia. Those magical sights that captivated tourists long ago still feature high on the must-see itinerary of a modern visitor. Whether it’s taking in the turquoise waters of Lake Louise, walking through the natural tunnel at Johnston Canyon, or watching the tumbling waters at Athabasca Falls in Jasper Park, or Bridal Veil Falls in Banff, the Rockies continue to leave visitors spellbound.

Banff Upper Hot Springs

After a hard day of physical exertion travellers over a hundred years ago took a dip in the therapeutic warming waters of the Banff Upper Hot Springs. At 5,200 feet elevation it is the highest hot springs in Canada, and with 100% natural spring water,  it still draws visitors from near and far each year. The gift shop sells “heritage bathing suits” so that you can fully immerse yourself in the experience of a traveller of the late nineteenth century.

On the mountains not much has changed in 150 years, the Rockies still represent all the rugged beauty of nature at its best. People come here to be amazed, to remember how beautiful a sunset can be, to dip their toes in an icy lake and to climb the sharp sides of a giant cliff face. They come to escape the sprawl and artificial clutches of modern busy city life. They come to experience silence and to feel grateful for things that haven't changed in centuries.

Now, as we celebrate Canada 150 the appeal of the Rockies has never been stronger. Listen carefully and you’ll hear the call, it’s time to go explore.

Canmore's New Rocky Mountain Romance Packages

Bellstar is excited to offer in 2017 at its Canmore properties a new romantic room package. In partnership with the Canmore-based Rocky Mountain Soap Company, guests can now upgrade any room for $75 and receive the Rocky Mountain Romance Package. This package includes:

• A Rocky Mountain Soap amenity pack including aromatherapy and bath salts
• Late checkout
• The best view of the Canadian Rockies (based on availability)
• Bottle of red wine

The package is available exclusively at both Solara Resort & Spa and Grande Rockies Resort. 

Escape In The Rockies

Imagine you're locked in a room where a multi-millionaire diner owner has set up a series of puzzles for you and your colleagues to solve so only the truly-deserving can hold the key to taking over his business.

This is one interview you have never experienced before!

But this is not an actual interview. This is just one of the themed adventures now available when you book your next event at either Solara Resort & Spa or Grande Rockies Resort in Canmore, Alberta.
 
Bellstar Hotels & Resorts has partnered exclusively with Eureka Banff, the only escape room in the Canadian Rockies.

Escape rooms offer a unique and affordable way for corporate groups to learn how to work together, communicate effectively, delegate tasks and learn to think outside of the box. This great new team-building activity is available for groups up to 8 people and all guests of Bellstar Hotels & Resorts receive a 10% off discount.

Contact Stacey Mitchell, Bellstar Regional Sales Manager for more details.

Stacey Mitchell
staceym@bellstar.ca
403.695.3204