Resort spa caters to new sector

Spa-inspired tourism is a largely untapped but growing market

Allyson Hunter, vice-president of sales and marketing, is pleased to show off the show suite. —Photo by Kris Lindblad

by Sandra Albers

The Canadian Tourism Commission has identified the spa tourist as a consumer segment that has yet to come even close to reaching its full potential in Canada. That potential is being tapped, however, in Kimberley, B.C., with the opening of Mountain Spirit Resort and Spa at the base of the local ski hill. Allyson Hunter, vice-president of sales and marketing for Mountain Spirit, said the spa-inspired resort will be exclusive to Kimberley Alpine Resort, since there is a signed agreement with Resorts of the Canadian Rockies that no other spa will be built in the alpine resort area. So what exactly is a spa tourist? Well, Hunter, who herself moved from northern Ireland to the East Kootenay for the lifestyle, said the spa tourist could be someone who wants to ski Kimberley’s incredible powder one week, then get in some serious suntanning on a Caribbean beach the next week. All of which is entirely possible with a Resort to Resort membership, one of the perks offered at Mountain Spirit Resort and Spa. The show suite at Mountain Spirit was completed in mid-December, and Hunter said Phase 1 will be completed by mid-February, just in time for the best part of the ski season, with 35 condo units ready to occupy and 11 available for purchase. Phase 2 is expected to be finished for the golf season. Hunter said the health and wellness spa, which will be spread over 6,000 square feet on two floors, will also be constructed in two phases. She expects all resort amenities to be completed by summer 2009. “When people purchase a suite, they also benefit from our Resort to Resort program,” said Hunter. Buyers are entitled to a free two-year membership in that home-owner exchange program, which boasts more than 170 properties in 45 premier resort destinations including Mexico and the Caribbean. With other perks such as valet parking and concierge service, “it’s really exciting,” said Hunter. “There’s nothing else like it.” Mountain Spirit Resort and Spa will also include a fine dining restaurant and a number of retail stores. The restaurant, spa and shops will be open to the public as well, Hunter said. She said buyers have a range of options, from fractional ownership—starting at $86,900—to full ownership—starting at $382,900. Units range from studios to three-bedroom suites and penthouses. Hunter said the range of ownership options and price points opens up the market to a younger demographic in addition to the well-heeled retired set. Owners can take advantage of professional property management and an optional rental pool to offset some of the costs of owning a vacation property. Hunter said a “try before you buy” option also exists. People can book units at a preferential rate and try them out, she said. She said buyers to date have been a mix of “young people with families who want access to a great family ski hill to older (baby) boomers who want to enjoy a four-season recreational lifestyle” in their retirement. She said buyers so far are mainly from Alberta, with a few overseas purchasers. She is pleased to report that more than 50 per cent of the units at Mountain Spirit have been pre-sold (35 out of 60). “We’re on time and on budget,” Hunter said. “We’re one of the good news stories in the development world.” She is also happy that the timing of the resort spa opening coincided with Delta Airlines offering international connections to the Kootenays. Delta’s direct flight service from Salt Lake City, Utah, to the Canadian Rockies International Airport just outside Cranbrook—and a short drive to the Kimberley Alpine Resort—began December 17. Hunter said the three-flights-a-week Delta schedule is “really exciting for Mountain Spirit, as well as for the whole area.” “Potential purchasers as well as potential guests will now have easier access,” she said. Mountain Spirit will be a sustainable development, Hunter said, with such features as geothermal heating—equivalent to taking 90 cars off the road for a year—low-horsepower elevators and low-flush toilets. Furniture is made from renewable sources such as rubber wood, which takes eight to 10 years to grow—much shorter than traditional hardwoods. “We do care about the environment,” she said. Hunter said the development’s designer, Ingenium Design Group, and architect, BCMP Architects, are out of Calgary, “but otherwise we’ve used as much local business and local supplies as possible.” New Dawn Developments, the general contractor based in Cranbrook that is overseeing the project, is employing local tradespeople in a number of areas, she said. Asked what makes Mountain Spirit special, Hunter said, “I think it’s the combination of having a true ski-in, ski-out location, plus the spa element. The whole package is unique.”

Key Kimberley contacts

Cranbrook, BC

Nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies

Occupying more than 1,250 acres, Forest Crowne is the largest master planned community in the area, which is bordered by the 2,300-acre Kimberley Nature Park, Mark Creek, Kimberley Municipal Golf Course—and will have connections to the Kimberley Alpine Resort and to Nordic Ski trails.

We have single family lots (phase 3) available to purchase to build your own dream home. For those who want to buy a finished home, Eagles Nest Homes offers one- and two-storey cottages with steep roof pitches, long covered porches, multi-paned windows, old fashioned details and the genuine neighbourly feeling of communities past. Imagine single family homes for under $300,000!

United Communities (Forest Crowne)

www.forestcrowne.com
Richmond, BC

PHONE: 1-800-663-2872

Pacific Coastal Airlines Ltd

www.pacificcoastal.com
Kimberley, BC

Bootleg Gap Golf

www.bootleggapgolf.com