Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa

Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa is spread out over multiple buildings on the banks of Harrison Lake. The Rooms are housed in the Main Building, the oldest in the resort, as well as the newer East and West Towers and the West Wing. The lobby features dark, woodsy decor typical of the Northwest, with autumnal-hued patterned carpets and columns topped with cut-out leaf design lamp shades. There are seating areas clustered throughout the large space, the most attractive of which consists of a couple of gray brushed-velvet sofas facing a large stone fireplace. The reception area is huge and almost bank like, with a large granite-topped counter and multiple stations to assist the large number of guests that come through the hotel during busy times. Most visitors are business travelers in town for conferences, wedding guests, or vacationing couples and families, including plenty of weekenders from nearby Vancouver.

Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa is located on the southern banks of Harrison Lake, a half-hour drive from the town of Chilliwack in southwestern British Columbia. Vancouver is about 90 minutes away by car (without traffic), while the Vancouver airport takes about an hour and forty minutes to reach. There's plenty of golfing in the area; the closest course is the nine-hole Harrison Resort Golf Course, a five-minute drive away.

Rooms at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa are spread over multiple buildings, all with flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, and beverage coolers. The oldest building on the property, the Main Hotel, dates back to 1926, with updated rooms and suites featuring homey decor; however, these rooms don't have air-conditioning. Rooms in the West Tower are the closest to the pools and have balconies or patios with views of the pools, Mount Breckenridge or Harrison Lake. The East Tower has some of the hotel's largest rooms, all with private balconies and views of the lake, Mount Cheam, Bear Mountain, or Harrison Village. The rooms (and single suite) in the two-story West Wing have views either of the lake, Mount Breckenridge, or the hotel's gardens. West Wing and East and West Tower Rooms have slightly more modern decor than those in the Main Hotel, with light-wood furniture reminiscent of what one might find in a chain hotel, contrasted by lovely bed runners in cool hues. Bathrooms have shower/tub combos with clothes-drying lines and low-watt wall-mounted hairdryers, and basic toiletries are provided; however, the Main Hotel bathrooms have pedestal sinks and lack counter space. 

The resort also offers cute, pet-friendly wooden cottages with private lawns, each with a separate bedroom with a queen bed and a separate living room with a sofa bed and a gas fireplace. Decor in these units is particularly cozy, with wooden log cabin-style walls and rosewood-colored furniture; large wall-mounted flat-screen TVs add a touch of modernity. However, the hotel's Wi-Fi doesn't reach the cabins, so guests wanting to surf the internet will need to go to one of the hotel's indoor common areas. 

For many guests, the resort's main draw is the variety of hot springs-fed pools, five in all, with a range of temperatures. The coolest are the Outdoor Family Pool and the Outdoor Lap Pool; there's also a slightly warmer Adult Pool that, as the name suggests, is only for adults and it has an underwater bench for those who'd rather soak than swim. There's also a lovely Indoor Pool that's good for swimming as well as a small Indoor Hot Pool -- the warmest on the property -- which is designed for soaking up minerals. 

The Healing Springs Spa is another of the property's major pulls, offering a variety of special packages along with a la carte massages, facials, and other treatments. Manicures, pedicures, and hairstyling services are also available. The fitness center is decent, with a couple of treadmills, a stationary bike, and an elliptical, though the weight machines, while plentiful and varied, are on the dated side. There's also a rack of free weights. 

The resort is also popular for both conferences and weddings, with 14 meeting and banquet rooms that can be arranged in a variety of configurations. They also offer catering and custom wedding-planning services, and reduced rates for groups are available.The hotel has its own marina for guest use and on-site car parking is free. There are a couple of shops selling everything from snacks to sport fishing equipment to women's apparel. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel's buildings, but it doesn't extend all the way out to the cabins. 

There are four restaurants on the property: The Copper Room, The Lakeside Cafe, Miss Margaret's, and Islands Bar. The Copper Room is the most upscale of the lot and is only open for dinner; reservations are recommended. The menu features heavier items, such as beef, lamb, and pork belly, though there are a few seafood options as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes. There's also live entertainment at the restaurant every night and a separate children's dance floor. The Lakeside Cafe is a more laid-back alternative, open for breakfast every morning (served buffet style, for a fee). It stays closed for lunch and reopens for dinner, with a la carte pub fare on weekdays and a salad buffet plus steak, ribs, chicken, or seafood mains on weekends. The best lunch option is Miss Margaret's, which serves coffee, juices, soups, pastries, and sandwiches. As the name suggests, Islands Bar serves alcohol, but along with liquor, beer, and a great local wine list, it offers proper meals at night along with snacks throughout afternoon and evening hours. Room service is also an option, but it's not available 24 hours.