Elk Island Retreat — Hotel in Alberta

I booked the geo dome back in November as a surprise for my boyfriend’s birthday in March. We were so very excited to be able to book the date as they book up very fast! We booked a few days off of work, arranged a pet sitter and bought all our groceries and camp gear. The morning of, 4 hours before check in, we got a call from Pat (the owner) saying that it was going to be a very cold night and that they were going to turn the fireplace on for us ahead of time but that it wouldn’t get up past 15 degrees Celsius in the geo dome. She gave us the option to cancel or reschedule but with such little notice and the dome booked pretty much solid for the rest of the year we figured if we packed some extra blankets and warm clothes that we would be ok. When we arrived the geo dome was as beautiful as we expected but after taking our boots off we quickly realized how cold it was in there. The floor was like ice and even with socks and slippers on, my toes were freezing. We checked the thermometer and it said it was 15 degrees but there’s no way it could have been correct as our home thermostat is set to go down to fifteen degrees at night and our house is never that cold. Determined to tough it out I put on a T-shirt under my sweat shirt, wool socks, sweat pants and my toque and quickly climbed under the covers into bed. I could still feel a draft and the tip of my nose was ice cold so I plugged in two of my heating pads which helped. We came to the realization that it was currently only -8 outside and when it dropped down to -20 overnight we would freeze. The owners son previously offered a small space heater so we called and they delivered one right away. It was then that we found out that the dome was not insulated which is why it wouldn’t stay warm! You guys, the dome is made of plastic type materials including the windows, and this is Alberta! We also found out that the other dome they have was insulated the week before but was reserved for another couple that would arrive the next day and we’re paying the weekend rate which is of course more money (we were staying 2 nights during the week) They told us they had the same heating problem last year and know how uncomfortable it is, they said they were planning to block the dome off of the online availability calendar so they could insulate it but somehow I was able to book it. They suggested we keep the curtain closed over the large window to help keep the heat in. The whole point of the geo dome is the view but we did as we were told and it still didn’t make a difference. After plugging in the space heater and realizing that it didn’t make even a degree of difference on the thermometer we had no choice but to leave. We were downgraded to one of the yurts which was insulated and definitely warm but not at all the romantic/ scenic experience we were there for. Feeling rather defeated, disappointed and tired we asked if we could just leave and get a refund... we had only been there a total of 2 hours between the two enclosures. We were told that they would only refund us for one night because they would now have to clean both enclosures and they also said that they “warned” us four hours ahead of time and should have cancelled then for a full refund. Needless to say we left and we’re charged for the night anyway. As a fellow business owner I am appalled by the way the entire situation was handled. When expressing to Pat that we would most definitely be sharing with people about how we were treated she basically told us to do our worst and that we would be the ones that would come out looking bad. When my boyfriend asked her how she would feel sleeping in a frozen geo dome she said she “just might sleep in there tonight” although I seriously doubt...

My wife and I visited the Elk Island Retreats -OoD mirrored sauna on Feb 10. From the moment we arrived, we knew that this was going to be a very positive experience . We were met by very gracious hosts who provided us with luxurious sauna towels, a map of the facility and good conversation. The property is very unique, well laid out and has some amazing options for staying at the retreat. RV lots, tent areas, geodesic domes, yurts, and wooden cabins are spread throughout the property. Mature tree's provide superb privacy. The sauna itself is out of this world. Truly as high end as one could hope for. I have only seen saunas like this in Europe. It was a wonderful surprise! From outside the sauna you will see a very modern look, with mirrored walls and a cozy deck for cooling off in-between the sweats. You can take a snow plunge right off the deck if that's your thing. From the inside you have a private change area, warm wooden finishes and a superb tea tree scent . The sauna comes with a "how-to" manual, but it's not really needed. Follow your good sauna etiquette and you will be fine. Leave it cleaner than you found it and all is well. The wood stove is total perfection and has a nice set of sauna rocks for the steam. We sat very comfortably inside with space for two to four people. We purchased our two hour session while at the Nordic fair during the Birkiebeiner registration, but online reservations and payment couldn't be simpler. We will be back. Again and again. Great sauna, great people and such an amazing facility. Book now with all this snow and chilly temps, it's a very romantic activity that de-stresses and detoxifies. It's the best medicine.

I suggest that you consider bringing a picnic basket loaded with your favourite snacks, or order a charcuterie plate on advance. Our only mistake was not realizing how romantic this location is. The two hour session works well, but I might book 4 hours in the future and coordinate a lunch break between sweats.

Update

We.just enjoyed our second booking and we couldn't be happier. Such amazing staff, beautiful location and the sauna was once again the star of the experience. We drive an hour from our home to enjoy the Sauna experience. Our appreciation to the folks that had the sauna booked before us. It was super clean and the stove was...

This was not a pleasant camping experience for us this past weekend. We had booked and paid the 50 a night for 2 nights so 100.00 for a service site which we actually did not need but i asked for a site that was more private. the campsite 25 we were in had a skiff of trees and not private. The sites are almost on top of each other, a lot of campsites are parking lot style of camping. View is a field in front or your neighbor almost right beside you. As a result the people next to us were up past 1:00 am talking and laughing loud showing no respect for anyone until i took a chance and firmly called out the open window cause it was hot to keep it down. If you like or are used to camping in quiet campsites away from it all with lots of bush for privacy and spaced out sites and even a lake view this is definitely not the campsite for you at all. We had booked a dome for September but this is not the experience we were looking for and cancelled it with a 50 fee and we lost the 50 second night we booked and paid for cause i refused to go back and put up with this type of site. We travelled further down highway 16 and stayed at the beautiful Innisfree campsite by birch lake instead which completely was the opposite and met our needs. ||||When i called this place to let them know i was not returning for the second night she said we could have called the after hours number something we did not see on the paperwork or posted and later found it was in the lobby of the office which would have been closed and was a bit of ways from the campsite which would have been getting up and getting dressed in the night searching for a number. We were offered no discount. We left this place tired and poorer. Will not return...