Spirit Ridge - The Unbound Collection by Hyatt — Hotel in British Columbia

TLDR Summation: Clean, comfortable and it made us feel like we were transported to some far off place. Somewhere where our troubles melted away. |Worth your money and your time|| *||This was a magical hotel stay that happened almost purely by chance.|My wife and I arrived in Osoyoos after driving almost 8 hours from Alberta and we had nothing booked or planned for our stay in the city.|We just hoped that things would fall into place, and if not, the tent was packed in the back of the car waiting for an emergency.||While checking Tripadvisor during a quick dinner we saw the very good things said about Spirit Ridge. We were travelling on a budget and though it seemed way out of our price range--especially since we would only be staying for about 15 hours before continuing home--we decided to drive back through town to see what it was like.||Once we arrived and stepped out of the car, the first thing we noticed is that the vibe completely changed: we'd been away for about two weeks so we were already well aware that we weren't at home but standing on this property brought to mind the feeling of being on an up-scale resort in Mexico or Los Angeles or Las Vegas.||Now, I wouldn't call the entire property 5-stars or Diamond or something (the upper guest parking lot wasn't paved, for example), but it felt good--well organized. Clean, Safe. Separate from the outside world somehow...||The main desk was helpful and efficient after a brief moment of friction over the idea that we needed to book a minimum of 2-nights in order to stay. |I have no idea if this is the common policy or not but it was switch so quickly to accommodate us--two guests arriving after 7PM with ZERO notice--that it felt not.|We were told where our room was located and given flexible wristbands that had small electronic keys attached. Like an ultra-thin watch. |We slipped them on and headed out.||The property is split into multiple buildings and "zones."|The lower section near reception and the main restaurant is for short term guests.|These guests have access to 2 pool areas--one for families, one closer to the restaurant and overlooking the valley where the town of Osoyoos sits which is for adults only--a "general store" which has souvenir clothing and such related to the resort and Osoyoos proper as well as food items: coffee for the morning, sandwiches, wine, snacks and soft drinks plus a wide array of drugstore items like aspirin or Visine, toothbrushes etc that you might have forgotten at home.|The store is welcoming and nicely lit. A definite hub for the activity of the resort.|The buildings above the store are for people who RESIDE in the oasis. Year round.|It boggles the mind...||Our Building was directly across form this store which is also the neighbour of the family pool. We had to drive our car there (it's about 100 yards from reception) unload all our luggage (stacked onto the rolling luggage cart provided) and take an elevator to the second floor.|The wrist-keys worked perfectly.||Inside was a lovely suite.|It smelled fresh and clean and was lit beautifully by the slowly setting sun. I felt relaxed the moment I set foot in the room.|Immediately inside the front door was a living room/kitchenette which had a fridge, counter, a couch, huge TV and a balcony. |Slightly in and to the left was the entrance to our bedroom. It housed a closet a small desk and a beautiful king sized bed with crisp white sheets and a down comforter. |The bathroom--Tub with a shower and shower curtain--was to the left as you walked into the bedroom. It also was clean and beautifully lit. (I particularly liked the small nightlight under the sink mirror that was motion activated. So when one got up to go inside there was always light to guide your way.)|The main door from the bedroom into the bath was a sliding pocket door that was a little too-lubed and I--more than once--over estimated the amount of effort need to close it resulting in a loud "Bang!"|Oops. |There was a second door to the left as you entered the bathroom that connected it to the living area.|Very handy.||Here are some things that weren't "perfect":|The room showed a bit of wear. |Some cracked tile here and there and the door to the balcony had hinges desperately in need of oil and so made quite a bit of noise when it was opened.|The TV in the bedroom was not working. It seemed like a connection problem (it reminded me of buffering while streaming when a wi-fi connection is weak). I called the front desk who assured me maintenance would be there as soon as possible and within 10 minute (no more) there was a man at the door ready to check things out|He was super pleasant and polite and over the course of several minutes did a couple of channel scans that seemed to fix things but almost as soon as he left the old problem cropped back up.|Oh well, we had the living room set if needed and it seemed to worked perfectly.||My wife and I got changed and headed to the "adults only" pool.|It was downstairs and a quick 2 minute walk along the sun-warmed cement paths behind our building. |We went through the gate and down a short flight of stairs to where a number of padded chaise lounges were arrayed around the pool. Towels were provided and there was like a "towel concierge" to help with questions and, of course, towels. |Sadly he informed my wife that the person who would have been able to fetch her a drink from the bar had just left (this was about 8:30 PM).|The pool was quiet and at a lovely temperature--not too warm (which was nice because it had been sweltering that day), and certainly not cold.|Though the restaurant was essentially right above us the pool area itself felt private and cozy. |Beautiful views of the valley were on offer if one stood on the pool deck.|I also spent some time in the hot tub (because I'm weird like that--boiling hot day, why not add a little more heat!!) and both the pool and hot tub were clean and pleasant.||By the time we got back to the room and had showered--OK pressure on the water, not great--it was basically time for bed.||I had a sleep that was....well, it was kind of like something I've only experienced a few times in my life. |I just went unconscious, almost like I was under sedation. Everything about the bed was so perfectly comfortable--the softness of the pillows and mattress, the weight of the duvet--that I was just OUT.|It was remarkable.|A perfect end to a near-perfect day.||We had coffee and a lemon scone at the "general store" the next morning and both were very good. High quality, I would say.|Then I got the car, drove it over to our building and loaded up.||I went to reception to complete the check out even though that was not necessary.|I wanted to both discuss the idea of some sort of compensation for the TV in the bedroom not working--I think we can all agree that the TV in the bedroom is the most important TV in any hotel room--and I wanted to bring up the squeaky door to the patio.|A staff member was dealing (politely) with us but when I requested the break on the bill she brought her manager in.|His name was "Norm" and he was WONDERFUL.|Sincerely and profusely apologetic. He did help us with the bill by giving a 15% discount. Very generous.|Now, I wanted to mention the TV thing because I feel that at over $500 for 15 hours it warranted a discussion but also the squeaky door because I think think this is an exceptional property. I respect that and want to help them maintain the level of excellence that, I think, they desire and that the property deserves.|They were open to talking about this and were helpful in suggesting a number of fruit stands that were on our route out of town. (we wanted some peaches.)||There are a few memories for my wife and I in our time together that we return to often just for the pleasure of the recounting.|This stay at Spirit Ridge will be one of those memories and that is about the highest praise I can give a property. ||It was a week ago and we are already looking forward...

First of all, the resort is very beautiful with a great view no matter which direction your room is facing.

Amenities and Services: The adult pool is a nice touch. We booked the day bed for only $50, which I think is a pretty reasonable price given how busy it can get.

Also dog friendly is a bonus. Although, in seeing responses from the hotel to other reviews, apparently there are welcome packs for our furry friends? We did not get this. They have an off leash area too, but this is quite small so I would say this is best for smaller dogs.

EV parking is free although one J1772 was offline, so it was very limited (2 charging spots - one J1772 and one NACS). The offline charger was unavailable for the whole long weekend.

Highly recommend the Solterra Desert Spa (I’ve reviewed them separately - 5 stars). Nk'Mip Cellars also has some great wines to sample (Also reviewed separately - 5 stars).

Rooms: The rooms are clean but a little outdated. The curtains are ripped as an example, so they do need some TLC. Wifi is quite slow. I did like the separate bedroom from the living area, and the king bed is very comfortable. View was also nice, but the room we had was south-facing and feels quite dark even in the morning. The noise from other rooms can be heard too. As we are in a dog friendly area, there are other dogs barking, but this was expected. At night we found no issues.

Services: I can see they’re trying in the service area, but for the price you’re paying… it lags a lot behind any experience I’ve had at other hotels. The check-in was really painful. I had arrived quite late so it was dark and obviously I was not familiar with the resort. They did not go over in detail about directions (I was directed up a one way road, the wrong way), no information about the underground carpark (I had to come back and ask when I could not get an EV spot). They had no maps on-hand, instead I was told to take a picture of a laminated map.

Food: The food at the restaurant is very good. The portions are ample for the price. In saying that, there was no flexibility in the menu when we went for dinner. We were hoping to pay for a side of mash potato (offered with other menu items but not as a side) or exchange the fries. A pub could easily do this. First of all, the server would not even entertain the idea. I had to ask if they would check with the kitchen. Even then, they were hard line about sticking to the menu option. They said we had to order a full appetiser with the mashed potato for $24. Very disappointed with that.

We did go back to the same restaurant for brunch/breakfast. RD and William were very courteous and very attentive. Again, the food and view is great.

Housekeeping: Again, they’re trying but seemed confused about what we had requested. It took 2 hours just to get two towels, but when the person arrived they had brought 5 full sets. Seems like an internal communication issue. During check-in we were asked if we wanted cleaning service, we said “sure, but probably on day 2”, they said they would put no service and to just call them when we needed the room cleaned. So day 2 comes around and we call housekeeping. They notify us that we had opted for no cleaning and we needed to call 24 hours in advance. This was not communicated to us whatsoever. Circling back to check-in… deficient in detail.

Overall: A little disappointed given the price we paid to stay here. It is our anniversary and despite mentioning that at check-in or reservations for dinner. We had nothing that made us feel special or any acknowledgement. Again, something we have experienced at similarly priced hotels. Would I stay here again? Probably not. We even considered...

I would like to provide some feedback regarding our overall experience. While the water leak was addressed, we found that several unrelated issues during our stay significantly detracted from the level of comfort and luxury we anticipated based on Hyatt’s standards.||Here are some of the specific concerns we encountered:||||Housekeeping Service||At check-in, we requested that housekeeping attend to the unit daily in the afternoons. Unfortunately, no housekeeping service occurred during our entire stay. On Saturday, we waited and ultimately assumed they may have simply missed us. On Sunday, I followed up with the front desk and was advised housekeeping was scheduled for that evening. We vacated the villa to accommodate this, but upon returning at 7:30 p.m., the room had not been serviced. It never was. As a result, we experienced issues such as ants in the living area and master bathroom—something regular servicing might have prevented.||Clogged Dryer Vent||After placing wet towels in the dryer, I noticed a burning smell within 30 minutes. On inspection, the towels had a strong odor, and I discovered that the exterior vent was completely clogged with lint. I attempted to clear the blockage myself using a dining chair as a stool, but was unsuccessful. We had to resort to drying towels over the patio railing.||Air Conditioning Unit||One night, we became uncomfortably hot in the master bedroom and attempted to use the A/C. Unfortunately, the remote was missing. I researched the unit online and learned it could be manually operated. When I lifted the cover, a considerable amount of dust and lint spilled out, contaminating nearby belongings. The filter appeared completely blocked with debris and hair. Although I managed to power it on, the air emitted a strong odour, and we ultimately opted not to use it and remained uncomfortable through the night.||General Maintenance Issues||Several items in the villa were in poor repair. The master bedroom closet door detached when opened; I managed to temporarily reattach it, but it would not stay securely in place. The main bathroom shower door was also non-functional, unable to close due to friction at the bottom. Our children had to use the ensuite shower in the master bedroom instead.||Party Resort||We stayed during a long weekend. This resort is a party location. You can expect loud music played disrespectfully by guests, and our neighbours were unusually noisy deep into the night, disturbing both us and the kids.||||We did enjoy the family pool and valued the location, but overall, our experience did not align with the expectations set by Hyatt’s branding of these villas as a luxury offering. We are regular travellers and understand that occasional issues arise, but the combination of housekeeping absence, maintenance lapses, and facility cleanliness suggests a broader gap in upkeep and guest experience.||I hope this feedback is useful for...