Hotels in Kelowna, British Columbia

A little about Kelowna...

Kelowna (2005 Population 105,621, Metropolitan Area 165,221) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a native term for "female grizzly bear."

Kelowna is the seat of the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, the third-largest metropolitan area in British Columbia (after the Lower Mainland and Victoria), and the largest in BC's interior. With scenic lake vistas and a dry, mild Canadian climate, Kelowna is a desirable place to live and has become one of the fastest growing cities in North America.

Because of Kelowna's unique climate in Canada, it is often referred to as "California North."

Post-Secondary Education Includes:
UBC Okanagan
Okanagan College
Sprott-Shaw Community College

Venues and attractions:
Prospera Place, a 6,800-seat arena, The Apple Bowl is a 1,000 seat outdoor stadium, Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna Community Theatre, Kelowna Museum, Kelowna Marina on Okanagan Lake, Capital News Centre and The Bluff, an outdoor arena.

As the Okanagan Valley is a popular getaway for residents in Vancouver, a new freeway was built into the BC interior in 1986, eliminates over two hours of travel time between the two major destinations. This freeway, starting in Hope, is known as the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5), and terminates in Kamloops. A spur route (The Okanagan Connector, or Hwy 97C) was later added in 1989; it connects in Merritt, and heads eastward to Peachland, about twenty minutes south of Kelowna.

This new freeway system makes the drive from Vancouver to Kelowna just under four hours, at 425 km in distance.
Kelowna has an International Airport north of the downtown core, with regular flights to and from Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Las Vegas, Honolulu and Seattle, as well as seasonal service to Mexico.

Big White Ski Resort is located 56 kilometres southeast of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. It is the second largest resort in British Columbia after Whistler-Blackcomb. It has a central village which is comprised of accommodation, eateries, bars and shops. It is the sister resort of Silver Star Mountain Resort. The village is 1,755m above sea level.

Big White Ski Resort:
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Nearest city: Kelowna, British Columbia
Top elevation: 2,319 m (7,606 ft)
Base elevation: 1,755 m (5,757 ft)
Skiable area: 2 976 hectares (7,355 acres)
Runs: 118 Designated Trails
18% Beginner
54% Intermediate
22% Expert
6% Extreme
Longest run: 7.2 km (4.5 miles)
Lift system: 16 total (1 gondola, 6 high-speed chairs, 5 chairs, 3 ground, 2 tubing)
Snowfall: 750 cm (294 inches or 24.5 ft) average
Night skiing: 15 hectares (38 acres)

The mountain summit is 2,319m and has 16 lifts. The vertical drop is 777m with 750cm of annual snowfall. The total resort area is 7,355 acres with 2,765 acres patrolled. With 38 acres of night skiing, Big White has western Canada's largest resort night skiing area.