A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast is a house in a residential part of West Kelowna, British Columbia. The home sits on a ridge overlooking Lake Okanagan and several vineyards below. The bed and breakfast has three suites for visitors to rent, each decorated and color-coded according to its theme. Standard amenities include ensuite bathrooms, sitting areas, TVs, refrigerators, irons, and ironing boards. The house also has a deck, patio, and gazebo, with spaces to sit and see the views of the area. Various wineries are within a 20-minute walk of the bed and breakfast; some are across the street or around the corner. Additionally, Lake Okanagan is commonly visited to participate in aquatic activities, and several locations around the lake offer boat rentals. Other attractions include Lake Okanagan beaches, restaurants, and farmers' markets.
A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast is in a neighborhood in West Kelowna, British Columbia. As described by co-owner Sue Willis, the bed and breakfast has three rentals on the house's ground level. These three rooms—Wine Country Suite, Okanagan Suite, and Lake Country Suite—are distinctly themed. For instance, the Lake Country Suite is decorated with blue and white furnishings, linens, and a blue-and-white life preserver; the Wine Country Suite has burgundy colors; and the Okanagan Suite is green and white. Common amenities in each room include ensuite bathrooms, sitting areas, TVs, refrigerators, microwaves, tea, irons, ironing boards, robes, slippers, wine glasses, and hair dryers. Sue adds that each suite has a queen bed, noting that Okanagan Suite has two queens. Furthermore, she believes Wine Country Suite is the home's most popular accommodation because of its "spare spaces" and for being the most recently updated room at the bed and breakfast.
Common areas throughout A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast include a deck, patio, and gazebo with sitting areas for visitors to congregate. Additionally, the approximately half-acre property has gardens and seven fruit trees; the owners can invite guests to pick fruit from said trees. Sue mentions that picnic supplies and games can be provided, and the house's placement on the ridge allows people to view the vineyards and Okanagan Lake below.
Sue remarks that breakfast typically consists of fresh fruit—often from the orchard during the summer—and items such as bacon, baked goods, juices, tea, and coffee selections. She and Dann also serve a rotating selection of "creative breakfasts," usually involving a sort of egg dish. Breakfast is served between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and Sue notes that it can be served outside on the deck if the weather permits. Finally, dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advanced notice from visitors.
Lake Okanagan is a common attraction when visiting A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast, Sue explains. She says the lake is about 82 miles long and provides space for people to participate in various aquatic activities. Various boat rentals are scattered throughout the area. Moreover, many wineries are within a 20-minute walk of A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast, some located across the street or around the corner from the house. Overall, Sue says her guests are mainly drawn to the Lake Okanagan beaches, local wineries, and farmers' markets. Regarding dining locations, she recommends occupants visit Terrace Restaurant, Old Vines Restaurant at Quails' Gate Winery, and The Modest Butcher Kitchen + Market.
Sue, co-owner of A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast, says she and Dann, her husband and co-owner, frequently interact with guests and encourage them to sit on the deck to learn about the area. She adds that a designated welcome time from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. is set to offer incoming visitors a glass of wine. Sue believes that A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast is unique for its "creative breakfasts" and hospitality. A former guest remarked, "Breakfast for both mornings was exceptional during our stay, and we couldn't have asked for more. Our room was clean, and [...] The amenities provided were thoughtful, with the inclusion of make-up wipes, cotton pads, and additional treats like decaffeinated coffee pods and hot chocolate sachets." According to Sue, the bed and breakfast is also the first in British Columbia to receive the gold rating as a sustainable business. A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast is part of the BC Tourism Resiliency Program - Decade of Action plan to achieve sustainability.
Sue and Dann have a few policies for visitors to follow. Okanagan Suite is pet-friendly to dogs, though pet owners are charged an additional fee depending on the dog's size. Children under eight years are not allowed at the bed and breakfast for insurance reasons. Regarding the business's operations, A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast is open year-round. Sue comments that the season peaks during the summer, mainly because of the weather. The shoulder seasons are also popular, she says, and the bed and breakfast receives people from around the globe, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, and the United States. Sue affirms that she and Dann receive many repeat guests yearly.
A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast was started in 1982 by the Jarmann Family. A few conversions and upgrades took place during the 90s to suit the family's needs for hospitality purposes. Sue and Dann Willis bought the property from them in 2001, seeing it as an option after retiring from law enforcement. "We thought it was going to be a fun way to enjoy retirement," Sue adds, mentioning that she and Dann enjoyed the bed and breakfast culture while staying at various hospitality businesses during an extended visit to England. After taking over A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast, Sue and Dann made a few more changes—mainly standardizing amenities throughout the suites—so the house's features could feel more "self-contained" and "everyone could have their own everything." They also renovated much of the flooring and bathrooms.
Sue recounts how she and Dann's bed and breakfast experiences over the years have influenced what they include in their own business, namely the breakfasts. She explains how she and Dann traveled to various British Columbian bed and breakfasts based on their visitors' recommendations. Sue recalls that they were served egg dishes more often than they liked, so they added their own style of breakfasts at A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast to add variety to the guest experience.
Sue says her favorite part of operating A View to Remember Bed and Breakfast is meeting people worldwide. As previously mentioned, she and Dann receive guests from other countries, and she remarks that she enjoys hearing about their experiences and backgrounds as they visit.
1090 Trevor Drive
Kelowna, British Columbia V1Z 2J8
Canada
Bed and Breakfast
Sue & Dann Willis
