If you are a fan of Disney, The Lord of The Rings, Shrek, Narnia, and more, you will likely love this.
A new boutique hotel in the Fraser Valley is opening its doors after years of construction, and it promises a storybook vacation perfect for fantasy lovers and just a two-hour drive from Vancouver.
Hazelnut Inn, which will open June 1, has been introducing magic and wonder to its new hotel for more than six years. Each suite will have three distinct themes, allowing guests to sleep among mermaids or dragons, depending on their preference.
A spokesperson with the inn tells us each room’s theme might remind you of something from a movie or book, but the real motive is to allow guests a chance to “escape from the world.”
The North Star suite is an “adventurer’s paradise” where guests can sail the ship which has been embedded into the building, and battle pirates as they are filled with “wonders from lands of myth and fairytale.” Complete with lots of waterfalls, it will also be the first to open.
The Inn suggests the Under Hill suite is the most accessible, comfy, and cozy of the options.
It is perfect for those who dream of a quiet visit or a tucked-away stay in a picturesque location away from the goings-on of the rest of the world.
The third and final option is the Copper Crown.
“According to local legend, the Copper Crown suite is the ancestral home of an ancient line of aristocrats who, in addition to being peers of the realm, were renowned orchardists, librarians, and even (according to one telling) dragon riders.”
An unusual sight in the Fraser Valley
While the hotel is new to this area, the family behind it is not. The hotel is next to and part of the family business, which began with the Imagination Corporation. The company specializes in the design and construction of one-of-a-kind signs, themed attractions, and themed architecture.
It’s likely you’ve seen the structure as you drive to Cultus Lake through Yarrow, a quiet community that boasts fruit stands, lots of churches, and quaint restaurants and coffee shops.
imaginationcorporation.com
It’s an eye-catching building along the stretch, to say the least, and has been for years. The team has worked on Edmonton Mall’s Galaxyland remodel and Giggle Ridge (now Cultus Lake Adventure Park) among its major projects, combining their love of wonder and architecture.
But the hotel kicked off a new expansion for the family and also reflects the area’s history.
“Hazelnut Inn is right next door and belongs to my brother and his wife. When they got married, they wanted to stay in a castle, and they went all the way to Europe to do so. It was then that they had the idea of creating a magical boutique hotel as a place for other folks to spend their own special occasions,” they told Daily Hive.
The inn’s name is an homage to the site that once held a hazelnut farm. It was destroyed, along with many other farms in the region, by a blight that left the orchard diseased, and it was determined that the farmland was no longer economically viable. The farm was subdivided and made available for sale.
“When the little piece next door became available, the Hazelnut Inn became a reality. And so, in and amongst our other projects (and through the bumps that the pandemic threw our way) we’ve been chipping away at the dream. Every square inch is handcrafted and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it’s turning out,” the spokesperson told Daily Hive.
If you are curious, the owners invite you to check it out for yourself. An open house will be held on June 1, and bookings will then start being accepted. Rates for the suites were not shared with Daily Hive.
With files from Sarah Anderson