Those who know and love the Hotel Eldorado talk fondly of its spirit: an intangible presence that coats the lakefront Kelowna property in a quiet but undeniable charm.
And there does seem to be, even for this first-timer, a distinct sense of something in the air. It’s hard to put a finger on, but it’s there in the creaky staircases, the shiny cork floors, the framed black-and-white photos of lake divers and rowers, the terrarium-inspired swimming pool, the tucked-away corners of vintage wooden furniture (so intriguing that one might find themselves sneakily opening a drawer or two, just to see what’s inside). Some people say this place is haunted by the ghost of its founder, but to this author it feels much more whimsical than it does spooky. What lies within these walls is pure warmth.
Which might explain, at least in part, how the Eldorado has endured for as long as it has. The property is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year—no small feat for any hotel, let alone an independent one.
“This place has a spirit,” confirms Tarynn Liv Parker, the hotel’s director of marketing. “I came here as a teenager, as a kid; my parents have come here. This is my dad’s local bar. He kept his boat here for decades. So to me, it means something. It’s almost an unofficial community centre.”
But this centenary milestone, of course, did not come without its obstacles.
It all began in 1926 with Irene May Blair—better known Countess Bubna—after she married an Austrian count who came from a well-off family in Oxford, England. After divorcing her husband (a scandal at the time) and inheriting her mother’s fortune, she travelled to Canada and fell in love with B.C.’s Okanagan Valley. Determined to lure her friends to the untapped beauty of this place, she purchased a parcel of lakefront land and built the Eldorado, which she originally called the Eldorado Arms. The Victorian-style inn soon became a hot vacation spot for well-to-do international travellers, known for its extravagant garden parties and its larger-than-life host.
Countess Bubna sold the hotel in 1933, and since then a string of owners have acted as stewards of its founder’s vision. Among them is former Kelowna mayor John Hindle, known for throwing legendary parties, boat shows, dog shows and volleyball matches in the 1970s; and Jim Nixon, who in 1989 saved the building from demolition and moved it, via barge, a few kilometres up Lake Okanagan to its current location. Only a month later, it was destroyed by a fire—to this day, no one knows how the blaze started—and was painstakingly rebuilt in the style of the original.
In 2014, the Eldorado changed hands again when Nixon sold it to local developer Argus Properties. Owner Ted Callahan grew up coming to the hotel with his parents and has lovingly helped usher it into its next era, ensuring it continues to act as a beacon of lakefront leisure hospitality along the water’s edge. Among Callahan’s investments was the purchase of the next-door hotel, now called Manteo at Eldorado Resort, offering more accommodations than the Eldorado’s modest 53 rooms, as well as an excellent Mediterranean restaurant called Maestro’s to complement the Eldorado’s fine-dining offering. Later this year, the hotel’s marina will open as a full, amenity-brimming yacht club; gentle renovations to upgrade some of the common areas—while not losing the vintage charm that makes them special—are also underway.
“In terms of hotels, there’s certainly nothing as old [in the area],” says Parker, “so we just keep protecting that.”
The Eldorado is celebrating its centenary with a number of events throughout the year, including a St. Patrick’s Day bash, a mid-summer birthday party, a boat show, special culinary menus and vintage-themed parties—each one a worthy opportunity to experience the hotel’s spirit firsthand. Like with most magic, seeing is believing.
