October 15, 2021
Sunrise Ridge Resort lists itself as:
Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort is a year-round Vancouver Island destination located on 10.2 acres in Parksville, BC. Our modern and spacious condo-style vacation rentals offer a place to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy the natural park-like setting we are surrounded by.
Luxury, relaxation, adventure, and the ocean – just a short walk down our beautiful beach pathway – are what you will find when staying at Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort.
Our vacation rentals are the perfect alternative to a hotel. Pamper yourself in a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom suite with features that include top quality furnishings, soaker tubs, open and spacious kitchens with granite counter tops, washer & dryer, and stainless steel appliances. Upgrade to a waterfront villa and wake up to the fresh ocean breeze and incredible Georgia Strait views. If you don’t need all the space and traditional at-home amenities, our studios and junior suites are sure to be the perfect fit.
This review covers one of the two-bedroom suites, located in the main lodge building.
Link to property:
https://www.sunriseridge.ca
Main Lodge Building
1. Common Areas
The common areas of the property are well designed, bright and welcoming. The front desk check-in area is spacious, and also includes numerous chairs and sitting areas.
Check-in area
2. Living Space
The main living space is well laid out. The living room has a sofa and a chair, both of which are acceptably comfortable, but not exceptional by any means. The sofa is actually a sofabed, which increases sleeping capacity if you're a larger group or family, which is great. Everything from the light fixtures to the wall decorations are tastefully thought out, and everything was in good working condition. The television was a flat-screen LCD, fairly standard these days in any regular accommodations. There is an electric fireplace, which adds an element of coziness. The floor is vinyl plank and feels very nice on the feet. There is a portable air conditioning unit, which is actually fairly loud when in operation, but very appreciated when the temperatures outside reach into the +30 degrees C and above.
Living room area
Living room area
Kitchen and dining area
The kitchen is quite impressive, for an entry level luxury condominium suite. The counters are a premium material, likely quartz, which gives them a very solid look and feel. The floor is ceramic tiling, which would normally be fairly cold, but the heating system in the entire building is based on radiant in-floor, which has a side effect of keeping the ceramic nice and warm. The appliances all functioned as expected. The kitchen was stocked with plenty of pots, pans and utensils, and pretty much had everything you would need to cook full meals. There are 4 chairs for meal eating, and the kitchen's island doubles up as the dining room "table". While one might think this isn't totally ideal, it is really the only option, since there is zero additional space for a dedicated dining room table. That being said, in practicality, it serves the purpose very well. Since the island is rather wide, the sink and "meal prep" space has a feeling of being separated from the dining space. is actually a very comfortable way to eat. The kitchen also houses the suite's apartment-sized clothes washer and dryer, which are hidden inside a cabinet.
3. Bedroom
There were two bedrooms, both with Queen size beds. Both bedrooms also had LCD TVs in them, which was a nice touch and not very commonly seen in this type of accommodation. The flooring here is vinyl plank, similar or the same to the living room. There is nothing specifically remarkable about the bedrooms - they are big enough for suitcases, but otherwise aren't very large. The beds are exceptionally comfortable and came with plenty of pillow options.
4. Bathroom
There were two bathrooms, both with stand-up showers. The master bathroom, which is an en-suite to the master bedroom and only accessible through the master bedroom, also had a full sized bathtub. Both bathrooms had ceramic tile floors, again which were pleasantly warm due to the in-floor heating system. Counter space is an acceptable size, although oversized counters are always appreciated in travel accommodations. The sinks are above-counter vessel, giving a more luxurious feel. The stand-up showers have glass walls and doors, again, imparting a very luxurious feel. Both have plenty of space in them and are very large, and the plumbing fixtures delivered a good showering experience. The bathtub in the master bathroom, while very comfortable, did not have pressure jets (jacuzzi-style), which was a bit disappointing.
Master bathroom
Master bathroom
Second bathroom
5. Cleanliness
Overall, the unit was very clean. Floors were free of debris and marks. Plumbing fixtures were clean and free of dirt and hair. Toilets were sparkling clean. Kitchen wear, including glassware, plates, pots, pans and utensils, were all clean. Bedding was bright white and unstained, and so were all towels. Glass and mirrors were crystal clear. Nothing was noted that generated any material concern in regards to cleanliness.
6. Amenities
The resort has numerous amenities available for guests.
There is a heated pool, hot tub and fitness centre, located directly behind the main lodge. The pool was in good condition, along with all the related furniture (chairs and tables). The jetted hot tub was also clean and appeared in good condition, and the jets were very powerful and pleasant. The fitness centre equipment was very clean and in excellent condition, with very little signs of wear and tear - something worth noting, as many fitness centres in these types of accommodations are neglected, run down and worn out.
Heated pool
Directly outside the back of the main lodge is a very large fireplace. This is lit in the evenings, and guests can sit on comfortable chairs and enjoy a real, wood-burning fireplace. The area is also covered under a roof, so even if the weather isn't cooperating, one can still enjoy a nice fire. This is a fantastic amenity, which creates the perfect ambience, and is unique and not something often found at this type of accommodations.
The resort has bicycles that can be rented by guests. This is a great option, as many families and travellers don't have the option to bring their own from home. It would be great if the resort expanded on this program, offering things like paddle boats, stand up paddle boards, and perhaps even pool accessories.
While the resort does have ocean view condominium villas, the majority of suites and units don't have direct ocean views. However, the beach and ocean are a very short (less than 5 minute walk) away. The ocean views are definitely well worth the short walk, and the beach is public access that has kilometers and kilometers of potential walking.
Beach & ocean
Beach & ocean
7. Noise
There was very little noise or disturbance to report. Even with bedroom windows left open during the night, noise was very minimal and did not cause any issues. With a resort that markets to families and those with pets, there is always the potential that excessive noise exists and affects one's enjoyment of their vacation rental. In this case, no such situation arose.
8. Parking
This resort excels at parking. There are numerous zero-cost parking options, from outdoor parking in front of the main lodge and other buildings, to a fully heated, secured parking garage located underneath the main lodge. Also located in the underground parking garage are two Electric Vehicle charging stations, which will no doubt be of interest to those driving EVs.
9. Staff interactions
The staff at Sunrise Ridge Resort were very friendly and helpful. Aside from checking in, checking out, and asking for pool towels, there wasn't much need to interact with any of the staff. None the less, they always offered greetings and smiles. This is extremely important, as many luxury accommodations can have a "stale" or pretentious feel that isn't very inviting, when it comes to staff interactions. It is evident that this resort has a focus on guest experience.
10. Location
Sunrise Ridge Resort is located at the far end of Resort Drive, an area of Parksville where numerous ocean-front resorts are located. The benefit of being at one end means that the only traffic around the resort is the traffic destined for the resort. The main lodge, unfortunately, does not have ocean-views. There are ocean-front suites, but one must specifically book them. However, a short 5 minute walk from the main lodge and you will be at the ocean. The beach is not fine sand, but rather rocky and very natural. It is a very nice area, and you can walk many kilometers along the waterfront.
11. Cost
There are 5 cost categories that LuxuryReview.ca utilizes. They comprise of the following:
Category E - <$100.00 per night
Category D - $100.00 to $249.00 per night
Category C - $250.00 to $499.00 per night
Category B - $500.00 to $999.00 per night
Category A - >$999.00 per night
Based on this system, Sunrise Ridge Resort qualifies as a Category C property, based on peak-season rates.
12. Rating
The rating classification system is a subjective opinion, using points allocated based on a first-hand experience. All categories have a maximum of 10 points, resulting in a score out of 100.
Common area - Inviting, clean, nothing overly special but exceptionally spacious -
9/10
Living Area - Well laid out, furniture was comfortable, area was neat and tidy. Kitchen was very nicely stocked -
9/10
Bedrooms - Individual TVs which was nice, plenty of usable furniture like a dresser, but not very large in floor space -
8.5/10
Bathrooms - Fixtures were in excellent condition, well stocked with one-time-use products, stand up showers felt luxurious. No jetted tub, however -
9/10
Cleanliness - Very clean unit, nothing major noted. Bedding, towels, kitchenware was crisp and clean. Very minor dust was noted behind some furniture -
9/10
Amenities - Zero-cost underground heated parking, a heated pool and jetted hot tub, communal outdoor fireplace, fitness centre, all of which were clean and in good repair -
9.5/10
Noise - Very little noise was noted, including at night time with windows left open. Therefore, noise was not a factor in this property -
10/10
Staff interaction - Staff were very friendly and attentive. Not much interaction was required outside of checking in and checking out -
9.5/10
Location - Excellent location along Resort Drive, in Parksville, British Columbia. However, lack of direct / visible ocean view is a negative point -
8.5/10
Cost - As a category C property, points are awarded on a sliding scale without opinion -
6/10
Total score: 88 out of 100
13. Final Thoughts
This resort offers a very high value proposition, as it is very difficult to find a similar value for dollar spent. More over, the resort's family-friendly attitude makes it ideal for vacationers with kids. This is an entry level luxury condominium, with great amenities, in a good location in a very desirable ocean-front vacation area. Therefore, LuxuryReview.ca absolutely
RECOMMENDS Sunrise Ridge Resort.