This blog post is brought to you by my Lake Country upbringing, current Kelowna residency, and the many queries that have I received regarding the best hotel options to book.

For those who are not familiar with Kelowna, it is a smaller city located in the southern region of British Columbia, Canada. I grew up in Oyama, which is a small orchard town within the district of Lake Country. It is about 30 minutes from the city.

Nestled within the Okanagan Valley, Kelowna is surrounded by lakes, orchards, and wineries. It is also about an hour’s flight from Vancouver or Calgary.

If you plan on visiting Kelowna, between May and October, my first piece of advice is to book your hotel room as far ahead as possible. Between wine, beach and wedding season, room availability can disappear fairly quickly.

On that note, I’ve gathered a list of preferred hotels within 45 minutes from the main Okanagan airport.

Central Kelowna

These hotels are conveniently close to Hwy 97, which will take you from Vernon to Pentiction. They are roughly located between downtown and the airport. You’ll find the city’s main mall, shopping plazas, the farmer’s market, movie theatres, restaurants, grocery stores, and other essential services nearby.

• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Kelowna
• Hyatt Place Kelowna

Downtown

You really can’t go wrong with the downtown Kelowna location. The only hotel I’d recommend within the area is the Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort (you can read more on my guide HERE). The hotel is surrounded by the lake and within walking distance of the city park, local restaurants, shops, and the beach. Also, their lakeside restaurant is one of my favourites. 

Lower Mission

Definitely one of my favourite areas within the city. It is a mixture of orchards, wineries, shops, restaurants and lake access. I should also note that KGH isn’t far away. 

Right along the lake, I love the historic bouquet hotel charm you get when staying at the Hotel Eldorado. Also, their Sunday brunch with a lake view is fantastic. 

YLW

The Four Points by Sheraton Kelowna Airport is minutes away from Kelowna’s International Airport (YLW), which is located about 20 minutes from downtown Kelowna (if traffic is on your side). From my experience, it continues to be a convenient option for colleagues visiting from out of town. As such, I have made many reservations here, not including the many office happy hours at their restaurant. 

I would stay here if you have a flight to catch or are visiting the university (UBC Okanagan). It’s also worth noting that it is less than minutes from Lake Country, which is between Kelowna and Vernon.

outside of Kelowna

West Kelowna

I honestly do not spend a whole lot of time over the bridge. I do however know that you do not have to look very far for agritourism, wineries, or lake access. It’s a good location to stay if you plan on touring around the South Okanagan, such as the nearby towns of Peachland and Summerland. 

• TownePlace Suites by Marriott West Kelowna
• Fairfield Inn & Suites West Kelowna

Vernon

For those who are not familiar with the area, Vernon is about 30 minutes north of YLW. It’s a good option if you want to be near the wineries in Lake Country or will be visiting the North Okanagan.

• Predator Ridge Resort
• Sparkling Hill Resort (read my guide HERE)

If you’re planning on visiting Kelowna soon, feel free to comment below if you have any further questions or DM me on Instagram. Click HERE to view my hotel guide.

JESSICA. xx

Disclosure:

The hotels listed above are only ones that I would either stay at again or would recommend to a family or friend who is visiting from out of town.