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Special Amenities, Services & Facts about King Pacific Lodge, A Rosewood Resort
Surprising Facts
Did you know that...
King Pacific Lodge is inside a newly created state park twice the size of Yellowstone, covering 4.4 million acres.
With no roads in the area, the lodge is only accessible by boat or sea plane.
The lodge is not anchored to land but floats (built on a barge, it's towed in from Prince Rupert for the May-September season)
The rainforest surrounding the lodge is the largest remaining tract of temperate rainforest in the world (and is home to an incredible variety of mosses, lichens and ancient cedar and other trees, not to mention an abundance of wildlife)
The area's rare Kermode bear, known as the "Spirit Bear," which has a double recessive gene giving the black bear its unique cream coloring, is found no where else on earth.
40% of guests who catch a fish at King Pacific Lodge do so for first time.
Despite being out in remote wilderness, the favorite guest activity is spa treatments.
Recent Awards & Kudos
Celebrated Living: Readers' Choice Platinum Awards 2007, Top 20 Editor's Picks: Canada
#1 Wilderness Lodge in the World for 2006, Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report
Best Resort in British Columbia for 2005, World Travel Awards
Leader in Responsible Eco- and Cultural-Tourism
King Pacific Lodge has been a regional leader in eco-friendly wilderness tourism, demonstrated by its commitment to tread lightly on the land and sea that surrounds it, strong support of conservancy efforts, and development of a close working relationship with the local First Nations (indigenous) people.
From the outset, King Pacific's President, Michael Uehara, and owner, Joe Morita, were dedicated to creating a lodge that would be a viable and sustainable tourism model. Natural habitats and indigenous cultures were often undermined by the advance of tourism, but they would not let this happen here. Instead, they forged a complementary relationship with the land, the ocean and the Gitga'at, who had been stewards of the Great Bear Rainforest for centuries. They signed a working protocol with the Gitga'at, the first tourism business in British Columbia to do so with a First Nation people. As part of its commitment to corporate social responsibility, a third of the lodge's staff are from Hartley Bay, home of the Gitga'at, and each year eight Gitga'at youth are mentored at the lodge.
Both Mr. Uehara and Mr. Morita have been adopted by the Gitga'at Nation as a sign of the mutual respect and fondness that has developed over the years. For years, they have been active on behalf of the lodge and with several organizations to establish protection for the vast rainforest here. On February 7, 2006, the goal was realized when the Premier of British Columbia, with Mr. Uehara on the stage with him at the press conference, announced the creation of the Great Bear Rainforest State Park. Covering 4.4 million-acres, it is twice the size of Yellowstone National Park.
The guest experience at King Pacific Lodge is based on profound respect for the temperate rainforest environment in which the Lodge is situated and for the traditions of the Gitga'at. The lodge offers guests a number of cultural and learning opportunities in order to share the beauty of this special place and these special people.
Guests may visit Hartley Bay (or Txalgiiw as it is known to the Gitga'at), a remote village of 300 accessible only by boat or floatplane with no roads or vehicles but rather a series of connecting boardwalks between houses. In Hartley Bay, guests visit the Museum and Longhouse which house significant cultural works. Strolling along the boardwalk, guests have many opportunities to meet village residents. For special events such as weddings, anniversaries or corporate celebrations, a traditional Gitga'at feast ceremony can be arranged.
Other cultural sites to visit include: Old Town, or Laxgaltsap, the original sacred site of the first Gitga'at settlement and Kiel, the traditional spring seaweed and halibut camp, both accessible only by boat; and the traditional longhouse in Cornwall Inlet. Reached by a short helicopter flight, this spectacular eight-mile-long inlet is of spiritual significance and home for many ancient burial boxes.
A Dining Experience of Unique Culinary Influences
The culinary experience at King Pacific Lodge reflects the lodge's Japanese heritage, its setting in the wilderness of British Columbia and location in the traditional lands of the Gitga'at people, stewards of this area for centuries.
The lodge's Japanese owners, the Morita family, bring a 360-year tradition of sake making that is the standard of excellence in Japan. This achievement is honored by pursuing the highest culinary standards at the lodge. British Columbia has stepped onto the world stage with award -winning wines, cheeses, produce and other foods - which are the foundation of the cooking in the lodge's kitchen. For the Gitga'at people, salmon is not just food source but a way of life; this rhythm and balance of nature is expressed in King Pacific's cuisine, which focuses on the fresh fish of the region.
Though located in remote wilderness, King Pacific Lodge creates a sophisticated dining experience comparable in quality to major world cities but unique in its expression of local and regional flavors. Everything served to guests has meaning and is presented for a reason. The dining table at the Lodge is a stage for the confluence of unique culinary influences that is shared with each guest. Here are several recent dinner menus:
Local Spot Prawn Consommé
Sake and Soy Marinated Sablefish, dashi broth, shimeji mushrooms
Paired with: Blasted Church Pinot Gris 2002, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan, BC
or
Cowichan Valley Duck, apple and celeriac tart, green beans, preserved cherry jus
Paired with: NK=Mip Pinot Noir 2002, Osoyoos, Okanagan, BC
Apricot Frangipane Tart, black tea ice cream, spiced merlot
Wild Mushroom Tortelloni, mushroom cappuccino
Paired with: Sandhill Pinot Gris 2003, King Family Vineyard, Penticton, BC
Vancouver Island Organic Chicken, nugget potato, housemade red wine juniper sausage
Paired with: NK=Mip Pinot Noir 2002, Osoyoos, Okanagan, BC
or
Red Wine Braised Halibut, artichoke, carrot, spinach
Paired with: Arrowleaf Merlot 2002, Okanagan Valley, Okanagan, BC
Ginger Panna Cotta, toasted cinnamon ice cream, apricot culis
Whales, Bears & Other Wildlife
King Pacific Lodge is situated in one of the most biologically diverse areas of the planet, in the largest remaining tract of temperate rainforest in the world. Fertile coldwater currents here offer rich nutrients to support a flourishing ocean population. The area is home to an incredible variety of mosses, lichens and ancient trees. The Lodge is inside a 4.4- million acre park created in February 2006 by British Columbia, which also set aside an additional 10 million acres here as protected territory.
Amid this natural splendor, wildlife not just abounds - but can be readily seen by guests at every turn. Setting out on excursions or fishing trips from the Lodge each day, traveling by boat, kayak, or helicopter throughout a remote wilderness where few other humans have tread, guests see these creatures in their natural environment. They encounter seals, porpoises, otters, eagles, grizzly and black bears, orcas, and humpback and gray whales.
The lodge's guides are highly trained and knowledgeable in local flora and fauna, leading excursions that are as educational as they are entertaining. Whale watching, a guest favorite, is particularly exceptional. A special visit can be arranged to the Orca Research Lab where whale researchers Janie Wray and Herman Mewter are pleased to share their recordings of whale songs and their countless stories of whale encounters. The spectacular humpback whale migration is a natural event not to be missed; often humpbacks will be feeding right in Barnard Harbour, visible from the deck of the lodge.
Another favorite, conducted only in September, is tracking the rare Kermode, known as the "Spirit Bear." This black bear with a unique cream coloring due to a double recessive gene is often seen in a river fishing for salmon, trekking along the shore of a lake or padding through the forest. Many guests come for the world-class ocean- and fly-fishing experience, including heli-fly-fishing on remote rivers - a different one each day if you like because the region is crossed by more than 20 watersheds (flyfishing is catch and release). Guests' ocean catch can be prepared for the evening meal or frozen and shipped home for a celebratory dinner with friends and family upon their return.
Weddings on the Wild Side
For that most important of days, what could be more memorable and dramatic than exchanging vows amid 1,000-year-old cedars in the Great Bear Rainforest, on top of a glacier surrounded by glacial peaks, or on a remote windswept beach 70 miles from the nearest town watching humpbacks swimming by?
Getting married at King Pacific Lodge is a far cry from a typical hotel wedding. It is filled with an unparalleled spirit and emotion, and the personal feeling of having been part of something inexplicably special.
With an increasing number of couples choosing it as their dream wedding location, King Pacific Lodge has garnered extensive experience at choreographing ceremonies down to the last detail, leaving the couple to enjoy a stress-free wedding and honeymoon. Because of this growing popularity, and to make it even simpler for couples, the Lodge has also created a wedding program called "A Wedding on the Wild Side."
The program pampers couples with every luxury, from a bottle of champagne upon arrival to breakfast in bed after the wedding. It includes a local commissioner performing the ceremony in any denomination and following the exchange of vows (which doesn't have to be out in wilderness, if that's too much excitement, but can be at the lodge itself such as on the outside deck), a reception for the wedding party in the Great Room or Dining Room. The team of chefs creates succulent dishes in the British Columbia Regional style using local ingredients and seafood. Other components of the package comprise the wedding planning service, flower arrangements, wedding cake, private dinner, and gifts for the bride and groom.
Meetings & Incentives in the Wild
Whether a corporate retreat, a board meeting or an incentive reward, the group experience at King Pacific Lodge is unlike any other. Attendees enjoy rustic luxury and comfort with beautifully appointed accommodations and public gathering areas, and pampering with a full-service spa and gourmet cuisine. Yet they are completely immersed in such remote wilderness that the only distractions are soaring eagles and breaching whales. Surrounded by the world's largest remaining temperate rainforest, attendees' attention and time can be completely focused on the experience and an agenda of work and/or play that is tailored specifically for the group.
The lodge is an ideal venue and setting whether the business at hand is setting corporate strategy, forging stronger interrelationships with each other, or simply a spectacular reward for top sales executives. Days may be filled with inimitable, and unforgettable, activities, from tracking Spirit Bears and watching orcas to heli-fishing on a remote river where perhaps no one has angled before. Evenings may be devoted to roundtable discussions or any type of group activity in the Great Room, as well as exceptional group dining events and spa appointments, provided either in-room or at the Spa.
Smaller groups may opt for the privacy of the Princess Royal Suite which is comprised of two floors and includes a lounge with wood-burning fireplace and a dining area that seats eight.
For unwinding, recharging, sparking creativity, building camaraderie and creating impressions of lasting and even awe-inspiring impact, King Pacific Lodge stands apart as a perfect venue for high-level small meetings, corporate retreats and incentives.
CONTACT INFORMATION
King Pacific Lodge, A Rosewood Resort
Mailing Address: 255 West 1st Street, Ste 214, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7M 3G8
T 604.987.5452 or toll-free 888.592.5464
F 604.987.5472
info@kingpacificlodge.com |
