April Point Resort & Spa Reel Reports

New Menu, Same Great Location

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2013-05-08

April Point is known for its beautiful location and fantastic views. With wildlife virtually everywhere you look and the ocean right outside the dining room it’s a fantastic place to go for a leisurely lunch or a romantic dinner. Now, you have one more reason to head over to Quadra Island for your next meal.

New executive chef JD Runnells has created a brand new menu that promises to have something for everyone. With a fantastic selection of seafood, steak, chicken, fresh salads and more, we promise you won’t be disappointed. And don’t fear sushi lovers, sushi is still available and is as delicious as ever.

If you’re not interested in dealing with the ferry, simply drive to our sister resort, Painter’s Lodge. From there you can catch the free water taxi to April Point. You may even see some seals, sea lions or orcas along the way.

With Mother’s Day this Sunday, now is the perfect time to give our Dining Room a try. Brunch will be offered and we’ll be pulling out all the stops. Our chefs are working hard to take this year’s brunch to the next level, so we hope to see you there. Reservations are recommended.

Catch you later,

Travis

Tastes of Indulgence

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2012-09-19

What a week it was at April Point!

On Friday afternoon guests began arriving for the 3^rd annual food and wine celebration ‘Tastes of April Point’. The event commenced Friday evening with a wine and cheese tasting with presenter Jason Hyde, Vancouver Island Sales Manager of Peacock & Martin Ltd. New and return guests of ‘Tastes’– all equally cheery to be present– sampled locally made wine and cheese while mingling and eventually became distracted by the classic Quadra Island sunset. The tasting was held in the Salons which open onto the Dining Room deck. Unsurprisingly, this is where the majority of guests found themselves by the end of the night! I found myself saying time and time again of the sunset, “Yep, this is normal!”

The first events scheduled for Saturday were the Morning Tea Sessions. Jennifer Gidora, General Manager of the Marina Restaurant in Oak Bay, educated guests on a variety of teas from around the world that she had available to try.

Throughout the afternoon guests split into groups and took turns visiting more seminars. Stefen Soltysiak, Director of Education at Rodney Strong Vineyards, hosted the Biodynamic Wine Seminar which was highly educational and engaging. Chef Brandon of Gordon Food Services lead visitors through the flavours of hand-selected olives direct from small scale artisan olive farms in the Mediterranean. The olive tasting was originally planned to be held under a tent on Discovery Lawn but was moved beside the tent so guests could soak up the September rays. No one complained. Adjacent to the Spa was another tent which was the site of the Bean-to-Bar Chocolate and Dessert Wine Pairing. Together, Sommelier Lesley Brown of Mark Anthony Brands and Janice James of Cook Culture in Victoria made sure their presentation surpassed everyone’s expectations.

Once the seminars were finished the individual groups gathered together to sip bubbly and sample freshly shucked oysters (when I say fresh I mean they were shucked right in front of us!) before indulging in a five course wine pairing dinner in the dining room. April Point Executive Chef Stephanie Dykes and her whole team outdid themselves once again and made everyone feeling like kings!

After sleeping in, guests packed their bags and took the water taxi to Painter’s Lodge for Sunday brunch to cap off a magnificent three days. The sun shone the entire weekend and temperatures bordered on record-breaking highs hitting 26 degrees! I had the fortune of seeing the event from more of a guest eye view versus that of a crew member and couldn't help but think of how great it would be to share with my family and friends.

‘Tastes’ is a bittersweet event for the April Point crew because although it’s one long celebration it also means the season has come to an end. We had a memorable summer and made many new friends that we look forward to seeing again and again (that goes for guests and fellow crew members.) We have the official water taxi number, too! 66,098 persons rode our free water shuttle to and from the resort this year. If we didn't see you on the dock we sure hope to next spring!

'Til next time,

Joanna

PS. To see even more photos from ‘Tastes’ and around April Point I recommend visiting us on Facebook.

No Rain

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2012-07-03

April Point Resort & Spa was a hub of activity on Saturday as crew and guests prepared for Allie & Keith’s wedding. The weather forecast called for rain but the showers had managed to hold out all afternoon. However, Allie and Keith’s much-anticipated ceremony wasn’t scheduled until 5 pm, so as the cloud cover got thicker there was a definite sense of worry that the festivities could get rained on. Luckily, the weather cooperated and the beautiful couple got the wonderful ceremony they deserved. It helped that their 120 guests didn’t have to whip out umbrellas, either!

A number of people flocked to April Point to take advantage of our land and water activities over Canada Day long weekend. On the dock, I met a couple who had left the big city life of Burnaby behind for the weekend in search of some peace and relaxation. Sitting in adirondack chairs listening to the conversations of our resident eagles, it was obvious they had found what they were searching for on Quadra Island. Nearby, two sets of friends took off for tandem kayak adventures through Gowlland Harbour, a husband and wife rented scooters for an afternoon tour of Quadra, and dozens of families came and went on our water shuttle.

We’re still awaiting hot summer weather here on the west coast but this weekend proved that a day without rain is all we really need to have an awesome time. Scratch that – we’re from BC, it could rain all summer and we’d have fun.

See you in a few,

Joanna

Wedding Perfection

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2012-05-19

With her son on her arm, Andrea walked down the aisle this afternoon towards her husband-to-be, Bill. I’m always up for wedding watching but today I was especially thrilled because I’d yet to observe one at April Point Resort & Spa. Our outdoor ceremony site takes the worry out of decorating because you simply don’t need to do any…at all. Andrea, Bill and their guests gathered on the lawn perched slightly above the beach with Discovery Passage effortlessly acting as their main backdrop. Tonight the couple and their guests will eat, drink, and be merry in the Salon with an immaculate view of the sun setting over Vancouver Island.

Shortly before the nuptials, I had the pleasure of meeting Donna Dennis for the first time. Donna acted as the couple’s officiant, as she does at many weddings at April Point and Painter’s Lodge. Donna is a resident of Quadra Island and actually used to work at April Point for many years. She takes great pride in her role; often coordinating her scarves with the wedding colour scheme and always asking for the bride’s opinion of what colour she should wear. I enjoyed listening to her smooth and heart-felt ceremony.

Congratulations to Andrea and Bill from our entire crew! I look forward to witnessing more lucky couples say their "I do's" at April Point this season. What a joy it is to share in such a special moment with someone in this one-of-a-kind place.

Finding Ways to Connect

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2012-05-17

We have two different boats that act as shuttles between April Point and Painter’s Lodge. Connector 1 is the larger of the two, Connector 2 the smaller (both names are short for April Point Connector). I’d seen 1 make several runs in my short time here but just yesterday I realized that I hadn’t actually been on it.

There are several differences (besides overall look) between the boats, one main difference—without getting technical on you— is that Connector 1 is better at handling the sea on stormy days. Today was one of those days! The sun was shining without a single cloud joining it in the sky, but it was mighty windy here on the coast. I rode across this morning with three young boys, all under the age of 6, who loved every minute of the trip. Noses glued to the windows, they squealed in delight every time we hit a bump and waves sprayed the glass. As the day progressed, the wind died down and the tide at Painter’s Lodge moved out. It was time to dock Connector 1 and bring out Connector 2, which has a smaller hull and can safely navigate through a low tide to reach their dock.

Guests may wonder if it’s even possible to cross the Discovery Passage on days like today, but we assure them we’re well-equipped. You may arrive on a different boat then you depart on but, just like the weather here in B.C., we’re all about variety.

See you in a few,

Joanna

Brunch Moms

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2012-05-13

The April Point Dining Room saw hundreds of families and couples come through today as we hosted our Mother’s Day Brunch. Guests arrived at the resort by the dozen via the April Point Connector and the Connector 2 from the Painter's Lodge Dock. We had both boats operating because of the large volume of people travelling who were eager for the awesome food. My favourite thing about brunch is that it has no barriers. It seems you can enjoy this hybrid meal anytime between 9 am and 3 pm, it’s not confined to a conventional menu (we served various kinds of seafood, desserts and there was even a ham being carved) and it can be either a relaxed or formal dining experience.

Whatever shape their brunch took, I am confident the moms who joined us went home full, happy and full of vitamin D... that sunshine was something else!

See you in a few,

Joanna

What A Concept

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2012-05-10

Guests of April Point Resort & Spa have the ability to choose their own vacation adventure. While some visitors may desire the rush of a rapids tour or the excitement of reeling in a 20 lb. salmon, others may define true adventure as “checking out” – mentally and physically. (I’m looking your way, workaholics!) This “checking out” is often achieved upon “checking in” to our Spa.

The Spa at April Point is an Aveda Spa offering body care, face care, hand and foot care, as well as entire line of services for gentlemen. The Spa is its own separate building and you must cross a small footbridge to get to it, as it sits on a large saltwater pond. In my experience with spas, (and I actually have a lot) most of them play ambient nature sounds in order to mimic the feeling of being outdoors in an exotic, tranquil space. At our Spa, if you want the peaceful outdoors… you’ve got it! The several indoor treatment rooms are modern and tastefully decorated but the most serene space is outside on the sheltered deck. Guests of The Spa may choose to have their pedicure on the deck and set to authentic nature sounds; the ocean lapping the bluffs below you, a gentle breeze blowing off the water and through the trees, birds chirping, and, who knows, maybe an orca breeching!

While I was visiting The Spa this afternoon I overheard two female guests squeal in disbelief that you really could combine foot rubs and panoramic ocean/mountain views. Yes ladies, you really can have it all.

See you in a few,

Joanna

Thank you, Photographers!

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2012-05-06

After a gorgeous weekend on Quadra Island, the 7^th Annual Photographers at Painter’s…at April Point wrapped up today. Amateur and professional photographers from all over B.C. arrived at April Point Resort & Spa on Friday afternoon and began a weekend packed with informative workshops. (In years passed, this event has always been held at Painter’s Lodge so this was many guests’ first trip to Quadra!) Taught by some of Western B.C.’s premier photographers, the workshops covered unique topics like shooting weddings in low-light, shooting for news, scanography, copyright, and communicating visually. On Saturday night guests of the event socialized at a wine and cheese reception, then on Sunday morning they took in a Discovery Tour aboard the Pachena Princess. The event culminated with Critique; an opportunity for amateur photographers to have their work critiqued one-on-one by the professionals. Although Critique may sound intimidating, it had an incredibly relaxed atmosphere and was an overall fabulous opportunity to receive (free!) advice.

Throughout the weekend all photographers were welcome to hang their work at the resort. Check out the awesome talent displayed on what turned into the guest photo wall.

So... thank you, photographers! We hope each and every one of you found inspiration on beautiful Quadra Island. Aren't we lucky to live here?

See you in a few,

Joanna

New Resort Video

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2011-12-19

We finished our new April Point resort video and posted it on YouTube. Check it out!

http://bit.ly/tWoq9K

See you in the Spring!

April Point Resort & Spa - Oak Bay Marine Group — 2011-09-29

Another season has come to an end for April Point Resort & Spa. We had another great summer on Beautiful Quadra Island with lots of excitement. We shuttled almost 52,095 guests on our 12 person capacity complimentary water shuttle in 4 months!

Live music, weddings on under the fir trees and lots of pedicures overlooking the Discovery Passage. We look forward to sharing all these things with you again starting in the spring of 2012.

Here’s what some of the crew had to say about their summer at April Point…

“Life on Quadra was slightly different than most. It rained through August but was hot in September! This didn’t stop the fish; they were never on schedule but always on time!” ~ ~ Leif, Dock Supervisor

“Another great season has passed at April Point Resort & Spa and I am already looking forward to opening in 2012. Every year brings new challenges – but the staff here at April Point is always ready and willing to face those challenges and to offer some wonderful solutions. It’s raining what can we do – how about the spa – ate too much – how about a bike ride – don’t want to fish – how about a zodiac trip and of course there is always the Gift Shop to browse through. We look forward to seeing all of our returning guests and we will enjoy welcoming all of our new guests and showing them what April Point Resort & Spa has to offer for that well deserved get away"

~ Bridget, Front Desk Manager

“My second season at AP (April Point) Front Desk proved once again to be an incredible experience. From meeting interesting people from around the world, working with a fantastic crew and working in a spectacular environment. I am Fortunate to be able to extend my season by finishing at PL (Painter’s Lodge).”

~Lynn, Front Desk