Sandy Beach Suites: For Snowbirds and Digital Nomads in Okanagan Wine Country

You might think that snowbirds — northern residents who head for warmer climates in the winter — travel only to places like Florida, Arizona, and California. But some snowbirds find warmer weather farther north — in Canada.

Particularly at its southern end around the towns of Osoyoos and Oliver, British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley has long drawn travelers with its mild, desertlike climate. In the winter, it’s not warm like the southern United States, but it’s much milder than the rest of Canada. The summers are hot, and the springs and autumns are beautiful.

The Osoyoos area has a number of properties that cater to longer-term visitors, whether winter-season snowbirds, families vacationing by the lake, or digital nomads looking for a low-key place to work. Sandy Beach Suites is one of those properties.

Here’s the scoop:

Sandy Beach Suites is located directly on the shores of Osoyoos Lake. Built around a grassy lawn, its 28 units are located in several two-story buildings and in older cottages.

The majority are two-bedroom suites with living areas and full kitchens, stocked with dishes, glasses, and pots and pans, designed for longer-term stays. The property also has four smaller studio units with a queen bed, sofa bed, and full kitchen. All suites have flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi.

Built in 2013, the newest suites are closest to the lake shore. While even these newer units are far more modest than the nearby Watermark Beach Resort, the furnishings throughout are solid and functional, including sturdy sleep sofas and pine coffee tables.

Although not all units are right on the lake, some are or are close enough to have views of the water and the surrounding hills.

And some have balconies directly facing the sandy beach that gives the property its name.

The property’s original units are cottages set back from the lake. The interiors are simpler than in the newer suites, but they’d work well for families, especially those with younger children.

From the cottages, the kids can dash out the front door to the children’s play area or borrow games, puzzles, and cards from the office.

There are courts for tennis, pickleball, basketball, and volleyball. In the summer, you can use the paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes to explore the lake or relax in the loungers or Adirondack chairs in the sand. Several gas barbecues are available for guests’ use, as is a coin-operated laundry.

What’s Nearby?

If you love wine, the Okanagan is your place, with more than 200 wineries lining the valley from the U.S. border north beyond the city of Kelowna. There are nearly three dozen wineries in the Osoyoos-Oliver area alone, so you don’t need to go far from Sandy Beach Suites for wine-tasting.

Also nearby are the excellent Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, an Indigenous-run facility that showcases the people and natural environment of the South Okanagan, and Nk’Mip Cellars, the first Indigenous-owned winery in Canada.

Rates

Whether you’re escaping the cold winter, bringing the family to the beach, or looking for a place to work with easy access to the outdoors and to numerous wineries, check out Sandy Beach Suites in BC’s Okanagan Valley. Nightly rates start at CAD$129. You can compare rates and book through an online site such as Hotels.com as well.

Between October and March, you can rent suites for stays of 30 days to six months at a discounted rate. Contact the property directly for details on these “snowbird” packages.

Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Destination British Columbia and Destination Osoyoos provided support for my Okanagan research trip.