A ski resort nestled in the Albertan Rockies is taking its holiday spirit to new heights this year.
The Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, located southeast of Canmore, has transformed from into a life-sized gingerbread village. The immersive walk-through experience begins from the moment you arrive at the hotel, with playful gingerbread designs adorning the windows and doors. “You can feel the holidays coming to life,” says Liz Hovey-Smith, the general manager at the resort. “Outside by the firepit, you can make s’mores then go for a stroll through the gingerbread village with the backdrop of the beautiful panorama around us.”
Life-sized gingerbread houses, people, and candy canes—all with a sweet animated appearance—dot the family-friendly resort. Visitors can walk through the immersive experience or hop on the holiday train for a ride.
Inside the lobby is where the real gingerbread makes its show-stopping appearance. An eight-foot-tall replica of the resort, baked in-house, gives guests a real taste of the holidays. A spritz of a gingerbread scent in the lobby adds to the immersive experience.
“We tried to lean into what the holidays mean to people in Canada,” says Hovey-Smith. “We were already doing gingerbread house decorating, so we started to think about how we could really bring that to life.”
The lodge partnered with a production house and local artists to create the exhibit. After a great response from guests in 2023 about the resort’s first foray into the village, with gingerbread-themed decorations on the front facade, the team decided to go full-out with the idea.
And the holiday magic doesn’t stop here. There are plenty of activities for kids and adults alike to partake in into the new year. From Mrs. Claus’s story time, to writing letters to Santa, to a grown-up cocktail class, visitors of all ages have no shortage of memories to make. Just before Christmas, Santa’s reindeer even arrive on the scene to visit guests—and yes, they’re real!
“Our guests love it,” says Hovey-Smith. “They love the creativity and how it’s extra special for the whole family, but we really try to develop these moments of wonder for kids.”
The Kananaskis Mountain Lodge’s holiday programming runs from now until January 5th.
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