Arriving Early in Sun Peaks

Arriving Early in Sun Peaks?
What to Do Before Check-In

Let's set the scene... you’ve made it to Sun Peaks and you’re excited for your getaway to begin. Perhaps you’ve finished a long drive, or flown in and reached Sun Peaks well before check-in. What can you do if your accommodation isn’t ready yet? It's tempting to go straight there and hope for an early check-in. But arriving unexpectedly in the middle of a turnover can throw off the work already underway. 

If you expect to arrive early, ask about your options well before your travel day. Turnover is a busy time, and your host or their team may not be checking messages while they prepare for your arrival. A request during this time might go unseen until it’s too late to make arrangements.

Know before arrival where to park or be dropped off, and what you’ll do with luggage, gear and groceries if early access isn’t available. Then you can make a plan for those first few hours—and start enjoying Sun Peaks.

Pinetree Host Experience: One winter, a group of 12 unexpectedly arrived early by shuttle at 12:30pm during a busy same-day turnover. They had a week’s worth of groceries, luggage and ski gear, and the house was in the middle of being prepared. To let everyone in to use the washrooms and kitchen would have impacted the cleaning schedule. It also would have meant their first look at the chalet was the mess left by the previous guests, rather than a home ready to welcome them at 4pm.

They waited outside near the doors and windows while we worked, which felt awkward for everyone. They ultimately took our suggestion of exploring the village. 

This experience is a great example of why we encourage guests to sort out their arrival plans in advance. We want every moment in Sun Peaks to be the best it can be — had we known they were arriving early, we could have arranged a more comfortable start to their stay. We hope the ideas in this article help other guests make the most of those hours before check-in. 

Start with your car, luggage and groceries

Check your host’s arrival instructions before heading to the property. Parking spaces may still be occupied by departing guests or needed by the cleaning team. If you’re arriving by shuttle, ask where you can be dropped off and whether there’s somewhere to leave your bags.

Sun Peaks Resort offers free day parking in designated lots. Check the parking information before you arrive. If you have refrigerated groceries or gear you don’t want to leave in a vehicle, take care of those arrangements before setting off for a longer activity.

If you need a washroom before your accommodation is ready, there are washrooms in Sun Peaks village, including the Village Day Lodge and the Annex.

Explore Sun Peaks village

If you're just waiting for an hour or two, you don’t need a major outing. Take a walk through the pedestrian village, find somewhere for lunch or coffee, and get a feel for the shops, services and lift areas. It’s an easy way to stretch your legs after travelling and start your getaway at a comfortable pace.

Many restaurants have an outdoor patio area even through the winter season - and some are heated or have fire pits. Enjoy a hot chocolate while you watch skiers finish their runs into the lifts area. In summer, you'll find it exciting to watch the mountain bikers.

There is also a playground available year-round that will amuse all ages for an hour or two. 

Staying during ski season?

If you’re already equipped for the mountain, you may have time to collect tickets or rentals and fit in some skiing or snowboarding. If your group would rather save the slopes for a full day, consider snowshoeing, skating or tubing. Check the current hours for winter activities when making plans.

For guests with more time, consider reserving one of these activities:

Mountain Man Dog Sled Adventures

Horse-drawn winter sleigh ride

Snowmobile Tour

Sun Peaks also offers a complimentary in-resort shuttle so you can explore the various areas. Check the route and schedule.

Of course, after a long day of travel, a leisurely lunch may be exactly what your group needs. There is a wide range of restaurants in Sun Peaks village.

Pinetree Host Tip: In winter, half of the flights to Kamloops airport arrive between 10am-11am. Collecting luggage and arranging your car rental or shuttle transfer will get you to Sun Peaks about 1.5 hours after landing. Consider planning your activity around that timing. 

Staying in summer?

A walk through the village or along a valley trail (and beyond) is a pleasant way to begin without committing everyone to a long excursion. Check out the games and family activities available around the village during your visit - both before and during your stay.

If you have several hours and the lifts are operating, you could go hiking or mountain biking, or play disc golf.
Golfers might plan on playing a round before settling in.

Depending on your group’s interests and the time available, you could also arrange horseback riding, a carriage ride, fly fishing, or canoeing or paddle boarding at a nearby lake. Some activities require reservations or a drive from the village.

Check the resort’s summer activities and events before you travel.

Use the time for practical things, too

An early arrival can be a good opportunity to pick up groceries or other supplies along the way, or in town. Arrange rental equipment, collect tickets or decide what restaurants everyone wants to try.

If you’re travelling as a large group, you don’t all have to do the same thing. Some people can run errands while others explore the village.

Pinetree Host Tip: If you plan to arrive early, arrange for your host to text you when the house is ready.

If you’ve reserved Pinetree Chalet

Guests driving to Sun Peaks have more flexibility over their arrival time and somewhere to keep their belongings. We know it can be harder to adjust your timing when you’re arriving after a flight. If you tell us your plans in advance, we can sometimes adapt our turnover to help:

• • If you’ve booked the main house + Sugar Pine Suite, we can focus on preparing the suite first, giving your group somewhere to store belongings and food, use the facilities, or rest while we finish the main house.

  • If food storage is your main concern, we can discuss whether access to part of the main house can be arranged.

  • If you’re driving, we can normally accommodate two or three vehicles during a turnover.

Guests of Pinetree can check out distances from the Chalet here.  You'll also find other ideas and links.

These arrangements need to be agreed upon at least two weeks before you arrive. Changing the order of cleaning can add time to the turnover, so early access to one area may mean the rest of the chalet is ready later than it otherwise would be.

Make the first hours part of your plans

Let your host know ahead of time if you expect to arrive early. Even when early access isn’t possible, advance notice gives them a chance to suggest options or work around your plans. Turnovers take time, particularly for a large home, and interruptions will slow the team down.

Arriving before check-in doesn’t have to feel like you’re waiting. With parking sorted out and a plan in place, that time can become part of your Sun Peaks experience. Then, when your accommodation is ready, you can arrive, unpack and settle in, having already had some fun Sun Peaks adventures.