Less than five hours west of Calgary and more than six hours northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia’s Revelstoke is the heli-skiing capital of the world, best known as the home of North America’s greatest vertical drop at 5,620 feet on Mount Mackenzie. For decades, investors have been unsuccessfully plotting to expand this quiet town of just 8,275 residents and its sole lodge, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, into a large-scale, year-round luxury destination to rival Breckenridge and Whistler. Now, an unlikely investor is promising to reshape Revelstoke by next year.
“Cabot Revelstoke represents our first mountain destination with golf and ski offerings,” says Ben Cowan-Dewar, CEO and cofounder of golf links owner and operator Cabot, known for celebrated courses such as Castle Stuart Golf Links in the Scottish Highlands and Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.
Although the project was announced in November 2020, it won’t have residential occupancies until the fall of 2026. The project’s slow pace is due in large part to the short working windows created (ironically) by the area’s greatest asset: the average of 40 to 60 feet of heavy snowfall it receives each winter.
The new resort offers chalet inspired villas, cozy rooms and massive residences.
Courtesy of Cabot Revelstoke
At the base of the Revelstoke Mountain Resort, the new Cabot Revelstoke adds a second, far more luxurious resort consisting of a 150-room lodge, alongside six-chalet-inspired villas and 79 residences. Pricing for those residences starts at $2.9 million and each will range from two to five bedrooms with hot tubs, barrel saunas, and the rest of the wintertime works. It’s a real estate–first model, with owners adding their villas into the pool for nightly rentals, with housekeeping and bookings managed by Cabot. The resort has an on-site restaurant and bar, a pro shop, a fitness center, and a spa with a cold plunge pool, cryotherapy treatments, and a geothermal-heated pool. And, of course, to keep the year-round interest up, there’s golf.
“While it will mark our second Canadian property, it will be very different and aims to offer one of the best mountain golf resort experiences in North America,” says Cowan-Dewar. “The location also provides the opportunity to attract buyers beyond our core base of golf aficionados.”
Dubbed Cabot Pacific, the links will overlook the Columbia River with sweeping views of the Monashee and Selkirk Mountains. Cowan-Dewar says it will be unlike anything in the Canadian Alps. The course itself will build on the success of Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia and feature 18 holes. Mountains aren’t the greatest locations for golf courses due to difficult terrain and uphill and downhill settings. However, developers for the Revelstoke property opted to place it on Mount MacKenzie because it had no extreme slopes—a rarity in most mountainous settings. Golfers will be able to tee on the walkable course, dubbed Cabot Pacific, which is designed by Canadian golf course architect Rod Whitman. Currently, the course is under construction and is targeted to open in 2026.
The residences start at $2.9 million.
Courtesy of Cabot Revelstoke
“Golfers can anticipate magnificent natural undulations while they navigate through cliffs, winding creeks, and breathtaking scenic outlooks,” he says. Other summer season draws will be hiking, heli-fishing and mountain biking. His other pitch: the serenity long ago lost in Aspen and Vail.
“It has the feel of an undiscovered mountain paradise and an idyllic outdoor playground for adventures,” Cowan-Dewar adds. “Enjoy world-class skiing in a place known for its small-town charm and shorter lift lines compared to other ski resorts in North America.”
