Looking good at 30: Delta Grand marks milestone with step back in time

To celebrate its 30th birthday, staff at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan decided to step back in time to the humble roots of the successful chain.

On Monday, just inside the front doors of one of Kelowna’s most prestigious lodgings, stood a wooden cart, covered in birthday balloons, serving a classic dessert.

“Part of our thirtieth anniversary celebration .. we wanted to celebrate with a root beer float day,” sales and marketing manager, Shannon Bruckshaw, told Kelowna10.

“The Marriott family started their business with a nine-seat root beer float stand in Washington, D.C.”

Many customers checking in to the hotel rolling their luggage behind them couldn’t resist the chance to help celebrate the resort’s birthday and order a float in either root beer or cream soda flavour.

Stacks of soda boxes stood behind the server with several cans sitting in ice, ready to be poured. A large freezer stood in the corner filled with pre-packaged ice cream in convenient root beer float serving sizes.

Money raised with the floats benefited the B.C. Children’s Hospital

“Approximately 19 children passed through the doors of the [hospital] every day in the Okanagan, so we’re passionate about this good cause," Bruckshaw said.

The culinary team at the Delta also contributed their talents to the celebration by making a large, decorated cake.

As such an iconic mainstay in downtown Kelowna, Bruckshaw noted the location itself is part of what makes it special.

The millions of guests who’ve stayed there over the decades would have enjoyed the ornate outdoor pool area, and the chance to ride a watercraft from Okanagan Lake right up to the resort to dine.

Making sure the accommodations don’t feel 30 years old, the hotel will undergo guestroom and corridor renovations in the fall.

To ‘breathe new life’ into the rooms, Bruckshaw said the flooring will be renovated and the rooms will get new beds, furniture, and other soft goods. Renovations are expected to finish by May 2023.