Our Story
Where Ancient Grandeur Meets Modern Comfort
Look, I'll be honest - when we first laid eyes on this piece of land in Whistler, most folks thought we'd lost our minds. Building a medieval fortress in the Canadian Rockies? Yeah, it sounded crazy. But there was something about the rugged landscape that just screamed for a stronghold. The kind of place where you'd expect knights to ride up any minute.
Construction started with a team of architects who'd studied actual medieval fortresses across Europe. We weren't messing around with some theme park knockoff. Every stone, every arch, every turret was designed with authentic medieval architecture in mind - then we snuck in the good stuff like heated floors and high-speed WiFi where nobody'd see 'em.
The walls started going up, and man, you should've seen people's faces driving past. We used local stone wherever we could, hand-carved details that'd make medieval masons proud. The main tower hit 60 feet, and suddenly it wasn't just a construction site anymore - it was becoming the Stronghold.
We threw open the gates in spring, and the response knocked us sideways. Guests actually gasped when they walked through the main entrance - that massive oak door with iron rivets isn't for show, it weighs half a ton. People come expecting a gimmick and leave feeling like they've time-traveled.
We're still adding touches, still perfecting the experience. Recently finished the wellness tower - because even knights needed to relax after battle, right? The place has become something beyond what we imagined. It's not just a hotel anymore, it's a destination where history comes alive.
Founder & Guardian of the Stronghold
"Sometimes the best ideas come from the craziest dreams."
So here's the deal - I grew up reading fantasy novels under the covers with a flashlight. Knights, castles, quests... the whole nine yards. Fast forward a few decades, and I'm running a successful hotel chain, but something's missing. Everything felt too... samey. Cookie-cutter luxury, you know?
Then I took this trip through Scotland, stayed in a converted castle, and it hit me like a battle-axe to the head. Why doesn't North America have more of this? Not the touristy castle-shaped buildings with plastic swords in the gift shop - I mean the real deal. A place that makes you feel something.
Whistler was already on my radar. I'd been skiing there for years. The mountains, the forests, the whole vibe - it's got this raw, untamed energy that's pretty rare these days. When this plot came up for sale, overlooking the valley with those peaks in the background, I couldn't shake the image of a fortress sitting right there.
Building this thing wasn't exactly a walk in the park. We had engineers telling us certain designs wouldn't work, contractors scratching their heads at the blueprints, and more than one supplier who thought we'd gone completely off the rails. Try explaining to a modern HVAC guy that you need climate control in a building with 3-foot-thick stone walls and arrow slits.
But we found our people - artisans who got what we were going for, craftsmen who could blend old-world techniques with new-world tech. The blacksmith who made our chandeliers? Guy's a genius. The stonemason who carved the gargoyles? Total perfectionist, drove me nuts, but look at what he created.
Here's what I wanted: a place where you can disconnect from the noise but not from comfort. Where your room has a four-poster bed fit for royalty AND a bathroom with a rainfall shower. Where dinner in the banquet hall feels like a medieval feast, but the food's actually incredible - not just roasted meat on a wooden plank.
We're not pretending it's 1350. That'd be ridiculous and honestly pretty uncomfortable. What we're doing is capturing that sense of grandeur, that feeling of stepping into something epic, while making sure you've got everything a modern traveler actually needs. Best of both worlds, literally.
We've got plans - always do. Maybe a proper jousting arena for events. Definitely expanding the historical experiences program. I want kids who stay here to go home and actually open those history books because they caught the bug, you know?
But mostly, I just want to keep doing what we're doing. Creating memories, giving people a break from the ordinary, and proving that hospitality doesn't have to be boring just because it's professional. Come stay with us, and you'll see what I mean.
Welcome to Krytharion Stronghold. Your chamber awaits.
Watch how we brought the Stronghold from vision to reality
From bare earth to mighty fortress - five years in five minutes
Main Tower Height
Luxury Suites
Banquet Hall Capacity
Construction Journey
Your medieval adventure awaits in the heart of Whistler