Black Rock Oceanfront Resort
(Ucluelet, British Columbia)
Ucluelet has always played low-key Ted Williams to neighbouring Tofino’s lauded Joe Dimaggio. While the latter grabs all the attention with its calvacade of hospitality awards and the accompanying steady stream of private planes gracing its airstrip, the former is content to go about its business as a fishing and timber town, albeit one located on one of the most dramatic peninsulas in the world. But the opening of the Black Rock may just shift the balance in favour of the underdog. Its seriously contemporary palate of slate, concrete and white walls is a sight more modern than anything in Tofino and its location atop a rocky outcrop ensures that one is never far from the drama of crashing waves and ocean spray. The rooms have a condo-style feel which means, in addition to the fireplaces and walk in rain showers, you get either a kitchenette or full kitchen tricked out with the latest Miele appliances.

As tempting as it is to stay put in the room, you must venture down to Float, the resort’s hyper-stylish bar with the greatest view on the West Coast. There’s nothing better than drinking a Dark and Stormy when it’s dark and stormy.-Neal McLennan
596 Marine Dr., Ucluelet, 877-762-5011, blackrockresort.com

Blackstone Mountain Lodge
(Canmore, Alberta)
In a Rocky Mountain ski town where condo-hotels are as common as wind-burned cheeks, standing out from the crowd isn’t easy. Blackstone Mountain Lodge, which opened on the northeast side of Canmore last June, pulls it off by offering up plush, expansive rooms and suites (one, two and three bedrooms with up to 1,300 square feet of room to move), sweeping views, soaker tubs, slate fireplaces, mountainous down duvets and the kind of streamlined, granite-heavy kitchen you’ll wish you had at home. Even more impressive, they do it all on green energy. Powered by a combination of natural gas and EcoLogo certified renewable energy from wind-, solar- or run-of-the-river hydro-power, Blackstone is one of the first entirely  carbon-neutral resorts in the country. Just as green is its Verde Day Spa (offspring of the original in downtown Canmore), the only day-spa in Alberta where all skincare products are certified organic. The one remaining challenge for owner Philippa Liston is to find a durable, non-toxic nail polish; she’s working on it.-Dawn Galbraith
170 Kananaskis Way, Canmore, 888-830-8883, blackstonecanmore.ca

Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort
(Riverton, Manitoba)
The French think nothing of driving hours down country roads for a memorable meal. But in Canada, it’s a harder sell. Those willing to venture two-plus hours from Winnipeg (the last 30 minutes down unmarked roads bordered by dramatic marshes) to the Radisson resort are rewarded with a dining paradise. Chef Stephane Thierry moved from Naples to helm the resort’s L’Enoteca restaurant. Expect local cuisine tinged with European influences like local hero pickerel in a rustic provençale preparation.

And who wants to drive home on a full stomach? In addition to the culinary delights, the 90-room resort, which reopened in 2008 after an extension renovation, features the number-one-rated golf course in Manitoba wending along the shore of Lake Winnipeg. The spa nods to the Icelandic population who founded Hecla, with inspired treatments using therapeutic mud to send you away recharged.-Karen Burshtein
800-267-6700, heclaoasis.com

Elk Ridge Lodge
(Waskesiu, Saskatchewan)
Best known for its cozy cabins and wildlife watching, the region north of Prince Albert recently added a dash of glam to the mix. Elk Ridge Resort launched the newest addition to its sprawling wooded complex last September, an upscale hotel and spa with enough sophistication to seduce even the least outdoorsy of us to the wilderness.

Using liberal doses of timber from the region, the lodge is accented by furnishings that match the surroundings without losing a sense of place. Barcelona chairs and ottomans? Not here. Instead, curl up by the fireplace in the vaulted-ceiling lobby (or by the fireplace in your room, should you be so lucky to nab one) in something a bit more rough-hewn and solid.

The resort offers 27 very playable holes of golf carved out of the surrounding boreal forest. For those who like to see nature without a six-iron in hand, a lengthy series of trails, peaceful and challenging in equal parts, lace the property. And the gates to Prince Albert National Park are just a quick drive down the road. Bask in the sun at the beach or rent a boat and tour Waskesiu Lake. Local tip: the cheese bread at the bakery across from the main beach is revelatory.-Tyler Hopson wl
Waskesiu Lake, 306-663-4653, elkridgeresort.com