Want to book a reality-series mansion in B.C.? Here’s what you need to know

On the Netflix reality series Million Dollar Secret, 12 strangers are sequestered at a palatial lakeside retreat where they vie to identify the “millionaire” amongst them.

Many of the show’s fans, meanwhile, are racing to uncover the real-life location of the opulent cliffside mansion set high above a deep blue lake.

An online search leads to Chateau Okanagan, a 17.8-hectare private estate in Kelowna, B.C.

The chateau was originally built as a family home by Kelowna real estate developer Michael Holzhey, who created a 20,000-square foot stone, timber and copper residence and filled it with a container load of antiques imported from France.

Holzhey and his family lived in the home for a time but decided to give the hospitality business a go when he and his wife became empty nesters. The estate opened up to guests in 2022.

Visitors who don’t blink at the price of booking the property – $13,200 and up a night with a minimum three-night stay – have access to six suites in the Grand Residence, a two-bedroom beach house, five slivers of pebbly beach, two swimming pools, one tennis court and three acres of vineyards.

A more affordable option is a $900-per-night suite in the new four-bedroom villa that opened in June for a bed-and-breakfast experience.

So how does the show’s backdrop translate into a real-world experience?

I joined a small group of travel writers and influencers at the chateau in late May to see what a stay would be like, and experience the gastronomy, wines and outdoor life of B.C.’s Okanagan Valley.

I settled into the Arrowleaf suite, where French doors open to a shared terrace with views of Okanagan Lake below and the forested hillside on the opposite shore.

The influencers set to work filming the parterre gardens, luxurious spa and infinity pools in cinematic slo-mo.

A chef created meals with B.C. spot prawns, oysters and other delicacies and the gracious staff smoothly respond to every request.

While the Netflix contestants engage in such challenges as outrunning snarling dogs and diving into Okanagan Lake, our group engaged in more sedate pursuits — examples of what the Chateau Okanagan concierge can organize for guests.

We started in the kitchen, where chef Scott Geiring taught us how to roll and shape the little pillows of ricotta gnocchi that would become our dinner, accompanied by a syrah from Le Vieux Pin Winery.

Sundowner cocktails around the outdoor fireplace became a nightly ritual.

One day we were ferried by helicopter to nine holes of golf on the signature course of the wildly beautiful Rise Resort in Vernon B.C., followed by lunch with views overlooking the lake.

The afternoon included a tour of the area’s wine cellars and a ride back to the chateau by chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce.

The most serene experience was a trip across the lake to the storied Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, designed in monastic style by renowned American architect Tom Kundig.

After a tour of the starkly beautiful underground cave cellars, we settled in for an al fresco dinner overlooking the vines and sipped rare vintages of Oculus, the Bordeaux-style red Mission Hill is known for.

The next morning, I joined a sunrise yoga class at the water’s edge. After lunch, I hiked down a steep path to a secluded black-stone beach hoping to see the local spotted sandpipers but no birds were about. (The estate’s beaches are not technically private because the shoreline can be accessed by the public.)

On my clamber back up the slope, I spotted yellow-bellied marmots, deer and a bald eagle perched in a ponderosa pine.

During a poolside soiree, Holzhey acknowledged that filling the calendar with bookings for the full estate has been a challenge, but local zoning rules would not permit the property to rent out rooms individually like a boutique hotel.

Then Netflix came along.

The show streams to a global audience in more than 190 countries, but it still seems astounding that many fans have sufficiently deep pockets to follow through with a reservation.

“It has been a surprise to me, too,” quipped Brian Dower, the affable managing director of Chateau Okanagan, adding that bookings soared after the show began streaming.

He received an e-mail from a couple in Brazil just that morning.

Corporate travel is big, he explained, and families sometimes take over the grand residence for a wedding on the lakefront terrace.

The popularity of the Netflix show inspired Holzhey to expand the experience to a wider audience with the new Estate Villa on the property.

The contemporary poured-concrete and glass aesthetic may also draw a different crowd from the old-world style of the chateau.

The suites have a private bathroom and bedroom, and there’s a communal great room at the centre with lounging, dining and a kitchen. Outside, the villa has a deck and hot tub.

Next year pinot noir grapes will be planted on the slope just outside the front door because visitors to the Okanagan Valley covet the experience of a lake view and vineyard setting, Dower said.

During the summer of 2026, British Columbia declared a state of emergency as out-of-control wildfires burned in the province. Evacuation orders covered some parts of the Okanagan, including areas in the vicinity of Vernon and Summerland, but the chateau was not included.

Dower had previously blocked off a chunk of time in August for the filming of Million Dollar Secret. As it turns out, the producers weren’t ready to go until September, when they descended with the crew and contestants for the filming of season three currently underway.

Cassandra Zerebeski, chief executive of Tourism Kelowna, notes the province did not issue a travel ban, but some visitors did postpone or cancel trips to Kelowna and the surrounding area in August.

Some hotels, wineries, attractions and local entrepreneurs estimated a 30 per cent drop in business during the month, she says.

“They count on August.”

Zerebeski says Kelowna is popular year-round so some travelers will reschedule for another season.

Genuine millionaires who enjoy golf, wine-tasting and soaking in healing waters will love the chateau. Fans of Million Dollar Secret without such deep pockets can still enjoy the adventure by booking a stay at the villa.

The writer was a guest of Chateau Okanagan, which did not review or approve this article. Stories are based on merit; The Globe does not guarantee coverage.