Dômes Charlevoix

By Kyle Christie, See Your House Now

My kids wanted to go camping and my wife won’t settle for less than four or five stars. So one night while planning our family vacation I strayed away from Expedia and searched for something a little more unique and memorable. I found it, and it was beyond amazing.  It was Domes Charlevoix. 

We fell in love with the Charlevoix region of Quebec on a business trip in 2018. My wife and I stayed at Le Germain Hotel in Charlevoix and shot a couple of fitness videos for our business The Buff Mom. Immediately we knew we'd return to the area. Not only did we love the hotel, but we loved the area. It's spectacular and that's an article on its own, but let's talk about Domes Charlevoix.

I found the site one night by googling "Glamping Charlevoix". I thought a higher end camping trip would please my wife and my kids. After spending a couple of nights there, I can tell you this is not glamping or camping. This is absolute luxury.

We've been very fortunate to stay in some really nice hotels and this accommodation beats them all. The luxury is in its simplicity. It's unique, it's special, it's absolutely incredible. 

As much as we love to travel to New York and Toronto every year, we really love quiet. My wife meditates daily and the rest of us are in the habit of pausing and being grateful for the moment. 

I love taking the family on unique travel experiences so when the first search result was Domes Charlevoix, I was intrigued. This was not glamping, this was more. Eco-friendly luxury. A perfect mix. This would get us close to nature, but ensure we still had access to the comforts of a five star resort and the price was right, too good to be true.

You're seeing the pictures, so let me tell you about the experience. You pull up to a tiny parking lot in the mountains. You can see three domes in the distance. After entering a code into a lockbox, you get your key. Nobody ever greets you and there is something really nice about that. It make you feel like you're the first person to experience this. There are security cameras so you know someone is watching but it doesn't feel intrusive, instead it makes you feel safe. 

After climbing about forty steep stairs, you arrive at your dome. Our kids were so excited. They had the reaction every parent wants their kids to have on vacation, a mix of excitement, awe and appreciation. The moment we entered, they didn't want to leave. 

The location is private. It's quiet. The domes are not soundproof but the people on either side of us respected that we were all up here together. There is no loud music, just the sound of nature, the feeling of gratitude and the view of perfection, the St. Lawrence river.

Imagine sleeping in your ideal tree house. At night, it's more than five stars, it's millions. The sky is alive with shooting stars and their refection on the river.

The morning is even more unique. I suggest leaving the dome curtains open and grabbing the sunrise.

Surrounded by trees, the leaves dance with the morning sun creating flickers of soft light on your eye lids. It’s nature’s wake up call and when you open your eyes, the St. Lawrence greets you. So quiet and so perfect it feels like virtual reality but this is real.

This makes you realize how simple life can be. Don’t get me wrong, this is luxury but it’s based on necessity, wellness and comfort, not excess. The wow factor comes from the natural surrounding.

Coffee on the deck in the morning with my feet in the hot tub, I look around and am overwhelmed with gratitude. The moment isn’t over but already I want to experience it again.

As a digital entrepreneur, I love that I'm able to work from anywhere in the world. The wifi here was strong so although I could unplug, I was able to run my company from high up in this mountain. In fact, on our last day I was dealing with tech support and trying to launch a new website. I was running into problems but twice I stopped and looked at the view realizing how amazing it was to be in this incredible location running my business. If I have to put out fires and solve problems, this is where I want to be. 

The use of space is surprising inside. My wife and I had the main queen bed and our two boys shared a mezzanine level queen above. The bathroom was private and the concrete floor throughout is warm with radiant heat. 

Outside, the hot tub is a bonus. Whether it's morning coffee, evening wine or family time, having the small spa at your disposal offers one more way to enjoy the St. Lawrence view. 

This really was the perfect trip. Charlevoix is memorable because of the people, the landscape and the farm to table experiences. These domes couldn't be in a more perfect location. If you need to work, you can work but if you want to unplug, you can.

Some trips stay with you forever. This is one of them and I know we will be back. 

To learn more or book a dome, visit Domes Charlevoix or check them out on Instagram.