A pool on the roof of the prairie

An indoor pool and hot tub on the top of the hotel, glazed toward the golf links and the river valley, and a fitness centre with two sets of posted hours.

The resort's pool is indoors, which is the only sensible choice on the Saskatchewan prairie, and it sits on the roof, which is the clever one. The resort describes swimming under natural light in an indoor rooftop pool and soaking in a hot tub while overlooking the award-winning golf links and the South Saskatchewan River valley. The pool deck has seats and gives access to a rooftop outdoor lounge, an open-air place to sit at roof level between swims. Towels and robes are provided to guests, according to the FAQ, so a robe and a room key are all that is needed to go up.

Indoor pool and round hot tub behind full-height glass looking over golf fairways and a river valley — Illustration generated for this guide. It is not a photograph of Dakota Dunes Resort.

Pool and hot tub: Open daily 7:00 to 23:00 (amenities page and FAQ agree)
Rooftop lounge: Reached from the pool deck; outdoor
Fitness centre: Cardio machines, strength equipment, free weights
Fitness hours: Amenities page: open 24 hours daily. FAQ: 7:00 to 23:00 with the pool
Access: The FAQ says a key card may be needed for the fitness centre

Two sets of hours for the gym

The resort's amenities page lists the fitness centre as open 24 hours a day; its FAQ gives the same 7:00 to 23:00 as the pool. Guests who train late at night or very early should ask at the front desk which applies during their stay.

What the view does

The prairie is a landscape of distance, and most of it is seen from ground level, where the eye stops at the next rise. From a rooftop the scale opens up. The links' fairways twist between pale dunes and darker grass, the river valley drops away beyond them, and on a clear day the sky arrives at the horizon without interruption. In winter, when the land outside is white and the air is cold, a warm pool behind glass is the most direct way to enjoy the view without dressing for it.

What there is not, yet

There is no spa in operation at the resort at the time of writing. The Dakota Dunes Thermal Spa, a separate two-storey building with nine pools, saunas, steam rooms and treatment rooms, is under construction, and the resort's pages give different opening times for it. Until it opens, the rooftop pool and hot tub are the resort's only water. The thermal spa page lists what has been announced and which dates have been published.

Guests looking for movement outdoors have more options than the gym. In summer the Adventure Desk rents eBikes from sunrise to sunset and books guided canoe trips; in winter there are kicksleds, snowshoes and a free 2.5 km cross-country loop from the tenth hole of the links. Those are covered on the experiences page.

The resort's amenities page:Amenities on dakotadunesresort.com

Room request · Dakota Dunes Resort

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