Unveiling a new look

Renovations at the Bear's Paw Bar & Grill have brought a natural, woodsy feel to the place

The new look of the Bear's Paw Bar & Grill is woodsy and welcoming. — Madison Samuel-Barclay photo

The Bear's Paw Lounge has long been a meeting and eating spot for guests and visitors passing Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. However, there had been few upgrades done to the interior of the dining establishment—until now.

After three weeks of renovation and with more changes yet to come, the Bear's Paw Lounge has been transformed into the new Bear's Paw Bar & Grill and officially reopened on July 1, 2011. The interior has been completely redone, with new wood-panel flooring, tree-printed walls, sleek new wooden chairs and tables, and a new, wider bar.

The bar is one of the most notable features of the new Bear's Paw—prior to the renovations, the restaurant's open bar was an older-fashioned U-shaped bar that took up a lot of space. The new, wide bar allows for more tables and chairs; with greater seating capacity, the Bear's Paw can now better serve additional customers.

Creating a natural atmosphere

To complete the new woodsy feel of the bar, a unique canoe-style lighting fixture hangs from the ceiling. The walk-out seating patio has remained much the same; however, one of the windows looking out onto the patio from the restaurant's interior is planned to be removed and replaced with a garage door for further aesthetic appeal. New doors are also on the way, to replace the dated, stained-glass-windowed ones that were originally chosen to go with the old interior and its lounge theme.

Offering new menu choices too 

With the renovation and redecoration come new menu opportunities as well. The Bear's Paw has extended its menu to include more grill items, while keeping old favourites from its lounge days.

Staff at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort and the Bear's Paw are looking forward to attracting a new clientele with the updated design, and they will continue to obtain and review customer feedback to make additional changes as the Bear's Paw settles into its new shoes.

For more information about the Bear's Paw Bar & Grill, call Fairmont Hot Springs Resort at 250-345-6070 or 1-800-663-4979. The resort is located at 5225 Fairmont Resort Road in Fairmont Hot Springs, B.C.