Delta Fredericton Opens Its ‘Instagramable’, $1-Million Renovated Pool And Patio
FREDERICTON–The Delta Fredericton’s DIP Pool Bar & Grill has retired and its replacement, the newly renovated DRIFT Pool & Patio is ready for the public. The city’s newest pool location hosts its grand opening on July 1.
Sara Holyoke, the Delta Fredericton’s general manager, said the hotel has worked on this patio project for almost five years. The design was completed three years ago but was put on pause after Covid-19 hit.
The hotel is working with Toronto-based design agency Mackay-Wong.
“They’ve come up with a really fabulous design plan. It looks very bougie out there,” said Holyoke.
She said the design is completely different from what everyone has seen on the Delta Fredericton’s patio within the last 30 years. The renovated patio is “almost like a retro California vibe.”
The project’s contractor was hired in January and construction started in March. After four months and more than $1 million in renovations, the space is now ready for the public.
When the design process started, Holyoke said they were looking to create something that was attractive to guests. She said the area is now a great “Instagramable” space and they had an artist create an Instagram wall for the grand opening.
While the pool itself wasn’t expanded, the pool deck was, with 40 loungers around the pool in a space that’s popular for hotel guests. Another addition was heating elements throughout the outdoor space.
“We have really cool lounge spaces for people with lots of fire. … We really wanted to extend our evenings so we put all gas lines instead of lugging propane tanks, so everything has underground gas.”
Holyoke said at the flick of a switch, the lights and gas lines will turn on, keeping guests warm when the sun sets.
“[There is] really great vibes in the daytime but this place is going to be gorgeous at night.”
A perk of having the heating elements throughout the outdoor space is it will allow them to stay open for a longer season. Usually, they would close on Labour Day weekend but this year they will stay open until the end of September.
There is also a poolside DJ who will be there every Tuesday to Sunday, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The DRIFT restaurant offers a different menu than the STMR. 36 BBQ and Social. This full menu features patio food, craft cocktails, beer, wine, and other beverages.
“We kept the food very simple this year just because we really want to execute well,” said Holyoke. “It’s really going to be about the great craft cocktails and the yummy [appetizers].”
The restaurant patio will be open to the public at all times. As for the pool, the hotel offers DRIFT Day Passes, which come with pool access, a poolside lounge chair, towels, complimentary water, and personal poolside butler service.
The patio hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. but the pool hours are 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., both weather permitting.
As for the reason for the renovation, Holyoke said the area was coming to the end of its life. The furniture needed to be replaced, which is a big expense. From a business perspective, in cases like this, Holyoke said they had to evaluate the whole situation and see if investing in the area would be better.
The previous DIP Pool Bar and Grill was where Holyoke started her Delta Fredericton career 23 years ago.
“It’s quite nostalgic, but it’s also really exciting.”
Partnerships will be an important part of the DRIFT patio this summer. They already have an event scheduled with SPINCO Fredericton in July and have partnered with Loop Lifestyle Scrunchies to hand out free scrunchies to the first 100 guests during the grand opening.
Holyoke said she hopes people can expect a sense of drifting away while spending time at the new DRIFT Pool & Patio.
“We get told a lot that, ‘oh my goodness, it feels like we’re on vacation when we’re in the backyard of your hotel,’ and that’s exactly what we’re looking for.”
Jessica Saulnier is an intern with Huddle in Fredericton. Send her your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].