The Wickaninnish Inn

Since we were there for our son’s first birthday, it meant a lot that the front desk and room service teams put so much thought into making the day special. Their warmth and attention made the celebration feel personal and memorable. Any small suggestions I’ve shared are just that—small—because the way your staff cared for our family truly stood out.

Gorgeous location, incredible rooms and amenities (including heated bathroom floors). Very professional and helpful staff and a very high ratio of staff to guests. The beauty and spaciousness of the inn is unique. They even have rain boots, pants and a slicker for you to use. The restaurants, spa,and common areas are A+++ The beauty of the very private feeling forest, beach and ocean are truly special. I have been there many times and each time it is more wonderful.

From the moment you drive up until the day of departure, the staff go beyond expectations to deliver the best experience possible. Making the journey to Tofino is worth it for it beauty, but experiencing storm watch season from a five star view out your hotel room window is something else. Being treated as special by staff who care about your every need, while staying in a wonderful hotel is the cherry on the top.

The spectacular Wickaninnish Inn (WI), located aside the world-renowned Chesterman beach, has placed its stamp on the west coast region, perhaps more so than any other business in Tofino or Ucluelet. It does this in many ways, & even those who have not actually been to the wonderful property on which WI stands, will have felt WI’s influence. At the most noticeable level, it has set the tone, & early on, for the now well-rooted movement of farm, to foraged from ocean, shore & forest, to table, with regard to surrounding eateries in this area, where ancient forest meets ever changing oceanscape. Many of the well-regarded local chefs have been trained @ WI, be they now owners of their own restaurants or heading or working in fine dinning eateries, which attract visitors to the West Coast. Pluvio — which also focuses of seasonally-based menus, with ingredients locally sourced, wherever possible — in Ucluelet would be one such example, with a look at staff in other places also revealing just how many have been training & had their environmental aware attitudes instilled by the inspiring WI. The Pointe, the main WI eatery has seen many a chef pass through its kitchen. WI offers a number of eating venues. Likewise many who work in the hospitality industry in management & the front end. A visit to WI reveals how rooted these trainings & attitudes are in WI’s new generations of chefs, servers & others — those now keeping the long-held WI reputation in place. Also evident & passed on to many in all businesses is a concern for the environment, a concern that reaches back to the very first WI owner, & is as robust today among the family’s following generations, as it was at inception. WI’s attitude is one should not just see the world but while doing so help build it up to be a better place. It makes all aware that intention & impact review is crucial to this task. WI places a 1 pct sustainability fee, on guests, thereby making all co-stewards of the area, as it notes on its material posted on its website and which it distributes. One feels these attitudes are in the Tofino ether & many more now hold similar positions to WI. WI closes annually from the early start of the year until the first week of February to rebuild & maintain. This year it is closed from today, January 2, until noon on February 6, 2026. I have been inspired on every visit I have made to WI with family & friends, stretching to our first visit in the later 1990s. And this on all fronts - excellent service, imaginative dishes & astounding surrounds. Many more visits are in sight for me for 2026 when WI reopens on February 6. Posted by S Fuller

Only about 2.5 hours drive from Nanaimo, roads are generally good, but check with DriveBC website fo dlays and conditions in winter.