The Wickaninnish Inn

After a visit to Vancouver Island and Sooke Harbor 20 years ago, I set a goal to head up to the areas of the island where the temperate rain forest thrived and nature was on full display. When that opportunity arose this summer, my sights were set on a combination of nature and luxury, in the target location of Tofino. Renown for its "tuff city" image, it's the very picture of a rough and tumble surfer town. Having read about the luxurious Wickaninnish Inn for decades, I was thrilled that it would be our base of operations. The first image of the property is while entering the lush driveway. The hotel is on a magnificent point at the north end of Chesterman beach. When we entered room 316, the panorama view was stunning. The room had every convenience we could want, yet retained a natural warm feel with the stick furniture and rustic materials and hues. We went out on our private deck to enjoy a glass of wine and looked straight out at a bald eagle in a tree only a few yards away. With the ocean waves pounding the rocks below and the surfers knifing through the water in the distance, we couldn't have asked for a more dramatic and beautiful setting. Tofino provided all the natural activities we could have wanted during our stay. Hiking, kayaking, and plenty of walking and shopping. But FOOD is my true obsession and "The Wick" was the best of the best during our stay. The fantastic breakfasts and elegant dinners in their spectacular dining room The Pointe overlooking the ocean were memorable, with service to match. It was, however, the little things that really blew us away. My wife is a classic coffee snob and doesn't often rave about her latte. On the days of our hikes, we stopped in the Wickaninnish's Driftwood Cafe prior to heading out. Their lattes were legendary and the homemade pastries delivered from the Pointe kitchens where amazing. One morning, they were serving a homemade bread loaded with nuts and fruits. My wife wanted to order a loaf of it to take home, but it was not available that morning. When we showed up the morning we were leaving, the young lady working the counter recognized our name and told us they had arranged through the kitchen for a loaf to be baked and boxed for us to take with us back to Boston. My wife has declared that bread to be the "best she's ever tasted". This type of caring and attention to detail was present at all times during our stay. We can't recommend The Wickaninnish Inn enough. It was the perfect world-class home base for our stay in Tofino.

I would highly recommend. The Inn and staff were amazing. Service was excellent. Food was up there both in quality and service. Rooms were warm and welcoming. The only drawback was the shuttle service stopped at 5pm in the off season and there is no reliable transportation on the Island. They were kind enough to accommodate us one evening when we has a reservation at a different location. The entire team was a mini–United Nations and were great.

My wife and I enjoyed a four night stay at this most amazing resort. This was our second stay as we had previously enjoyed a three night stay in Feb 2022. The level of service is second to none starting immediately after booking the resort and every day while we were there. We appreciated every single employee as they truly seemed to care about making our stay special. And they did!!! The accommodations are spotlessly clean, well appointed while offering the best views of the wild Pacific Ocean. The food is truly outstanding with such great ingredients and beautiful menu items. They also have the most knowledgeable waiters. Beyond a 10/10 experience for the second time!

If you find yourself on the west coast of Vancouver Island, I would highly recommend Wickaninnish Inn, from the friendliness of the staff, the coziness and cleanliness of the rooms, the delicious food and the gorgeous beaches, it really does not get better! We are already planning our next visit!

Wonderful location. Great access to the beach for long walks. The food was an adventure in itself. The staff was amazing. Such a relaxing environment.