When a luxury hotel wants to know your shoe size, you might expect a plush pair of custom slippers placed by your bedside. That's not the case at the Wickaninnish Inn, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in Tofino. Their suites, with panoramic views of Chesterman Beach and the Pacific Ocean are for relaxing, but the shoes are to get you outside — Crocs for beachcombing or hiking to a hot spring, and rain boots, during the winter season, for storm watching.
Surfing and Canada — it's not your typical combination, but Tofino provides a slice of Southern California mixed in with the rugged wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. The Wickaninnish perfectly straddles these two worlds. You can hit the waves in front of the hotel in the morning and hike a rainforest trail in the afternoon behind it. With all this beauty, it's unsurprising that the vision for the Inn came from a local family. Tofino residents, the McDiarmids, selected a location at the end of Chesterman Beach, where the hotel fades into the trees — allowing full enjoyment of the view, without attempting to become part of it. The first building and restaurant was built in 1996 and they've gradually expanded, adding a spa in 1998 and a second building for guests in 2003.
The Wickaninnish Inn. (Photo by Adam Morganstern)
All rooms at the Wickaninnish are spacious and have ocean and/or beach views, which can be seen from your private patio all the way to the soaking tub from inside the room. One great touch — a remote control near your bath controls the shades, so if you've already dipped in, but forgotten to raise them, there's no need to get out of the water to enjoy the scenery. You won't go wrong with either building, but my preference are the views from the newer "Beach" location — Chesterman Beach is gorgeous, almost 2 miles of white sand and perfect for a sundown walk, along with the locals playing with their dogs, visitors having romantic strolls and surfers waiting for that one last wave. Another nice touch is a collection of CDs in each room celebrating Canadian artists: such as k.d. lang, Michael Bublé and Diana Krall. You'll have to provide your own Rush or Neil Young, however.
There are a few larger suites with full kitchens, but everyone needs to have at least one meal at the Inn's Pointe Restaurant, which features 240 degree views of the beach and ocean. Chef Warren Barr serves up Pacific Northwest cuisine, using the abundant local fish, seafood, meat and poultry. The wine list covers most popular world regions, but also showcases B.C. and other Pacific Northwest wines, as well as local beers (be sure to try some from Tofino Brewing Company). The restaurant is also a good starting place to understand the importance of Henry Nolla, a local wood carver, to the Wickaninnish. In the "Carving Shed" on the beach, provided to him by the Inn, he was responsible for much of the hand-adzed work around the hotel, including the restaurant's posts and beams. Nolla passed away in 2004, but you can still visit the shed, where many of the local artists he mentored display their work.
Surfing is a year-round activity in Tofino (though you'll need a wetsuit in winter). There are a number of surf schools for those needing lessons, and one highly recommended choice is Surf Sisters, featuring all-female instructors. The clientele is mixed, though one play on wardrobe is the women wear blue shirts and all students wear bright pink. If that makes you feel less manly, don't worry too much about it — most likely you'll be spending the majority of the time unseen and underwater after you've fallen off the board. First-timers are very welcome here. Tofino has a number of beaches, and Surf Sisters will pair the best location for the lesson with your skill level.
Chesterman Beach. (Photo by Adam Morganstern).
Vancouver Island is abundant in other activities besides surfing. Locally, you can enjoy other water sports like kayaking and paddle boarding, or take a boat ride through the area's rugged coastline and numerous islands. Spring is the time to see the Gray Whale migration (there are also seals and sea lions) and bear watching is available spring thru October. One trip not to miss: visiting the Hot Springs (available through The Whale Center). It's a 26-nautical-mile boat ride (along which you might also see whales) to the Northern Clayoquot Sound. The boat docks at a peninsula and then you have a rainforest walk to a natural hot spring. One word of caution: the path there is a wooden boardwalk, but the springs have been left completely natural — you will be climbing over slippery rocks to get into the water.
Many vacationers want to avoid storms, but during the winter months the Wickaninnish sees the rough weather as a plus. Guests are given the aforementioned boots, as well as rain gear, to go out and enjoy the crashing waves. And when you're done, or want to take a break, you can head to the Inn's Driftwood Cafe, where you can have a hot beverage while special drying units take care of your coat and shoes. The more cautious can always enjoy the storms from the comfort of their rooms.
The most convenient way to Wickaninnish Inn is by small plane to Tofino airport, which handles flights from Vancouver, Seattle and a few other locations. It's also possible to reach the island by car and ferry — detailed direction are here. I stayed as a guest at the Inn for this story.
