Vancouver Island chic

BAILA LAZARUS

When it comes to demonstrating to a loved one how much you care, through the thoughtful selection of a gift, perhaps nothing says "I love you" like a diamond. But nothing says "I love you and I want to give you an experience you'll remember for the rest of your life" like a trip to a luxurious resort. And nothing says luxury like a Relais and Châteaux hotel.

Those familiar with the Relais and Châteaux (RC) international label of excellence know that the Paris-based organization accepts its members by the levels they achieve in the five Cs: courtesy, charm, character, calm and cuisine.
Within British Columbia, only three establishments have attained recognition high enough to be added to the RC family – Hastings House on Salt Spring Island, the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino and the Aerie on Vancouver Island – and each has their own special draw.

Hastings House is steeped in history. Having started out as a working farm, its manor house dates back 70 years. Buildings on the grounds – the post, the barn and the farmhouse – have been renovated into cozy, modern suites. The owners still cultivate a large garden and orchard that provide herbs and greens for the restaurant and fruits for jams and juices. And the kitchen uses ingredients taken from farms and vineyards from all over the island.

The Wickaninnish, while only a decade old, has developed a worldwide reputation for storm-watching on the Pacific Rim. Its owners created a spectacular 240-degree-view glassed-in restaurant, built directly over the rocks on the water to allow diners to get the full effect of 20-foot waves crashing onto the shore.

In addition to stunningly appointed accommodations, the "Wick," as it is affectionately known, has made a point of decorating its hallways and rooms with local artwork, creating a gallery of sorts, complete with a gallery guide. It's also home to the Ancient Cedars Spa, an Aveda destination spa offering dozens of treatments right by the ocean.

But, of the three B.C. resorts, I have not experienced such a jaw-dropping "awe" effect as I did walking into a suite at the Aerie. The elegance of the room, with its four-poster bed, Jacuzzi tub surrounded by Romanesque columns, gas fireplace, private balcony and stunning view, put it in its own class. Combined with its professional staff and fantastic food, it demonstrated why it was recently rated (in 2006) as the best hotel in continental North America by Travel and Leisure magazine.

While both the Wick and Hastings House offer exceptional service and quality, their style is a little more West Coast relaxed. Guests traipsing in from a rain-soaked hike on Meare's Island, for example, wouldn't think twice of simply toweling off their hair before heading, in hiking boots, to the bar at the Wick for a warming shot. However, for those looking for a more subdued elegance, where whispering, rather than boisterous banter seems more in place at dinner time, then the Aerie is more the style you're looking for.

The Aerie's history starts in 1984, when Austrian Maria Schuster visited Vancouver Island. Already the owner of a hotel in the Bahamas, Schuster was enamored with the Malahat region and decided to retire there. Starting off with a bed and breakfast in 1991 and growing to a 35-room resort on 85 acres, the Aerie now boasts an in-house spa, tennis court, conference room and brand new state-of-the art fitness facility with the most amazing views you could ask for from the top of a stairmaster. Built in a European château style, walking around the building and the grounds is a little like walking around a castle, with beautiful gardens, waterfalls, meandering walkways and turret-like lookouts on numerous different levels.

In 2004, the owners added the luxurious Villa Cielo, a separate building of one- and two-bedroom suites located 300 feet above the original Aerie, offering even more spectacular views through huge arched windows, and a demonstration kitchen that can be reserved for cooking lessons.

In the dining room, the Aerie also excels – after all, "cuisine" is one of the Relais and Chateaux's five Cs. Chef Castro Boateng creates tantalizing and unique dishes that are complemented by the Aerie's collection of 600 wines, including 150 from British Columbia.

Menu items included fresh goat cheese spring rolls with basil puree and a fennel and local mushroom salad with truffle froth as appetizers. Among the main dishes were pan-seared halibut with parsnip puree, basil gnocchi and candied shallots, and Alberta beef tenderloin, braised beef shortribs, fondant potato and chanterelle duxelles mushrooms. Dishes ranged from $16 for an appetizer to about $40 for a main dish.

From one look at the wine list, it's no surprise they've won the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine since 2002. Their stock comes from all over the world and ranges from a 2004 Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay at $45/bottle, to a 1989 Château Mouton-Rothschild Bordeaux (Pauillac) for $2,000. Wine by the glass costs from $9 to $15. They also have a full selection of beers, aperitifs, liqueurs and dessert wines. And for the Scotch-lover, there is an 18-year-old Speyside for $26/1.5 ounces.

Besides single-malt Scotch to warm up chilly fall nights, the Aerie is offering a special fall "Romanza Package," which includes a bottle of champagne, a three-course dinner and full breakfast, a dozen roses and deluxe accommodation with a fireplace for $245 per person. Considering that a deluxe room with a fireplace runs $275, based on a winter rack rate, and dinner for two would be around $200 (with minimal libation), this is one package that's worth its weight in feather pillows.

While the Aerie is truly a superior establishment, all was not perfect in the Malahat. My experience (and one shared by others) was that the walls were a little thin. People walking on the stairs outside and over my room sounded a bit like a herd of elephants, and at least one other guest complained that plumbing in the wall behind his bed was so loud, he could hear every time the guests upstairs flushed their toilet.

As well, being so high up in the mountains, there seems to be a bit of a problem with fruit flies making their way into the hotel to keep warm in the fall and winter. Thus, it's a good idea to keep checking your wine or other fruit-flavored drinks before taking a sip. Oh yes, and they didn't get the Space Channel on the flat-screen television.

Despite these complaints, however, the Aerie experience is definitely recommended.

Getting there: From the Lower Mainland, take the ferry to Swartz Bay. Drive south on Highway 17, connect to Highway 1 through McKenzie Avenue, and travel north on Highway 1 for about 25 minutes. The turn-off is Whitaker Road, a few hundred metres past Shawnigan Lake Road. From the ferry, the drive is about 50 minutes. Visit , e-mail or call 250-743-7115 for more information.

Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer, photographer and illustrator living in Vancouver. Her work can be seen at www.orchiddesigns.net.

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