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Dec. 30, 2005
Luxuriate on the winter's edge
Tofino resorts offer you the opportunity to forget your seasonal
blues.
KATHARINE HAMER EDITOR
With the holiday season upon us, families are nesting at home.
Most of us are free from the stresses of work, for now. But once
Chanukah has passed – and with more rain and perhaps even snow
ahead, thoughts may turn to out-of-town escapes.
Sun-seeking is all very well – but for a serene mid-winter
break, you really need look no further than the western shores of
Vancouver Island. Tofino is truly one of the most beautiful places
on Earth and, just outside the town, perched above Chesterman Beach,
is one of the world's best resort hotels: the Wickaninnish Inn.
Voted number one hotel in the continental United States and Canada
in 2002 by readers of Travel and Leisure magazine, "the Wick,"
as it's colloquially known, has gone from strength to strength.
The present-day version is a high-end reincarnation of the original
Wickaninnish Inn, in what is now Pacific Rim National Park. This
Wickanninish was built by the McDiarmid family, longtime Tofino
residents. Owner Charles McDiarmid gained exposure to the luxury
hotel experience during his 12-year tenure with the Four Seasons
hotel chain, and it shows: finishing touches in every room include
Aveda bath products, combed cotton bathrobes, binoculars, books
and Helly Hansen raingear for the winter storm season. Every room
has an ocean view, book-ended by rainforest branches – and
a double soaker tub overlooking the water.
The octagonal Pointe restaurant – which itself has garnered
a number of awards - sits on a rocky promontory. At the height of
the storm season, when waves as high as 25 feet crash onto the shore,
you can feel the restaurant windows shake, according to chief concierge
Chris Williams. Chef Andrew Springett – formerly of Vancouver's
Diva at the Met – has put his own stamp on the extensive menu,
which has a West Coast feel with regional ingredients and provides
equally intriguing dishes for often-neglected vegetarian and kosher
diners. The presentation is exquisite – smaller dishes appear
on tile slates slid elegantly in front of you with a sotto voce
description by serving staff.
The Ancient Cedars Spa is another highlight, offering a range of
treatments for singles and couples, including hot-stone massage
and hydrotherapy. Treatments can also be taken in your room.
In 2003, a second building, Wickaninnish-on-the-Beach, was opened,
boasting family-sized suites, a library with wraparound windows,
books and telescope and a beach-level lounge area with fireplace
and plasma TV.
Upgrades in the beach building include double sinks and heated floor
tiles in the bathroom, DVD players in the bedroom and full-frame
picture windows for an uninterrupted view. For over-the-top luxury,
the top-floor Canopy Suite offers a four-poster bed, living area,
floor-to-ceiling windows and a side-by-side double soaker tub.
Because of its location and discreet staff, the resort attracts
a number of celebrities and CEOs. But as Williams pointed out, "All
our guests are treated the same, whether you're a Hollywood star
or just in from Port Alberni for the first time." Williams
has made it a personal mission to find out a little about each arriving
set of guests, whether it's the line of work they're in, their home
base or – in the case of returning visitors – a particular
type of wine that they favor. Staff are also trained to "read"
the mood of guests: for example, said Williams, to notice fatigue
and offer a soothing cup of tea. It's this type of service –
with a staff/guest ratio of 2.5 to 1 – that sets the inn apart.
Its nearest competitor, Long Beach Lodge, is a few kilometres down
the road on Cox Bay. While the lodge also features warm cedar construction
and ocean views, the service staff are nowhere near as attentive.
When we arrived for a pre-arranged lunch at the admittedly gorgeous
Great Room, we were not greeted or shown to a table. The lunch menu
was limited and no attempt was made to offer alternatives for special
diets.
That said, the facilities at Long Beach Lodge are worth investigating.
This resort, too, offers double soaker tubs, ocean views, private
balconies and oversized beds in both the main building and a handful
of private cottages (each of which comes furnished with a full kitchen
and dining area). The Great Room itself is certainly a highlight,
with high ceilings, warm wood, overstuffed armchairs, native carvings
and chess sets in table drawers. The view is, of course, stunning.
Both resorts offer a limited number of pet-friendly (dogs and cats
only) rooms for a small extra cost. The Wickaninnish offers Winter
Storm Watching packages rates through to the end of February and
a guest chef series at the Pointe (Ray Henry from Diva at the Met
takes the helm Feb. 9).
Long Beach Lodge is offering the "Oh, So Cozy" storm-watching
package until March 31, including accommodation in a beachfront
room, a three-course dinner for two, a deluxe continental breakfast,
two fleece robes to take home and a $100 spa certificate for Sacred
Stone Wellness Studio in Tofino.
The Wickaninnish will be closed from Jan. 2-13; Long Beach Lodge
from Jan. 4-20.
For more information about the Wickaninnish Inn and Wickaninnish-on-the-Beach,
visit www.wickinn.com
or call 800-333-4604. To find out more about Long Beach Lodge, visit
www.longbeachlodgeresort.com
or call 877-844-7873.
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