Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay

We had a large group that the waiter had no problem serving. Service and food was very good. Super friendly. The chef came to check with our table to make sure everything met our expectations. Pretty good bang for your buck. Great steaks. Great pasta dishes. Thank you Oceanfront, Terry and Scott for a great evening and also supporting our community and fund raisers. Connie and friends

We recently booked my husband’s parent’s 65^th wedding anniversary at the Oceanfront Suites for app. 25 people. Enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of all the staff. The meal and service was outstanding! A very special shout out to the Executive Chef and gracious «host», Terry Giannakos. He has instituted a new and truly amazing menu and all meals were executed well. The views are unparalleled. As a matter of fact as my brother in law was making his speech for the parents, he was interrupted by the arrival of a pod of orcas right in the bay beside us. Of course everyone went to the windows for a truly remarkable sight! The rooms are comfortable albeit slightly dated. The local cheese shop/​café is delightful and friendly. And don’t miss the shrimp boat at the dock… try some of the smaller «white and pink shrimps’ — just poach and blanche and enjoy a flavor you will not soon forget.
Note: Cowichan Bay is a funky little touristy village with local shops and small restaurants. A very pleasant place.

Would not stay at this hotel again. Desk staff need some lessons in hospitality. We booked on line and the photos displayed were a newly renovated modern suite but the desk staff first put us in an old suite on the main floor then tried to move us to another suite on the 4 th floor but it was also a disaster. After some discussion at the front desk they finally showed us one of the suites that had been newly renovated on the 5^th floor which was the one we had originally booked. The next discussion was that suite was more expensive so the increase would be $ 50 … NOT
The restaurant was closed due to a private party however there was no private party as the chef had quit… The public is not that stupid to believe your exaggerations…
Cowichan Bay is a really beautiful setting and very peaceful but I’ll be looking for other accommodation.
Bad experience all around

If you want to wake up refreshed and experience some of the most relaxing views of the water –STAY HERE! I woke up every morning rejuvenated and excited because of the sunlight pouring in through the floor to ceiling sliding glass windows on the bedroom. The bed was comfortable, the suite was large and the bar stayed open late for our group. Extremely accommodating and free wifi is always a plus :)

It was worthy of two recent stays in a month. .. .
I kept expectations low, knowing that it has changed names and/​or ownership a number of times since built. I go a lot with feel, vibe and aesthetics at hotels, and this one pleasantly surprised me on all levels. It has a home away from home feel. It’s an all-​suite hotel with beautiful harbour and sunrise/​sunset views.
First stay was a 4^th floor suite. It was quiet, clean, furnished well enough with an apartment-​like kitchen, living room and separate bedroom with king size, comfy bed. Two old, boxy TVs, but they worked well enough with Shaw cable. Wi-​fi was strong and consistent. The heat lamp/​fan was too noisy. The suite had been renovated at least once by the look of it, but is still dated to the late 90s. Age and condition of furnishings don’t bug me, cleanliness is more important. The sweeping views to the bay and mountains makes it all good.
Second stay was a more expensive first floor suite with walk out patio, which was a bonus for walks and bocce on the lawn. This suite was showing more wear on the furniture, walls, carpet and paint finish. It wasn’t as clean as the first, including the nose print on the sliding glass, and grimy «marble» floors. The wi-​fi wasn’t working, but the heat lamp/​fan was. The sweeping views to the bay and mountains makes it all good (again).
The indoor pool, hot tub and sauna is a nice perk, even if old school. Although, the second stay morning had a sign saying the hot tub was closed to 4pm.
The fitness room looks well outfitted for its small size, but I found a broken seat adjuster on the Apollo 350 machine, other adjusters badly in need of silicone spray and the heart rate monitor not working on the stair climber. A sign at reception had been there two weeks advising the two treadmills were out of order. This is not a good sign of maintenance for fitness types.
The restaurant on the 5^th floor serves a wonderful breakfast with beautiful floor to ceiling views to the bay and mountains. For under $ 20 the two of us got a full hot breakfast each visit, as their weekday special. I like how you can sub the hash browns for balsamic tomatoes — a healthy bowl of roasted zing to go with the eggs, garnished with fresh dill for only $ 1.50 extra. The service is friendly, but don’t be in a hurry, take in the view.
Reception is friendly, but understaffed — a wait each time, but hey, we are on an island. Parking is free, either underground or out front, and the hotel is perfectly positioned close to the wharf and the quaint village for romantic walks, gourmet offerings and funky shops.
The location, viewscapes and roomy suites, trump the shortcomings so far, such that we will return.

We stayed at a suite and the room and the kitchen are facing the ocean view~
the room was clean and the front desk staff are very nice. we felt welcome.

Loved the vibe. If you are looking for a happening big city stay keep looking but if you want to get away with an amazing view (I grew upon the coast and this place blew me away) stay here. Great pace, sweet staff, mind blowing views. Restaurant was ok needs more renovations but a good chef, the patio looks on the main road which makes no sense. Well stocked gym compared to most hotels. But again huge room, great bed mind blowing views. Locals are eclectic but as mentioned I grew up on the coast so it was sweet and like home rather then small minded and weird. would go again… Actually already planning it

Very nice hotel. It’s clearly been recently renovated, and the rooms are huge – all of them are suites with an ocean view (it’s really quite spectacular). The kitchens and sofabeds are good for families, as well.
The pool and hot tub area is very nice (and has a water view too), and the village of Cowichan Bay is really adorable. Parking is included but a lot of the spots are a little narrow and hard to get in and out of.

The location is perfect, right at the end of Cowichan Bay’s main street, with a stunning view of the harbour and bay. The large windows provided perfect entertainment: we often curled up with tea at the end of the day, watching the boats go by and seals swimming laps right below our window.
Our room was enormous, almost too big, with lots of empty space, but can’t really complain about being able to spread out. The kitchen was modern, with newish appliances, and a few utensils for cooking, although it wasn’t the most equipped hotel kitchen we’ve ever seen. We had to improvise a bit to cook some meals. The kitchen and bathroom were very clean, although the window railings were so dirty and covered in bird droppings, we never wanted to lean on them while looking outside. The bed was comfortable and we always slept well there.
We checked out the gym and pool. They were pretty good, and the restaurant upstairs has a lot of potential. There was a cute little space designed to be a wine bar near the restaurant that was seemingly deserted. Maybe they will open up something there in the future.
The hotel was undergoing renovations while we were there, so it looks to improve further.

We had our wedding reception here in 2006, and it was a PERFECT place to hold it. All of the rooms face the bay and mountain range, which is beautiful up here in Cowichan Bay. We come up a couple times a year to visit family, and one of our highlights is for my wife and I to have brunch or dinner in the restaurant overlooking the water. The food is good, prices are good, and the service is as excellent as it is friendly.