We had our wedding here and have to say the experience was wonderful. What a great rustic back-drop…read morefor our alternative, taffeta-free celebration. The staff were great from the beginning of our planning to the end of the wedding weekend. The Barn is such a great space for an intimate party (we had 94 guests). All our guests loved coming up and spending the weekend away hiking and climbing. The only thing I would have done differently was to bring in a chef. The food provided by the lodge is good quality and very affordable but pretty basic as far as flavours go. Everything else, as I have said was just perfect.

We had a family reunion here this summer, and was so pleased with this place. There were about 50…read moreadults and children total. We rented three houses: Cottage 11, Preece Cottage, and Seale House. Each had their own kitchen. Preece Cottage: The largest of the 3 that we rented. There are 3 floors of bedrooms plus a loft. The kids all loved sleeping and hanging out in the loft. Plus side to this house, it's large and accommodates a large number of people. Downside: it accommodates a large number of people. That house was always busy. Beautiful view from the bedroom balconies, though. For parking for this house, our family used the small parking lot next to the house. Seale House: My immediate small family was assigned to the Seale House, and I am so grateful. There are 3 bedrooms downstairs each with their own separate entrance from the outside as well as a closet room that we used as a 4th room. Two of the rooms downstairs had their own bathroom inside the room. The third room (which we were assigned) did not have its own bathroom, but there was wan directly across the hall which was pretty much our own bathroom since everyone else had their own bathrooms. There is a 4th bathroom upstairs that the "bedroom" upstairs used as their bathroom. For parking there is room for about 2 to 3 cars right next to the house, and we parked a 4th car lower (but next to the exterior entrances to the bedrooms). Cottage 11: Smaller of the 3 houses. Close to the water and water activities launch site, but the least favorite set up of the 3 houses for me. I believe they parked up in the lot across from Preece. Activities: There are scheduled activities both in the AM and PM that you can sign up for. Each day is different, so check the calendar for the week. The AM activities usually cost money, but I think all the PM activities were free. We did "zip lining" one morning. It's great for beginners and those wary of heights, but if you are looking for more of a thrill, this is not it. WildPlay (which many of the family did prior to Strathcona) sounded much more thrilling. For this zip lining course, one has to walk across a balance beam and then a tight rope to get to the platform to zip line, and it's just the one line. Other family members did the rope course the next day which looked more fun. Water activities was worth the money. You can rent a canoe (small or large), kayak, paddle board, etc for the whole day (or by the hour). We would rent one or two of each and rotate use throughout the day. I recommend the canoe or kayak and paddling to the smaller islands to explore swim holes, and just the islands. Pack a picnic lunch. We definitely got our money's worth from the rentals. There's also a swimming area and a sand volleyball court. Hiking: There are trails on the property, but most of the family also drove to some of the nearby waterfalls. The favorite was Myra falls (about a 40 minute drive out). The pictures of especially lower Myra Falls was absolutely gorgeous. I wish I had gone to Myra Falls instead of the zip lining. Dining: There is a restaurant onsite, but we never ate there. We purchased breakfast and lunch items from Costco on the way to the lodge, and for dinner, we had prepared stuff ahead of time and had one large group dinner each night. Dinner was held at Seale House one night. Another night we had a BBQ by the pit. The first night we arranged ahead of time for the Salmon dinner. Because of fire warning, they could not cook the salmon over the fire pit as usual. Instead, they baked it in the oven ahead of time. NOT recommended. I think it would've been better cooked in the fire pit. Overall, this was one of the most relaxing vacations I've had. Lodging was great. Scenery was BEAUTIFUL. Weather was perfect (we went last week of July). Plenty of activities (water activities on site, hiking trails on site, and waterfalls nearby). Free WiFi only at the main lodge. No cellphone coverage. If you need to go to the store for something more than what they sell at the general store at the main lodge, you need to go into one of the next towns, which is about 30-40 minute drive either direction. Highly recommend, and would definitely go back!

Came here with a group of friends during a day trip to the Island from Powell River and I'm really…read moreglad we all stopped here at the 40 Knots Winery. The wine-tasting tour was excellent, and it sure helped that the different flavours of wine all tasted great. Staff are very friendly and welcoming especially to out of towners. Prices were reasonable. Would I return? Yeah. I definitely would.

We had an amazing time checking out 40 Knots! The wine is very good and we're so happy we stopped…read morein. The staff are incredible and they have such a great spot to do these tastings. Definitely would recommend checking this place out.

We had a good stay at Bayview Hotel in Courtney. It is right on a main highway and access is very…read moreeasy. They have a large parking lot and finding parking was never a problem. It is included in the room rate. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. We had a booked a view room but there really isn't much of a view - overlooking part of the parking lot and some trees on the back of the property. The water is too far away to have much of a view. The room is a very good size with 2 double beds and a chair for sitting. It was clean and well taken care of. The air conditioning worked well and was nice and quiet. We slept very well. The room was nicely cleaned during the 3 days of our stay. Breakfast was very good. I liked the fact that they varied the hot dishes slightly each morning so that you had options for hot food during breakfast. The dining room is very small though and it was frequently necessary to share a table with other guests. My husband went to the swimming pool but it is an indoor pool and he said that it felt very muggy and had a strong smell of chlorine which he found very unpleasant. Overall it was a good visit and we would likely stay again.

I'd give it five stars because compared to our week in cheap motels on the Sunshine Coast, Bayview…read moreback on Vancouver Island was heavenly. Large clean, modern rooms well laid out. We had a double bed unit for three family members. Perhaps missing were a spare luggage rack and a kettle, maybe. Though the coffee machine does tea. The breakfast room has truly hot water if you need some. That service appears 24/7 along with the brewed coffee but confirm that with the desk. At breakfast there was decaf too. And. The cold drink dispenser only works during the breakfast hours of 6:30 to 9:30am M-F, 7-10am S&S. The a/c unit in the suite is a commercial-grade unit that's very quiet. The bedding is top notch and we found the mattresses to be wonderful. Bathrooms are appropriately clean and modern. The pool and hot tub were a welcome addition on a humid evening. The pool isn't huge and not too deep and the hot tub/whirlpool safe for supervised children. The waterslide is amazingly high for a hotel and a thrilling ride down -- though you probably should pinch your nose as you hit the exit slush channel. Water hitting your feet shoots straight up your nostrils! There are lots of towels and a change room where you should shower first. There's no shoes allowed with a small cubby for them. Bring minimal valuables. Located in the pool room hall are vending dispensaries. Bring change or some machines also accept $5 and $10's. This is where the ice machine is located. There is a 24 hour fitness room on the main floor though when I went by at 10:30 pm there were a large contingent of small children playing almost out of control on the equipment. Obviously an evening playground for parents to bring their youngsters. Um, no thank you. There was a clean, efficient laundry room on our third floor. Probably every floor. The front staff were friendly on arrival and one fellow gave us a great recommendation for a nearby pub restaurant that truly had the biggest servings I've ever experienced. He'd given us very accurate information. The complimentary continental breakfast buffet area is reasonably large, clean, bright and efficiently laid out. With cold and hot items available there is practically something for everyone. Shirt and shoes. No pets. For seconds get a clean plate please. The hot item can rotate in the morning from sausages to sausage patties and scrambled eggs to egg patties (for instance) depending on the time you arrive. It gets busy the later you go and seating for a family might be challenging depending on how busy it is and how many single business persons sit by themselves taking up the larger seating tables. I've taken individual pics of the food/drink stations just in case anyone using this review wants to check it out first. It was all good, though the scrambled eggs were a little bland but there's great omelettes and cold, peeled hard boiled eggs in a cooler for you. The hotel has lots of parking and there's a lovely walking path behind the hotel with an approximately 30" loop past marshy areas and a light plane landing strip. I'd use this hotel again no problem. Very quiet night. It's family friendly...maybe a bit too much so but that's okay. At least the kids weren't glued to device screens. There are pet friendly rooms on the first floor with some restrictions on where they can go. We didn't use the wifi or tv but from all appearances selection, speed and use look top notch. Rooms come with an alarm clock and lighting is good. The platform bed preclude leaving item behind under the beds.

I owe it to the staff at Nightingale introducing this distillery to me. I never would have heard…read moreof them. When the opportunity to see this ditillery came up because I would be In Campbell River, this was a no brainer. I knew what I wanted, so I came away with three single malts. Smoke Point, which is an Islay style but smoked with driftwood, Classic Single Malt, and 10 Year Old Estate Whiskey. The gentleman helping me out was very friendly. They are known as a field-to-flask or grain-to-glass distillery. They grow their own grains to make the product and is disilled on site. All of the whiskies are overproof, with some more so than others. Enjoy responsibly.

What a random find! We stopped in to check it out and went on a short tour. The gentleman running…read morethe tour was most enthusiastic about the product and took us through how it is made. I definitely learned something! He answered all of our questions and gave us some samples. They have many varieties of triple distilled flavoured vodkas as well as a single malt whiskey. There is a room for weddings and the outdoor patio is blooming with flowers. A very nice venue!

No dogs allowed!!! Came here looking for a cool shaded place to walk my dog during a heat wave and…read morehad to leave.

The most beautiful park in the Comox Valley, right on the waterfront. Very well kept. Deer…read morefrequently seen. A place to relax in nature and refresh yourself, get married, or take your sweetie... Free. Small cottage cafe during summer; home of the fabulous Filberg Festival in August every year.

Simply put, it needs an upgrade. We didn't spend too much ($150) as we were only booked for the…read morenight as we were passing through. We also weren't expecting the best room as we saw how much the price fluctuated depending on where you are on the property, some are ocean views and much bigger suites. The hotel photographs better than it actually looks. The location is just outside of the city by 7 mins which we didn't mind at all, the location is beautifully located right on the water but boy could it be so much better with a good upgrade and modernization. We checked in easy and the staff was pleasant. We got to our room and it was abit weird in terms of layout. Stairs down to the double bed room. There's a table randomly in the corner with one chair. The room is spacious but there's nothing to fill the space, there's no artwork either when they could totally lean into the West coast of it all. The bathroom was freezing and shoved to the back of the room like a closet - no window or ventilation. The decks have absolutely no privacy screening and the furniture is really uncomfortable so it's not the most pleasant to sit outside unless you really wanna chat with your neighbors. The beds were the best part - super comfy mattress and sheets. The amenities are worn down - we went to the gym and a lot of the stuff wasn't working. We didn't try the pool as it was quite busy with kiddos. We did however enjoy sitting on the dock down by the water for abit to soak in the ocean and sun! When we were ready to leave our car was absolutely covered in bird shit lol. There should be some sort of warning to not park under a particular tree at the back as apparently it happened to the guy next to us too a day before so he switched parking spots! We had to go to the gas station to wash it off. All in all I'd look at other options next time.

This review is specifically about the restaurant's "cook your catch" service. They cooked our…read moredressed coho salmon absolutely perfect with blackened spice. Yum!