A quick caveat: this season, the Inn and restaurant are under new ownership, so take reviews…read moreprevious to 2020 as obsolete.
We actually came here on dumb luck; we are not big fans of Charlottetown, and most of PEI gets boring quickly unless you REALLY like Anne of Green Gables. So, it was a great surprise when we rolled into Ableton on the western end of PEI, and literally stumbled onto the Northport Pier Inn. COVID meant they had rooms available, but there was still plenty of activity, both from locals and guests.
First thing first: this is NOT an amenity-laden hotel. You are deep in rural PEI, so if you're expecting pools and hottubs and other 5-star amenities, you're about 300kms and a long bridge crossing outside of your comfort zone.
What Northport does very well is the necessities- the place is quiet and spotless, the staff are friendly, courteous, knowledgeable and accommodating, and the wi-fi is strong and stable. The food at the restaurant next door is delicious- I had the pan-seared haddock with sweet potato fries- and the food is local (there is a fishery 100m away, and PEI is a strong farming centre.)
What you also get- and this is the Inn's strongest feature- is one hell of a view. The Western end of PEI is an abundance of fish and bird species; plovers, herons and coromonts are everywhere, and nearby Oulton Island (and the outer banks, complete with historic lighthouse) are visible from your window.
I would HIGHLY recommend this Inn for anyone looking to explore the western part of PEI, or most especially anyone looking to step-away from the hustle-and-bustle of big-city life or just to unplug for a few days. The surrounding pier has some perfect places just to sit and enjoy nature, and some of the amazing quirks so enjoyable at finds like these; look for the vocal and territorial Great Blue Herons, the dive-bombing plovers as the sun sets, and- on the far side of the pier- the gentleman living nearby who is raising/supervising(?) five baby raccoons. They follow him around like ducklings, and it is ADORABLE. Just do not interfere- they may have imprinted on and respond to him, but, like the rest of the wildlife around the area, they are still wild raccoons and would not take kindly to your attempts at inserting yourself into their existence. Just observe and enjoy- from a distance.
Grocery access is 5 minutes away, as is gas, and PEI is itself tiny, so you're only 35-45 minutes away from Summerside, the smaller of PEI's two "cities". Canoe/Kayak rentals are only available out of Summerside at the time of this writing, so if that is your thing, make arrangements there (this will NOT be cheap).
Overall, Northport Pier Inn is a clean, quiet, well-run establishment that deserves more attention than it gets. I have no idea what this place was like under previous ownership, but everything I experienced there in summer 2020 was exactly what I was looking for.
One thing to remember: you're on the ocean- bring bug spray and After-bite.