[trip style = luxury + beach]
What An iconic, wind-swept inn perched so near the Pacific Ocean that rooms are often splashed in sea spray.
Trip Styler Tip :: Book room 109 in The Pointe building if you want the highest chance of sea foam surging toward your window.
It doesn't really get more wild West Coast than The Wickaninnish Inn, a Relais & Chateaux-member hotel constructed on a rocky outcropping that feels more surf than turf. Straddling the 49th Parallel and the divide between a centuries-old coastal rainforest and the open ocean, the Travel+Leisure hall of famer---the only one of its kind in Canada---delivers low-key luxury on a gold-plated, douglas fir platter.
At once woodsy and radiant, the 75-room retreat is like a billionaire's cabin where highfalutin friends come to unwind for the weekend. Miles from pretence or posh, guests favor jeans and Gore-Tex jackets over leather and Lanvin, while stature and titles are quickly washed away by the multi-meter swells.
Inside, there's not a bad surf-spotting seat in the house. Every room is adorned with a large viewing window, a balcony with Adirondack chairs, a dual soaker tub, a fireplace and a sultry set of Canadian songbirds to sweeten the mood. Wink wink! {And at the risk of getting too risqué with bedroom talk, the beds are near heavenly---so pillowy-soft you could sleep all day.} Trip Styler approved.
Where Tofino, BC, on Canada's westernmost coast. The best way to reach Tofino is through a combination of car and ferry from Vancouver or Tsawwassen. After taking the 1.5-hour car ferry to Nanaimo, follow the signs for Tofino, a 2.5-hour drive away. Due to the distance, plan to spend at least two nights.
When Tofino's weather is misty, moody and magnificent any time of year. Summer is the destination's high season thanks to warmer temperatures gracing its sprawling beaches, yet people visit year-round to surf {yes, even in winter}, storm-watch and hibernate with a book in front of the fire.
Who/Why You're in the market for a coastal hideaway with all the bells and whistles {from a standout spa to restaurant surrounded by 240 degrees of ocean views}---a place to pen your memoirs, crack open a book or simply rest your mind while aimlessly walking along the multi-kilometer beach.
Cost Rates start at $260 per night and include parking, WiFi and head-to-toe rain gear. Furry fellows can stay with you for $40 per night. There is a $10 fee per guest to use the spa's eucalyptus steam facilities.
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[photos (except for bedroom shot) courtesy of The Wick Inn, assembled while I was hosted as a guest of the hotel.]