CLAYOQUOT WILDERNESS RESORT

Glamping at its best! Our family stayed in the gorgeous, ensuite tents with heated bathroom floors. Everything was perfect. The gourmet food was amazing from breakfast to dinner. Can't wait to return. I hope they continue to add more activities and hone their attentiveness to details.

How does one begin to put down on paper a review of a place when there are no words adequate to convey what one finds there? I could list 100 adjectives yet this would still be entirely insufficient to capture what you will experience on a visit to Clayoquot Wilderness Resort. After struggling with this over the past couple of days since arriving home, I have had to settle on the word "magical". I have traveled quite extensively and have been lucky enough to stay in some very unique and magnificent places. Many times, I have had my breath taken away with the beauty of the location or the comforts of the accommodation but, without a doubt, the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort tops the list. What is it that makes Clayoquot Wilderness Resort so magical? In my mind, there are five keys to understanding this. First, the natural beauty of the location. Nestled on the shores of Clayoquot Sound where the fresh waters meet the salt of the sea surrounded by towering trees provides a magnificent backdrop and a wonderful starting point for the folks that created the little piece of heaven that now exists there. As those of you with boat only access to your cottage will appreciate, the additional work that goes along with having no road access is repaid with the tranquility that comes with being in a remote location which is a rare commodity in our world. I hesitate here to put the next two keys in any order because each has everything to do with your experience. I have chosen to speak of the Clayoquot staff first because I'm concerned that in putting it third might somehow underrate this aspect and be interrupted as "nice and friendly staff" which does not come close to the truth while the third key, the "camp" itself, is easier to explain. To get back to the people….words like friendly, warm, welcoming and knowledgeable all come to mind but there is much more to this. Every single contributor - from John and Adele, the visionaries of Clayoquot and the couple that manage the resort, to Ryan Orr the amazing executive chef, to Tereza Roux the thoughtful sommelier, to all of the expert outdoor guides who make every adventure you choose to take absolutely incredible, to others who ensure every aspect of your stay ticks along smoothly including Kathy and Donna and to all every single person serving in the Cook House who greet you each day and are so attentive, were a delight. Companies struggle to devise compensation plans and employee policies aimed at providing the right incentives to motivate employees and so often fail and even those that succeed do not achieve what they have achieved at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort. I think the answer must lay in the fact that everyone there is truly happy to be there and, while they all appreciate the impact they have on their guests, there is something much more fundamental guiding them than simply pleasing the guests. It may just be the fresh west coast air and scenery but I suspect much has to do with John and Adel

CWL is a very special place. I had been wanting to visit for several years and was concerned I would be let down once I actually got there. I was wrong- CWL exceeded my expectations in every way, and it was so much more than a "fun vacation". CWL is really about connecting with nature. Of course there were the fun activities and luxuries - absolutely delicious food and wine, massages and heli-hiking with glacial immersion (which I highly recommend). But for me it was about the nature... Have you ever heard silence? It was a beautiful thing. I was sad to get home and listen to the lawn mowers next door. And, when was the last time you saw the stars? I would highly recommend CWL and hope everyone has the opportunity to disconnect, and experience the raw beauty there. I feel very fortunate to have been able to visit; and am thankful for Sarah, the GM, and all of her lovely staff who are stewards of the land. I was genuinely touched by them all.