About this hotel
General information
Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge occupies 243 hectares of ancient forest and shoreline where the Bedwell River runs into Clayoquot Sound on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island. It was conceived as an eco-safari camp and remains one of British Columbia’s best-known tented retreats: 25 white canvas tents line the water and sit among old cedar and hemlock. Their look recalls the region’s gold-prospecting past, while the interiors pair custom contemporary furniture with locally made textiles and work by First Nations artists.
At the heart of the camp is The Outpost, beside the Bedwell Bridge, with The Cookhouse restaurant, a bar with a rooftop deck, a games tent and cedar hot tubs above the sound. Stays are all-inclusive: every meal and snack, a selection of wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks, guided outings and wellbeing sessions, the sauna and hot tubs, mountain bikes, e-bikes and watercraft. The lodge opens seasonally in the warmer months and belongs to the Beckons collection; since 2001 its team has been restoring salmon spawning habitat on the property.
Location
The lodge sits at the mouth of the Bedwell River on Clayoquot Sound, a 100-kilometre-wide inlet of the Pacific and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, on the traditional territory of the Ahousaht First Nation in British Columbia. No road leads here: a 45-minute seaplane flight from Vancouver lands at the lodge dock, or a 45-minute boat ride comes in from Tofino. There is no mobile coverage, and the complimentary Wi-Fi is slow.
Spa
The Healing Grounds Spa sits at the water’s edge, where the temperate rainforest meets river and ocean, with treatment rooms, a waterfront massage tent, a yoga and meditation room, a sauna, cedar hot tubs and an outdoor lounge. Treatments use Seaflora Skincare from British Columbia, built on Canadian glacial clay and Pacific seaweed, and include the River Stone Therapy hot-stone massage, the Pacific Rhythm deep-tissue massage, the Ocean Song and Marine Melody facials, clay wraps and reflexology. The sauna and hot tubs are included; treatments are charged separately.
Sports & leisure
Most adventures are part of the stay: a half-day boat outing on the sound in search of whales and bears, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, canyoning that involves paddling up the glacier-fed Bedwell River, the River Trail, Ursus Valley (through 400-year-old forest) and Penny Falls hikes, plus archery, ocean fishing for halibut, lingcod and salmon, rock climbing on seven routes above the sound and guided horse rides (from age 12). Early mornings alternate between a sunrise yoga session and a cold-water plunge in the river, and there is a fitness centre by The Outpost. At extra cost the lodge arranges:
- helicopter flights over the Mount Mariner glacier, to sea caves, to an alpine lake or to an offshore island
- heli-hiking above 900 m and fly fishing at spots reachable only by helicopter
- Walk the Wildside, a boat crossing to Flores Island and a walk through thousand-year-old forest with Ahousaht stories
- a float-camp sauna in Lemmens Inlet
- night kayaking during the bioluminescence season
For children
Children aged six and over are welcome; younger ones only with group bookings of five or more tents, subject to management approval. Every tent has a double sofa bed, so two children can share with two adults, and the Hillside Family, made up of two adjoining tents, is designed for families and groups of friends. Horse riding is open to guests aged 12 and over.
Restaurants & bars
The Cookhouse, on the shore of the sound, has an open kitchen and a menu that changes daily under executive chef Ben Godin: contemporary Pacific Northwest cooking built on local, foraged and home-grown produce from the lodge’s kitchen garden and greenhouse, from Eggs Bedwell with local crab to spot prawns and bison; in the evening guests gather round the fire on the deck. The Ivanhoe bar, named after a vintage tugboat, stands where the Bedwell meets the ocean, with windows over three metres high, a fireplace, cocktails made with spirits from more than twenty British Columbia distillers, canapés and a rooftop lounge with a fire pit. Wines from the Pacific Northwest, California and Australia, craft beers and ciders are included; a separate cellar master’s list of international wines and Champagne is charged extra.
Pets
Because of the surrounding wildlife, guests are asked to leave pets at home; the lodge’s own dogs, trained not to disturb wild animals, live on site.
Rooms
The 25 safari-style canvas tents stand along the sound and the river or within the rainforest; in the Deluxe tents the private bathroom is a few steps away, while the Ensuite and Hillside Family tents have it inside. Each tent sleeps up to four, and the Hillside Family up to eight.
Open-plan lounge with sofa and cast-iron stove, king bed with fine linens (in most tents convertible to twins), double sofa bed, bathroom with heated floors, deck with Adirondack chairs, robes, toiletries in refillable glass and steel vessels, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Rainforest Deluxe
A tent in the rainforest with a king bed beneath a canvas canopy (or twins), a lounge with a cast-iron stove and a deck. The private bathroom, with shower and heated floors, is a few steps outside; sleeps up to four with the sofa bed.
Waterfront Deluxe
A tent on the banks of the sound looking over the ocean and the Bedwell River estuary, with a deck made for watching wildlife and sunrise. King or twin beds and a separate private bathroom with shower a few steps away; sleeps up to four.
Rainforest Ensuite
A forest tent whose lounge opens onto a deck with Adirondack chairs. King or twin beds and an in-tent bathroom with heated floors, double sinks and a private outdoor cedar shower; sleeps up to four.
Waterfront Ensuite
A tent on either side of the Bedwell Bridge at the water’s edge, some facing the sunrise, others on the quiet side of the estuary beside the forest. King bed, a desk and an in-tent bathroom with heated floors, double vanity and outdoor cedar shower; sleeps up to four.
Hillside Family
Two adjoining tents high on the hillside in the rainforest, with views of Clayoquot Sound and a shared deck: two bedrooms with king beds (one convertible to twins) and two lounges with stoves and sofa beds. Two bathrooms with heated floors and outdoor cedar showers, one with a bathtub; sleeps up to eight.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.