Sooke Harbour House

The Sooke Harbour House was amazing! We stayed there for our honeymoon, and absolutely loved it! We stayed in the birdhouse, and enjoyed beautiful vaulted ceilings with incredible views of the Juan de Fuca Straits and the Olympic Peninsula. We also got to tour some of the open rooms, and every one had its own theme, and was so beautiful and artistically designed. Furthermore, there were fireplaces in every room, with a basket of firewood that was restocked every day. And, there was a carafe of delicious port every evening in our room, along with daily freshly baked cookies that we enjoyed. Furthermore, the food was outrageously good. Best food of our lives! I was a little concerned about what to expect due to all of the negative reviews, but my concerns were unnecessary, and I can’t imagine how the negative reviews were written. The place was immaculate and beautiful, not run down at all. The staff was all courteous and helpful. The sheets, robes, and blankets felt quite new, the beds very comfortable and not lumpy at all. The food and breakfast every day was delicious and not greasy at all. All in all, we had a fabulous stay, and can’t wait to return!

I like this hotel for it’s location and quirkiness but it has some issues. As others have said, it’s looking ‘tired’, which I don’t really mind. What I do mind is when things feel a little dirty. Our soaker tub on the porch didn’t look like it had been cleaned, bathroom had a sewer smell right off the bat, white sheets were very dingy, and the robes were so stained and pilled I was too grossed out to put one on. Other than that our room, #11, was spacious and well-​appointed and felt cozy and warm. However the bed was rock hard! Glad we only stayed a couple nights for that reason. I like that they leave fresh cookies and port in the room for you and they have homemade cookies in jars all over the place. I also like that they bring breakfast to the room (restaurant is closed at that time). However, the food is not very good. Our first morning they offered a choice of omelette or continental breakfast. We had one of each. The omelet was really flat and compact and oily. Also too small to be filling. Came with a small scone which was ok. The continental breakfast was a really good yogurt and granola but the fruit compote was way too sweet. Also small portions. And we got a baked goods basket that had a nice croissant and some dry muffins. The second morning we were there it was just the continental breakfast option, no other offering.
My review of the restaurant (which was really disappointing) is here:

The Sooke Harbour House is one of a kind amazing! The guest rooms are artistically and uniquely designed, I love the mermaid room. Incredible ocean front views. The gardens are also spectacular which naturally lends itself to a world glass restaurant. Pioneers of the organic food movement from years back and nationally recognized for it, impressive! Go check it out if you ever get the chance.

Meme en décembre cet hotel est magique situé en bord de mer avec des chambres magnifiques (nous avions la chambre du pécheur), feu de cheminée tous les soirs, restaurant digne d’une étoile au Michelin: huîtres kushi dont deux panées panko, salade betterave et pomme avec un yaourt fait maison et écume de pomme, les fruits, légume et aromate sont cultivé sur la propriété ou sont des productions locales.
Les petits déjeuner sont servis dans la chambre devant l’océan, il respire de cet endroit un moment où le temps s’est arrêté, vous êtes en communion avec la nature comme les habitants de Vancouver island le sont toute leur vie, dans le jardin ou sur la route des biches curieuses viennent se promener…
Allez passer quelques jours à Sooke Harbour hotel…

We stayed two nights last weekend (3^rd week in June) and ate both nights at the restaurant. The room was shabby to say the least. The attention to detail was not up to par in relation to the cost and expectations (example: we found moldy green dried up coffee filter in the coffee maker-​GROSS).
The staff was disinterested, the carpets were not vacuumed properly, the deck was covered in bird poop and dirt, the outdoor «jetted tub» was cracked, and dirty and had no jets. So disappointed!
The food was decent but not outstanding and like the hotel itself-​completely overpriced! The beds had poor quality bedding, lumpy cheap mattresses and the most uncomfortable cheap pillows I have ever slept on!
The hotel is for sale and it’s pretty obvious it’s a sinking ship. Past its prime and you’re better off at the Best Western down the block. When you pay that much your experience should meet or exceed your expectations.

This review is about a year late but have been thinking about the wonderful meal we had there and the perfect wine pairing that went with it. This is one of those places that you just can’t wait to go back to and next time we’ll do more damage to those great wines.

The restaurant is totally over-​rated and our group was sadly disappointed on our first (and only!) visit to this establishment. Service was slow, inattentive, uncaring. Very limited menu choices, and more flowers than flavor on the plate. Fabulous view, but can’t recommend the food or the experience. Times must have been better to get all the past accolades.

Stayed for three nights. The room was beautiful. We had an indoor soaking tub which was great for us. Some of the rooms have it indoor and some out on the patio so be sure to ask when reserving.
Every room is different and none of them feel like cookie cutter dorms with the bathroom in the corner and the bed facing the TV. In fact the TV is not even in the room unless you ask for it (we didn’t) which really helps with unplugging and enjoying the quiet. Breakfast (included) is of the same quality as the rest of the food here, that is to say fresh, local, and amazing.
Not at all cheap but absolutely worth it if you want to get away and travel back to when personal, people based service was what made a place special.

Why are there two Unilocal for the same restaurant?
The one above gives a lot more negative reviews. The service was terrible. The wine guy was full of himself and my wife actually knew more about some of the stuff he tried to serve us.
For what you get, it’s overpriced hype. We were in Vancouver a week and ate a lot better for a lot cheaper.

*Wow, what more can I add that hasn’t, this place is at the very least a once in a lifetime visit
*Top rooms are to die for, make sure to get an outdoor hot tub, worth the price
*Go in the off season, much slower and laid back and you can really get into the property with fewer people

Really cute and romantic. Food was mind-​blowingly delicious and if you’re romantically inclined, this is an awesome spot to take that special someone for an Island getaway.
If you’ve heard of Alice Waters (of Chez Panisse, Berkeley fame) and her 100 mile menu concept, then know that Sooke Harbour House’s restaurant takes that to heart and runs with it. The hotel is also host to a large vegetable garden that also grows flowers that are so pretty you could just eat them up – and if you dine here, you will! Their menu prides itself of being locally sourced, and they do a very good job of choosing their ingredients. Every course on the tasting menu was a new treat!
The rooms are individually decorated and have their own charm to them. Although we only stayed for one night, our trip was capped off with in-​room breakfast… a delicious french toast topped with more edible flowers.
This tip of the island was so relaxing and a perfect weekend getaway. I will definitely be back!

This is one of the most romantic spots on the planet, in any month, bar none.
I may be a bit biased — we just got married here, and everything went smoothly, right down to the two bald eagles which buzzed the wedding 30 seconds before my lovely bride began walking down the aisle. How they arranged that, and 65 degree sunny weather in the first week of October, I’ll never know.
At times it appears the entire property is edible, and it just might be — we ate the chefs tasting menu, which was not only one of the best meals of my life, it was the best service as well. So much of the food is grown on the property or nearby on Vancouver Island that it’s difficult to properly describe. It is delicious. If you are a foodie, you know about this place. Go. You won’t regret it.
We had in room massages and manicures, in room food and wine served on the property — we had breakfast served several mornings and dealt with many members of the staff as well as the owner and her family.
The catering menu was prepared to the same extremely high standards as the restaurant menu, and we thought the focus at our wedding should be the food. And it was. Perfectly prepared, presented, and it was delicious. Perfect.
Some of the best food I’ve eaten in my life (best salmon sandwich, best apple — yes, just an apple) were here, and I remember it. Best rooms, best views, the list goes on.

Waited half hour to be seated
Ten minutes, five minutes — not really
Requested water three times
No wine list delivered
Sparkling wine bucket placed on the floor
We refilled ourselves except for once
Slow/​no service
We returned here for our 20^th anniversary…
Sometimes you can’t go back.
This place has gotten top many awards…
It’s gone to their heads… they simply don’t care.

I totally totally loved staying here. It was expensive but is good value for money. Definitely romantic. Love the packed bagged lunch on departure. I would stay here again and recommend it to anyone I know who is in love :) We stayed in an artist suite that had a great deck and art supplies in the room :) Very cool place.

This is my idea of a romantic hotel.
The room was large, with a big, comfy bed and steps down to a couch and breakfast table set up with a fireplace. The west facing wall of windows had blackout curtains, which, when pulled back, looked outside onto a covered patio with deep soaking tub, a couple of comfy chairs and a table, all protected by large, edible plants (a HUGE rosemary bush). The protected patio opened onto a public patio with couch etc, if we wanted to get some sun (not us, not ever), that looked out onto the harbor and the wooded hills beyond. The bathroom was huge, with a large shower to share and plenty of space to get dressed. The door to the room was 2 doors (like an airlock), so the room was super quiet — no hallway noise.
We rarely get to eat the breakfast at a B&B, because we rarely get up in time. Here, they brought our breakfast tray at 10 am (latest time they had), knocked on the door, brought the tray inside and left it. We ate it when we got up. We visited in July, in berry season. We got the breakfast pastries with fruit compote and yogurt one day. The pastries included a perfect plain croissant, soft raspberry scone and raspberry filled flaky tart. SO delicious. The next day we got the pastries again (for one) which has a raspberry and chocolate muffin, instead of the scone, in addition to 2 other pastries. I can’t usually eat 3 full size pastries for breakfast. I made an exception… My husband got the fritatta, which he loved. My only issue was that the coffee got a thermos and the tea, in a cute tea pot, didn’t hold its warmth (cute isn’t cute unless it is also functional).
There were cookie jars strategically placed at check in and in the hallways with fresh cookies each day (I took the data — and the cookies — yum).
We ordered a packed lunch for my husband to take as he rode his bike back to Victoria on the Galloping Goose trail. Tasty smoked salmon sandwich, apple and bottle of water for him. I ate the cookies (yum!)
All of Sooke Harbor House’s landscaping is edible, which is my current obsession, so I woke up at 10 am one morning to take the 2.5 hour edible landscaping tour. Learned a ton — all of those salvia flowers are edible (went home and tasted all my salvias — spicy!)
I have dreamed about this trip and can’t wait to go back.

This rating is for the hotel, not the restaurant which I would give 10 stars to if possible. The SHH restaurant is among my favorite in the world and I was rather let down by the hotel rooms. The Ocean Orchard room looked like a hippy grandma garage sale with cheap IKEA lamps from 1982 and had a mystery noise that sounded like sea lions mating in an air duct. We asked to be moved to the second floor and found a much better room, although it was a bit too ‘well loved’ for my taste. I will say the staff are very accommodating. We were on a weekend package that included dinner, breakfast room service and the room. Once we worked out meal costs we figured our room was $ 300+ per night. At that price there are better options in the area and you can still enjoy the fantastic food in the restaurant.
I have stayed at many B&Bs, funky art hotels and love a unique experience but at $ 300+ per night I am sad to say I would give the hotel a miss next time I am in this beautiful area.

One of the most beautiful and comfortable places I’ve ever stayed in my life, hotel or no. From our Ocean Queen room, we looked out over a small lawn to stand-​up surfers catching waves in the outer Sooke Harbour. The room was bright and airy, and every wall had actually interesting art. We also enjoyed a bottle of port out in our private hot tub, and warmed ourselves by the fireplace afterward. In the morning, hot (absolutely delicious) breakfast was brought to our room. Every detail was perfect, and the staff was so lovely. A true destination spot.
Now, the restaurant is another story… but I wrote a separate review all about that.

One of the best places we’ve stayed; wished we had stayed much longer. Can’t wait to get back; an outstanding customer experience, in a very beautiful setting.

I completely agree with prior reviewers Kat and Jeff that this is a 5 star place. We’ve stayed here for our 10^th, 20^th, and 25^th wedding anniversaries and am sure we will be back again. Just stepping out of the car when we arrived I found myself completely relaxing. We stayed in the Emily Carr room (22) as we did last visit — the view from our second floor balcony was across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The sky changes constantly — we both kept taking pictures and each time it looks different.
The garden is beautiful and is the source of herbs and flowers and lettuces used in the restaurant, which is top notch. Had the best Dungeness Crab ever.
Delicious breakfasts delivered to your room. Incredible works from BC artists all over the place (it doubles as a gallery). Fireplace in room, with real wood. Nice people work here. Family totem pole out by the water front.
Short walk to the Whiffen Spit — which provides a lovely place to walk and enjoy birds and people walking their dogs (I missed mine so enjoyed meeting others).
As a bonus — on the actual night of our anniversary as we were just starting the incredible 7 course gastro meal, someone pointed out a family of river otters that had come up from the water, through the gardens, to frolic in a fountain.
Thank you, thank you!

The setting/​location, the décor, the staff, the food — everything is, well — PERFECT!
I was a groomsmaid (yes, you read that correctly, a groomsmaid — a female who walked down on the grooms side) this summer in a wedding at the Sooke Harbour House.
Guests flew from all four corners of the US to Victoria, BC — for many of us, it was our first time to the island. The bride and groom had vacationed at the Sooke Harbour house on one of their vacations over the last few years and when they got engaged, they instantly knew this was the spot for the wedding. It took mere seconds to know why when we all walked in.
The views are simply breath-​taking, being surrounded by that much beauty and nature has this way of being humbling yet also magnifying all at once.
The staff was so great — as every wedding day, there were last minute items and chaos but they handled it with calm and grace that comforted the entire wedding party.
The food was spectacular — everything that touched our palates was done perfectly. The menu items were unique and had a history, a story closely tied to the Sooke Harbour House — it was amazing.
Each room has a theme. We of course only got to see one, the Wild Flower room (I believe, although I am not sure if I have the name right). It was used as the bridal suite while we were getting ready and then decorating it for the wedding night — but it was gorgeous as I am sure each room is.
After leaving Victoria and heading back to Boston, MA — I quickly knew that I will have to take a trip back to BC and will be planning a stay at the Sooke Harbour House.
It is the perfect location for a wedding and an amazing, relaxing place for a vacation!

Mrs Cheesemonger and I stayed here several years ago. This world class hotel, tucked by the sea on beautiful Whiffen Spit in Sooke on Vancouver Island has breathtaking views of the Olympic Mountains in Washington, Sooke Harbour and the Pacific.
Our weekend there was beatific. We strolled, hiked (saw bald eagles), had a great in-​room massage, and ate well at the fabulous restaurant.
Everything here is understated luxe, with the exception of the world class local art on dispaly, which is over the top.
This place is a splurge, but a lovely splurge.