Wickaninnish Inn

Character and identity

Perched on a rocky outcrop of Chesterman Beach where the Pacific meets old-growth temperate rainforest, The Wick is a three-storey cedar lodge built to disappear into its surroundings. Across 75 rooms in two buildings, the design language runs to reclaimed Douglas Fir, Yellow Cedar, hand-blown glass and carved mantles by the late Henry Nolla, with floor-to-ceiling windows on the surf. The Pointe Restaurant under chef Clayton Fontaine anchors dinner with 240-degree ocean views; the Ancient Cedars Spa works with island seaweed and local botanicals. Service is warm, knowledgeable and quietly polished rather than formal.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for is the setting and the sense-of-place craftsmanship woven through it, from Nolla's carvings to seaweed facials to whiskey garnished with hand-shaved cedar. Couples should book a Premier Room in the Pointe Building for two-directional ocean views; families want the Beach Building. Storm season (roughly November to February) is the signature experience; reserve spa treatments and Pointe tables well before arrival.