Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa

Can I please live here! The view, the lovely cheerful helpful staff, OMG! The hydro path!!! Brilliant! And oh thank you for accommodating our allergies! We are already planning our next visit.

When you first drive in it doesn’t look nearly as amazing as it actually is!
Two days, 4 Spa treatments, three meals and great company made it a WONDERFUL trip. Can’t wait to go again!

I stayed at the Kingfisher over the weekend in the end of September 2014. It had been recommended to me as a nice hotel and great spa. I stayed in one of the simple ocean view rooms (furthest from the beach) near to the lobby. The rooms are not the most up to date but they are nice and clean. I especially liked the gas fireplace in the room which you could use to heat your room, made it feel quite cosy. One thing I noticed about the rooms is that the walls are quite thin. You can hear loud talkers in adjacent rooms as well as heavy walkers in the walkway above the floor. It wasn’t terrible but noticeable. I would recommend a room on the 2^nd floor for a better view and less noise. I took full advantage of enjoying the spa pool and hot tub every day. Nice that it opens at 7:00am and closes at 10:00pm.
Spa Review: I enjoyed the hydro-​path and would recommend it to others. In hindsight after doing it I would have booked it as a package with something else, I noticed some package specials after the fact. I also had a pedicure after the hydropath. The pedicure was ok. I chose the option with the hot stone massage, however unfortunately how they have you positioned you only get your feet and front of your legs massaged. Maybe next time I’ll try the facial.

Beautifully kept grounds with a great view.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and it was well worth the money and time. The staff was very friendly but the claim to fame here was the view from room. We never made it to the spa so I can’t comment on how the services were, but the facilities looked great.
The room was not spectacular, nor fancy, but it wasn’t low end either. It was, however, very clean and comfortable.
The only complaints I can think of, and they are silly complaints to make, is that I had to walk down to the restaurant or the oceanfront building to get ice for the ice bucket. Also, there was a mini fridge with a coffee maker, but there was no microwave. Both items, very minor and I still can’t help but give the Kingfisher five stars. I will definitely return.

My sister purchased 2 getaways through Travelzoo since there were 4 adults (with 2 small kids) going and we upgraded one of them to an ocean front suite at $ 75/​night. The purchase price included a spa and dining credit for each room.
The rooms. The standard room is your basic hotel room with complimentary coffee and tea, comfy beds and a nice enough bathroom. The TV was really old and we thought our vision was going. The upgraded ocean front suite was awesome! I don’t recall the name of it but it featured a king size bed in a separate room and a queen size murphy bed in the living area. It had a mini-​kitchen, jet bath tub, comfy couch and arm chair and an updated flat screen TV with DVD player. You can step out of the sliding glass doors and onto the beachfront. There were sea lions barking in the ocean but you couldn’t hear them with the glass doors closed.
We did the Pacific Mist HydroPath which is their signature spa service and it was LOVELY… thoroughly enjoyed it. An attendant guides you through the different stations, leaving you alone and coming back just in time to take you to the next one with instructions on what will happen.
We had dinner at the restaurant with a 2 yr old and a 4 month old. It was formal but not stuffy and they put us away from the general crowd. They do have a kids menu and crayons to keep them occupied. The food was good, nothing too spectacular but tasty. Well seasoned and portioned.
The grounds were well maintained and all the staff were lovely. I would definitely be back!

Here’s what you do… catch a plane from either Edmonton, Calgary or Vancouver and fly straight into Comox Airport on Vancouver Island.
Grab a taxi and drive down to this Resort…20 minutes tops.
Check in for a couple nights and experience an incredible short visit of relaxation, massage, yoga, Aqua therapy and perfect food presentations that are very rare to duplicate anywhere I have ever been.
Add excellent service from a young, polite, attentive staff and you will definitely make this place one of your best relaxing getaways you will ever visit.
The rooms are simple but you can upgrade if you prefer.
The only small negative thing I can say is they need to upgrade their TVs in the rooms to HD Flat Screens… I had problems following the hockey puck while watching the Winter Olympics on the grainy old fashioned TV’s!
All in all a must to visit!

I purchased a travelzoo deal which included 2 nights stay, a spa credit and a dining credit at The Breakwater restaurant.
Our overall experience was splendid. What a beautiful location! The Pacific Mist Hydropath was so damn wonderful. It looks like something out of a movie. The lagoon basement in some rich dudes mansion. I cannot properly express how much we loved that thing. And the spa credit we received with our deal almost covered one persons fee. That was cool.
The spa building also has an heated, partially covered outdoor pool and uncovered hot tub, sauna, and steam cave that is available for guest use until 10 pm. We used the crap out of those.
The staff at both the hotel and the spa were lovely. Check in and check out was a breeze.
Our room did seem pretty dated for my expectations. «Resort & Spa» has a certain ring to it that lead me to believe it would be slightly fancier? It was completely acceptable, I just thought it would be a little nicer.

The experience we recently had at the Kingfisher Spa has prompted me to consider a serious ethical conundrum: What do you do when, minutes after surrendering on the table to the hands of an unknown massage therapist, you know. Deep down in you (actually not even deep down, in fact very much on the surface, but also slightly in your soul) you know you have just overpaid for someone to rub lotion on your body instead of any healing, stress relieving, therapeutic results. I will come back to this thought in a moment but first, let me offer some context: We were visiting from across the US; North Carolina to be exact. If you have not made the journey from Charlotte, NC to British Columbia, lets just say it is very long and offers no direct path. Our trip involved three airports, an overnight stay in Seattle, a two hour drive across the border, a two hour ferry ride, and an hour and a half drive to Courtenay. We were paying a long overdue visit to my father and stepmother who live on the island. For color, lets add that a relative lay dying in hospice in town. And that the snow and ski slopes we had hoped would provide some levity were not to be. So we laid our weary bodies down at the Kingfisher. I had done the hydropath previously and loved it. We thought we would add to it and splurge on massages, one for me, and one for my husband. So we booked, paid $ 165 a person, which, with tax and tip amounts to a $ 400 afternoon. But okay, it would be worth it we told ourselves. Sadly, within a few minutes of our side by side massage, I knew we had been had. I wondered if I should hop off the table, run fast, go demand our money back. But it would have created a lot of stress for everyone, including the nice but hapless therapists. So I said nothing, my husband said nothing, and we waited out a sorry rubdown. As soon as they had left us, we looked at each other and said, «How was yours?» Simultaneously, we turned our thumbs down, in disappointment. And so returning to this dilemma I began with; This experience has prompted me to consider: Will I ever turn myself over to an unknown massage therapist again? Or will I demand a money back guarantee? Is that even possible? Or will I raise up my hand, call the therapist out, mid-​session? Or simply ask the therapist to stop, and leave without discussion? Or complain, post massage and hope for a measly discount? All options are terrible. The only option is for the provider of these services (in this case, Kingfisher) to re-​examine the skills of their staff, survey clients immediately, and dedicate themselves to ensuring they hire capable therapists. Since they will not likely do this, I encourage you thus: Skip the massage. Arrive early, enjoy the outdoor heated pool, and just go for the hydropath. Whatever you do, do not pay them to lay a single hand on you. It will be a waste of your time, money, hopes, and dreams and will result in immediate and permanent paranoia that you can never trust yourself in the hands of a masseuse again. Four stars for the hydropath. One for the massage. One for lunch at their sad bistro.

The Hydro Path is pretty awesome. Felt amazing afterwards. Our ‘guide’ was sweet and helpful and discreet. The water massages were very relaxing and intense as well. Very unique idea, self –propelled spa experience. We’ll be back for sure. I’ll be bringing friends here from out of town too. A really nice gift for a loved one! Gift shop has some lovely lotions and potions. The yoga class I attended was very peaceful and well taught. LOVELY setting. Friendly staff.

We found a travelzoo deal for the Kingfisher Resort and we weren’t exactly sure what to expect. I think it’s best to break down this particular review into different categories to explain the overall 3 star rating. The accommodations can vary greatly depending upon the type of room that you get. The travelzoo featured an ocean view room. This side of the resort is a little older and could use further updating. It didn’t have all of the amenities that you would expect from a spa and resort, but it wasn’t too bad overall. My biggest gripe was that the shower had very little water pressure and it wasn’t the most comfortable experience taking a shower. The atmosphere was very relaxed and they welcome their guests to just sit back and relax in their bathrobes throughout the resort. The views were amazing with the waterfront being so close to the resort! With all that being said, the accommodations get 3 stars. We dined at restaurant and weren’t all that impressed with the selections. It was quite pricey and I wasn’t too impressed with the flavors. I’d give the food selections a 2 star.
The best part of the resort was the spa. It looks a little deceiving because the spa building doesn’t look all that big and I wasn’t expecting a whole lot. We first tried the hydropath treatment and it was awesome. You get a guided treatment of a mixture of pools and baths that help to relax you and alleviate the aches and pains from a normal day. I was exhausted by the end of the hydropath, but in a good way. Totally relaxed and I slept like a baby. I followed that up with a massage the next day. Another great experience and I have nothing bad to say about it. The spa package gets a 5 star rating for me.
Had we paid the extra money for the Oceanside suite, I definitely would have given the resort 4 – 5 stars. The suites are more modern and have more amenities and that could have made a huge difference in the overall rating. Despite that, we still had a great time and were amazingly surprised at the weekend getaway.

Spa? Check. Resort? Check. Perfect wedding anniversary trip? Check.
We’ve heard many great things about this oceanside resort and spa, so we figured we needed to scope this place out. Perfect timing because our wedding anniversary was just around the corner. They have specials and packages available on their site as well as in the Vacation packages section of the BC Ferries website.
Don’t take this place the wrong way. It’s not a destination for just couples, although we saw plenty during our stay there. It’s also a great place for bride-to-be’s and her gals to get some serious R&R before the big day.
We stayed in the Denman suite, and it offered a fantastic view of the ocean. The suites were laid out in a way where each guest had unobstructed views from their suite. The bedding was super soft, and upon check in, they printed out our appointment at the spa. Yes, they advised us to make spa appointments ahead of time to guarantee a spot. And sure enough, the day we arrived there were no options to change our appointment time. There is a parking garage that is constantly patrolled, and you could also opt for surface parking if your room is closer.
We found so many oysters along the shoreline, and tons of fish jumping out of the water too. Such a cool place to be if you’re looking to relax and be one with nature.
The Pacific Mist Hydropath is their signature spa service, where you take an entire hour to hang out and go through the numerous water stations to detoxify, remineralize, and relax.
I feel they deserve 5 stars because we brought an expensive wine up with us to drink, and we needed a decanter. So we called front desk to see if the restaurant would lend one to us. Within minutes, somebody knocked on our door with a decanter! What great service!
We both felt rejuvenated after our 2 night stay, and definitely recommend their Pacific Mist Hydropath.

It’s always nice, when driving north on Vancouver Island, to drop down from the newer Inland Highway, and to get onto the old road, the original Island Highway. If you do this at Buckley Bay, and then turn left towards Courtenay/​Comox, at that traffic light, you’re on your way to a pleasing entry to Courtenay. Just before Royston & Gartley Beach Road, you will come to the Kingfisher Hotel/​Spa, and its great dining room with ocean vistas. They have a good chef, here, and whether it’s lunch or dinner, you’ll enjoy the ambiance and the food. I always think it looks like an inviting place to stay, but so far I’ve always been on the proverbial day trip, and so lunch has been my feature. It’s a place to just sit, and to recharge, while looking over the beach and protected ocean, across to Point Holmes in Comox, and beyond to the Lower Mainland mountains. What a beautiful area we live in, for sure! Terrific salads, here, good bread to accompany, a fresh sheet for entrees, so the menu changes up regularly… this is definitely on my must stop list, when I’m en route to Vancouver Island’s northern destinations. One of these days, will stay and do the spa…

My husband and I came here for a long weekend anniversary getaway. We had a package which included an oceanfront suite, spa treatments and dining.
Our room was absolutely lovely and the view from the balcony was spectacular. Three eagles and some otters provided constant entertainment. Also, if you are looking out around 9:00pm you can see cruise ships heading north along the inside passage.
Our spa treatments were very good, but the hydropath was amazing. We loved it so much we wanted to go multiple times but it was all booked up so we will have to return and book far ahead.
We had excellent meals in the dining room. The breakfasts were particularly delicious — the whole grain blueberry pancakes and the brie and strawbery french toast brioche — yum! To the people who wear their spa robes to the dining room for dinner — really???
So why 4 stars? They encourage you to not wear jewelry for the spa treatments but they do not provide room safes. A neighbour’s room service tray sat outside the room for 18 hours — gross! They do not appear to have any type of bell service or if they do, it was never offered. And lastly, the only way to get to the ocean is to leap from rock to rock during low tide. It definitely precludes romantic walks on the beach.

Dinner for my birthday. The mussels in a curry, ginger and sambuca sauce were superb as was the pear and walnut salad. The Ling cod was great for Lauren and I liked it but then thought — I should have tried the veal. Dessert was the house specialty, lava cake, a hot chocolate centred mini-​cake with coulis and of course ice cream with white chocolate. The view from the dining room is relentless as a distraction from your meal. An did I mention the Grey Goose martini — perfect!

I have been here 3 times and I just can’t get enough of this amazing resort. Their services are awesome and the view is incredible.
I have done the hydra-​path twice and have also had a pedicure, couples massage and eaten at their restaurant all 3 times. I will be back!
~ Tammra Broughton — RNCP /​ROHP, NLPP — Living Proof Nutrition & NLP

We have been here for three Spa getaways and always leave impressed. The Hydropath is a absolute must. Try to begin your visit in there to completely relax before your holiday. Massages are often with registered massage therapists who have been through rigorous training — this is not your lame spa rub-​down massage. My last facial also came with a seaweed thing they put on my upper back. I’ve never had that anywhere else — it’s great.
Dinners are really good. Fresh west coat fusion cuisine. We tend to book the latest possible seating so we can get a window seat and avoid the louder large party scene.
The rooms are nicely appointed and are split into several buildings with varying levels of luxury. The bottom tier of that are the rooms up by the parking lot. They are a little cheaper but they are poorly insulated so you will hear every word your neighbours say as well as each and every car that comes and goes from the spa all day and night. Don’t do this option! The rooms down by the water are the way to go if you have come to relax.

A real find on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Lovely setting, beautiful room, and food to die for.
Go when they are offering the seafood buffet, and throw away your preconceived ideas about buffets. This one is a must!