Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre

Came here for a girls weekend, we rented two cottages side by side. The cabins were rustic and nice. We were given firewood so it was very cozy.
Pros:
–beautiful area with a really nice beach close by
–rooms were well heated and quite roomy
–decent price for winter
–pool and hot tub
Cons:
–only enough hot water for one person (we had to go shower at the pool)
–couldn’t get reservation at their restaurant
–couldn’t get an appointment for their mineral pool
–the gym equipments were rusty and broken
All in all, we didn’t get to do anything we came here for because we were not told that we had to make appointments the mineral pool. Restaurant was full and couldn’t take us in because they don’t leave anything for walk ins. So it was a big disappointment.

This resort was a charming and delightful surprise. While on a family vacation we rolled in and took an evening here. The rooms were wonderful and had a warm cabin feel despite being part of a multi-​story building. There were small cabins on the property but we didn’t stay in any of those. A nice lobby, pool/​hot tub, and playground made for pleasant distractions. The food was good and the service efficient. The entire experience was positive except for the
unfortunate fact that we didn’t budget our time properly and only stayed one night so that we could drive to the next destination.
This entire venue is pleasant and the staff were polite and helpful. I think we will be back again.

Don’t stay on a summer holiday long weekend if you are looking for quiet relaxation.. .. .
I should have known better by having booked through front desk the «last available room» that it was going to be packed and bustling: A 10 minute line-​up at check-​in; busy parking lot; and a sign that shows there are five weddings that day.
The $ 318.55 (price with tax) Spa Bungalow was the furthest west from the spa on a dirt (dusty) parking lot, closed in by forest, no views. Nothing to look at from the outside entrance — dug up dirt and piping exposed. The interior was much better: warm log cabin-​like, upscale furnishings, Jacuzzi tub, small kitchen and gas fireplace. Flat screen TV was big; Wifi was spotty.
Argh! Woken up by partying wedding guests next door that wouldn’t let up so we had to phone the front desk. They took it seriously as a guy came out to personally ask them to shut it down.
Previously stayed in the off season with my daughter for a spa weekend, and, while it was expensive, it was quiet and relaxing. The ocean view room much preferred over bungalow room in the forest. However, for my money and a peaceful time, I’d stay at The Kingfisher Resort and Spa, less than an hour north.

Friendly staff, close to the beach, wood-​burning fireplaces, private cabins with individual WiFi, well stocked kitchen, well organized (good maps, layout, room keys, firewood delivery), and plenty of parking. However, for the price, I was a slightly disappointed. The cabins are very outdated, and entering feels like stepping back into 1989. There are no energy or water saving devices, and our cabin was dusty with big cobwebs above eye level. The WiFi worked on-​and-​off, as signal was weak. Uncomfortable furniture, grimy bathtub, and dingy interiors. For the price ($ 250 per night in September, plus taxes), a little bit disappointing. Nothing terrible, but when I will return to Parksville, will probably try a different resort, just to compare.

Stayed here overnight with the «Girls Night In» package for my friend’s birthday. In general, we had a lovely time. It’s a bit pricey, but for a girls getaway it was a nice little splurge.
THE CHECK IN
Our weekend started with a very bizarre check-​in. We had booked a group package, and for whatever reason, the front desk lady explained it in the most complicated and convoluted way possible. We spent the whole day wandering around with these little tickets that we thought were vouchers, along with our credit cards. Not a single person asked to see the coupon! All the front desk lady had to do was say «charge everything to your room and the discounts will be deducted at the end of the stay when you pay» and that would have been more than enough. But instead she gave us such complicated instructions, leaving us with no idea if we had to pay at each place, where we had to pay, were the tickets for the discounts (we later learned they were just proof of our room, though no one looked at them), and so forth.
THE ROOM
We stayed in a studio in the Jedediah Lodge, which was a bit small but suited our purposes. The main issue was the heat — the lodge is between two roads, so if we left the windows open, we could hear every car and person that walked by, which were many thanks to a wedding happening that night. There was a small fan supplied, but it did little to help the situation, and the ceiling fan creaked so much that we turned it off out of fear it was going to fly off the mount.
For our package, we had a bottle of wine included, which was pretty tasty. We had a nice time with our glasses down at the beach later in the evening, which was just a perfect way to end our day.
THE MINERAL POOL
The pool was lovely. My friend and I spent an hour between floating in the pool and sitting in the hot tub. There wasn’t too many people there, so it still felt nice and relaxing.
THE SPA
So. The spa. The birthday girl had a lovely massage. Myself and my other friend had pedicures. The pedicures were nice, not the best I’ve had but not the worse either.
In general, I would have liked more of a massage piece to the pedicure since we paid for the most expensive one. For me, when I pay for a full pedicure, I want a nice long relaxing foot and leg rub. I want the full heel grating experiencing. I usually judge a good pedicure by how ticklish I feel when they’re working on my feet. No ticklish-​ness here.
In terms of the nails themselves, there were two issues: the intensity of the tool use and the polish itself.
First, the intensity. While my spa attendant was lovely, she poked me a bit too hard with the cleaning stick while she was shaping my nails and cleaning out the dead skin around the corners. The best pedicures I’ve had are able to clean these areas out without leaving the skin inflamed. Unfortunately, both my big toes are now swollen and painful in the corners because of this, leaving my feet aching and painful. My one big toe was so sore that night it actually kept me up.
Second, the polish itself. We were told it would take two to three hours for our nails to dry, which is standard. They sprayed a little sealant on and off we went for our tapas, which took almost two hours anyways. By the time we went home, we were well past out three hour limit. As we walked home, little flecks of sand got on my nails and when we were in the cabin, I went to wipe them off with a tissue… and smear! I’ve never had nail polish still tacky that many hours later. When I climbed into bed another hour or two later, I could still feel that they were tacky, the way the sheets rubbed against my toes. Needless to say, I woke up with some smudging and my expensive pedicure no longer looked so nice.
Considering I pay half the price in my home city for a better pedicure in a «quickie» nail salon, this was really disappointing.
THE TAPAS
To be honest, the best part, besides the mineral pool, was the TAPAS. Oh my gosh they were delicious. I was in pain because we ate so much but everything was so delicious. Of the 16 dishes, I would say only one dish left me feeling meh (the chicken, which was just boring) and two others I didn’t like due to personal preference. Otherwise, everything else was amazing. It was such an awesome dining experience, I would come back just to go in the pool and eat the endless tapas. Oh and the dessert macarons were to die for.
OVERALL
This is my second time at Tigh Na Mara, the first being just a day trip. I think I would prefer a day trip just to save money on the room and I would skip the treatment part and just get the pool and tapas piece. Those two things really made our stay. I would recommend coming early in the morning, walking around the beach, taking a long dip in the pool, followed by dinner, then head home on one of the later ferries. I think overall that would take advantage of the best parts of the experience while saving a little bit of money.

I went there for a spa day with a large group of ladies to celebrate my mother-​in-​laws birthday. I found the décor was certainly «rustic» (old)… some may find it charming, but I suppose it wasn’t my thing. The shower area seemed less spa like… more like a gym locker room. The waiting area was nice enough and we were even given a private room because of the size of our party. However, I am used to spas where the staff actually wanders by with refreshments more than the initial one. All this would have prompted me to give three stars… but…
I had the WORST massage of my life! Ow, I wanted a nice relaxing massage, but the masseuse kept chatting away (so much for drifting away) and the massage Hurt! I told him, but he insisted on «working out the knots». I was so sore that evening and by the next morning my neck was so kinked up I could hardly turn it. I don’t know what the hey he did, but it took almost a month (I kid you not) for my neck to feel better.
I would not go back.

Last minute call got us into an ocean view room… I felt like a queen pampering myself in the spa… I was too late for us to make appointment for massages… But we loved the beautiful grounds and view!

The rooms at tigh-​na-​mara are rustic, but nice. I had a room with an ocean view, which was incredibly peaceful.
The spa was a bit disappointing though. For the price, it should have been heavenly. (Over $ 200 all in for a 1.5 hour massage). Instead, I had to ask my therapist four times to press harder. Even then, she had to use her elbow — which she had no control over. I just wanted it to end.
The mineral pool was nice. Sat in there for a while and chatted with some ladies.
All in all, I doubt I would go back.

About the only thing this resort has going for it was the ocean view. The rooms are more like those of a road side motel. Numerous spider webs in the room and they seem to be having a wasp problem we killed at least 3 in our room and numerous others in the breeze way. All this for 200+ a night And No designated Handicapped parking for your rooms … What’s with that! … We had dinner in the Cedars Restaurant it was ok … Is about all I can say! All and all I was disappointed.

Beautiful. Relaxing. Stunning views (our room overlooked the ocean, and the sunrise).

I stayed here for a wedding and our room smelled of dead fish. When I told the front desk I was told I could purchase some air fresheners from their gift shop. Terrible customer service.
I wrote a letter to customer service and was assured the problem had been dealt with in a ‘team meeting’. There was no attempt at compensation either money off for the stinky room or a ‘please come back and give us a try’
I won’t be going back.

We stayed two nights here for a wedding we were in town for. This place is way overpriced for the value you get. We opted for the oceanview suite, which at first glance looked really nice with a gorgeous view. But after staying for a while we realized all the little things just weren’t there — the toilet didn’t flush well, the shower drained so poorly I thought it might overflow, the TV didn’t work, the drain plug in the tub didn’t work properly and slowly let the water out, which made it take forever to fill. To top it off we got a noise complaint for running water in the tub. I would not stay here again, too pricey for a fairly poor experience.

Great breakfast. Nice service, beautiful surroundings. Nothing at all to complain about.

4 of us had Sunday breakfast, toast either burned or not toasted, got bacon, ordered sausages, eggs overbooked, coffee without any cream, long wait for hot food. For a special destination this is disappointing.

Spa cottages were great! Lots of room, small kitchen and a tub that faces the TV!
We originally booked a «rustic» cottage. Let’s just say that «rustic» translated into dirty and outdated. When I asked the front desk clerk about another room, she cheerfully upgraded us to the spa cottage.
What a huge improvement!
Did not use any of the facilities except the laundry room, which was basic.

The one star is only for the beach. Rooms are old and ugly, old stove old fridge, shower etc old and UGL! Rooms were priced okay Aprox $ 175.00 which is not too expensive. We weren’t feeling like a long walk to the dining room as my boyfriend had a really sore back, the only thing they offer for takeout is pizza. Don’t try it!!! The absolute worst I’ve ever tried no I couldn’t eat it ~ thank god we brought chips!!! I did not enjoy this poor quality room ~ sad but true the holiday inn would be better!!!

Likes: location, serenity, Mineral Pool, experience, room
Dislikes: price, service
Background:
I went here in June 2013, mid-​week. I stayed at the Spa Bungalow, with their June package that gave me a $ 25 credit that I put towards The Grotto Mineral Pool.
Location:
This is located in a huge property that’s placed in a wooded area, away from the «hustles and bustles» of downtown Nanaimo. It’s about 45 minutes away from Nanaimo.
However, with that being said, it was unfortunate that there were not a lot of restaurants open past 10 p.m., including those in the resort. For younger people (we’re in our early 20s), it is hard to have more fun past that time, unless you drive to downtown Nanaimo.
Parking was okay, but the Spa Bungalow area was quite busy so if you do go out at night, you don’t get the prime parking spot that you had before you left the resort. I guess this is to be expected.
Room:
The room we took was the Spa Bungalow, right across from The Grotto. It’s a spacious room that includes:
–a hidden Murphy bed,
–a kitchen (with a stove, a mini-​fridge, a sink, microwave and pots and pans and all those fun kitchen things),
–a queen bed,
–a bathroom with a jetted tub,
–a big screen TV,
–an iron board
–a couch and coffee table.
Plus, it had a view of the road with some bushes near it. Haha.
So, it pretty much had everything you need to survive the next 24 hours. It could easily fit a family of four, even five if one of the peeps go on the couch. The room was very clean, and they did not have cobwebs as some reviewers have had. They used yellow lights that created a warm, homey, rustic feel.
One really bad thing about this room (which could also be a good thing) is the lack of wi-​fi connection. Supposedly, they give you complimentary wi-​fi, but the connection was very wonky that they might as well not mention it (oops). This sucked especially when we were searching for nearby restaurants, but I guess it could be good as you do go «off the grid» when it comes to your social networks.
The Grotto Mineral Pool:
We only used the mineral pool. They provided us with a bathrobe and a key, so you could totally bring your change of clothes and that’s all you need! They have everything in the change rooms as well, including hair products, hair styling tools, towels, lotion etc. Wow!
The mineral pool itself looks pretty much like a pool with a separate hot tub. However, the setting was very serene, with rocks and waterfalls. They also have a rainfall shower, which is super duper cold. Apparently the mineral has come all the way from Hungary and has a lot of great benefits that detoxifies your body. It was a very relaxing experience, and the minerals made you very thirsty, very often. So, they have unlimited tea and coffee upstairs, along with fresh fruits, which I indulged in. I know that a lot of people rave about the Tapas Lounge, but I wasn’t able to take advantage of that.
I was in the water for about 4 hours, in and out. The pool was super relaxing so I totally recommend it.
Price:
Their massages are also quite pricey, so perhaps I would try that next time when I have more saved up. However, I paid about $ 50 more than I had expected, since my phone call with them (they told me how much my reservation was with taxes, but it turned out to be more). This place is very nice but it is very pricey, that you would probably stay at this resort only if you anticipate yourself actually staying at the resort most of the time, enough to take advantage of it.
Service:
Service lacked sincerity. I mean, the ladies were friendly, but I felt like they were lacking a certain warmth and the extra «oomph» for great hospitality. It felt quite generic, and at the end, I didn’t really feel like they really valued my business. It was okay, and I was expecting amazing given that this is a vacation spot.
Verdict:
I do recommend this resort, especially if you are celebrating. Otherwise, as a random vacation, I would consider other nearby resorts (if you’re not into B&Bs) that may probably be less expensive. I had overall a great experience in The Grotto and the Spa Bungalow made a very comfortable stay. It definitely gave me the relaxation I wanted from this vacation and I miss it already.

A lovely spot, nestled in the woods, clean, spacious suites with kitchens, good service, I only wish we could have stayed longer.
The only quirk was our jetted tub turned itself on and off, it was very loud, and had a sign requesting it not be run after certain hours. What is the point of a double size jetted tub that can’t be used late at night!

Disclaimer… i stayed here as part of a work meeting so not having to pay for anything myself makes it all that much more enticing, especially when work functions usually entail a budget hotel with very few interesting or even pleasant amenities.
So first off, the general level of service was pretty good. We were a large group and they were accommodating, especially when we realized all restos were booked because of the hockey. They set up a screen in one of the conference rooms with our own bar, bartender and a few staff to serve us appis. Not the best, but pretty good considering.
But the sweetest part for me was my room. A full 1 bedroom, amazing beach view, gas fireplace, full kitchen. Of course I didn’t need much of this but it was really nice and the view was killer. Also, beach access is amazing and I was able to go on a great beach and trail run. Spectacular.
In the morning i grabbed a cappucino and cinnamon bun from the little coffee bar which was WAY over priced… it cost me almost 8 $!!
Overall, it was a very sweet stay for me, but as I said, I am used to generic hotels for work so this was a really nice change. Whether i would pay for it myself? Likely not. I think there are better spots with fully equipped cabins, outdoor hot tubs etc with more privacy and beach access.

Spent a Friday night at this remote resort. Arriving at the lodge it was very pleasant and exactly what I would expect for an island retreat. The woodsy nature of the place was perfect. We were directed to our room which was ocean side and included a jacuzzi. One would think that this is a room for two and the jacuzzi tub is located in the actual room so it should fit two people… not a chance! It was a jacuzzi tub you would find in a bathroom and a VERY NOISY one at that. It was so loud you didn’t want it on. But the best is when someone upstairs or in the next room turned theirs on at 8:30am you thought it was in your own room.
That aside the ambiance is pretty nice. It was very clean, the staff was super friendly and accommodating. (Then again I have come to expect that from all Canadians.)
The price was right. I would definitely come back but would choose a different room or perhaps get a cabin.
No doubt in the summer it is extra beautiful.