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The Thunderbird Motor Inn is centrally located in the Cowichan Valley; an easy walk to downtown Duncan, the Cowichan Sports Plex, and across the street from the Cowichan Theatre / Rec Centre / Aquatic Centre.We are 40mins north of Victoria (BC's Capital) and 35 minutes south of Nanaimo (The Harbour City) which makes us the perfect stopping point after travelling from the Washington State Ferries, BC Ferries, or the airports.We are close to the Chemainus Theatre, Cowichan Valley Exhibition Grounds, Sports Fields, many Local Wineries, Golf Courses, Shopping, BC Forest Discovery Centre, Vancouver Island University, Maple Bay Marina, Cowichan District Hospital.Located in the City of Totems, in the heart of Duncan B.C.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Family
Languages Spoken
English
Location
5849 York Rd, Duncan, British Columbia V9L 3S3 Canada
Thunderbird Motor Inn
4.4 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This far and away the best motel that I have ever stayed in. Everything is spotless, well maintained and everything works. It is superb value for money and in a great location. The stair treads and walk ways are covered with a rubber compound which is easy to walk on and totally non-slip-a really nice touch.I recommend this place most highly-nice and quiet too. In short as close to pefect as one can get.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spent 1 night here following a dance. Was very impressed with the size of the room , comfort and cleanliness. Reception staff very friendly and accomodating. Close to town,shopping and resturants. Very low traffic noise from highway, very restful sleep
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â very quiet, no noisy guests on either side of our room
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Room was nice and clean and everything worked. Motel was quiet considering it was near a busy road. Laundry was very nice. Melanie on the front desk was very cheerful and helpful. Would definitely stay again.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I spent only one night (thankfully!) at this motel, as I was on my way through the town. For the price I had to pay ($172 CAD) the quality of the room was terrible. The room was very dark due to low wattage bulbs in the lamps. Even over the bathroom mirror, where one needs ample lighting, there was only very dim lighting. There was a large hole in one wall, it looked to be about 8" x 10", that hadn't been repaired. There was no chain on the door to give me a sense of security and the deadbolt wouldn't engage fully. The door had scratches and gouges that made it look as if someone had been trying to gain entry. On top of that, the office shuts down at 9:00 PM and the staff leave. That means that, had I run into trouble with the boisterous people hanging around outside, I would have been on my own, and it would have meant a 911 call. Going forward I will definitely pay to stay at a reputable place, or else I will drive on through.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â Just don't stay here!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I do not give the hotel a 1-star review because of the staff members at the front desk who were very nice. Other than that, the room maintenance is lacking badly Toilet kept running after flushing. So did the shower after taking a bath. We could hear every time someone in other rooms used their washroom. I know the pandemic hit everyone by surprise at the beginning but to put a plastic (like a shower curtain) cut with scissors on the front desk does give a very poor impression. The floor on the outside of our room was cracked. The fridge had a Jordan sticker on its door. The bathtub had obvious cracks.
Overall the hotel looks like has not been able to keep up with regular maintenance. The price/quality relationship was not right, it was very highly-priced (which creates higher expectations).
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Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â Centrally located
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I found the people at the front desk very polite and helpful, the room was clean when I arrived, and the air conditioner was a huge welcome relief. The room was kind of on the small size, but it did have 2 queen-sized beds, as they didn't have a single when I booked the room. There was a small fridge, a coffee maker, table with chairs, The only two problems I had were the beds, when you sit on them they feel really soft and bouncy, but wow don't be fooled the beds once you lay down are quite firm so firm in fact that they are very uncomfortable, had to get up several times in the night to sit at the table for some relief. If you can walk around a bit without your wheelchair, then you are fine, but the rooms are way too small to allow full use of them. And the toilets are way too close to the floor, not sure why they are so close like that but wow, very difficult for anyone who has problems sitting and standing. If it were not for these problems, I would have rated it a 5 because of the cleanliness and the friendliness of the people at the front desk.
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Date of stay: June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you want a good night sleep don’t stay here. The homeless sneak on to the property at night to shelter in the overhang. Then there is a lot of screaming and yelling in the middle of the night and extremely foul language as the homeless person is evicted. Happened twice during our 5 night stay. We would have left but everything else in the area was booked. Anther night we were awoken again by drunk guests who were sitting outside their room at 1 in the morning talking loudly. Sound really caries under that overhang. I have always stayed here when I come to Duncan to visit my mother but it’s really gone downhill since my last visit. The rooms are clean but we will never stay here again. Horrible!
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked due to an elderly parent in the hospital. This is an older motel that needs Reno’s. That being said, bathroom was clean. Bed was comfy enough but definitely could smell the age of the room and woke up stuffy. Paid $115 total . I think it should be about $75 in today’s world. Front reception was kind and helpful.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The pictures say it all. We were here for a school field hockey tournament and I was as in a room that clearly had full time residents move out for our stay. It had been smoked in for years and was disgusting. I slept in my car the second night it was so bad. AVOID!
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed for 3 months on business without a single problem. Quiet, ample free parking, good location for food outlets, walking distance to Duncan town centre (10 minutes), friendly staff always on hand, comfy beds and best of all ….. spotlessly clean. If you check my reviews, I do not tolerate bad quality or service, Thunderbirds are go!
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â Try Saigon subs Vietnamese takeaway across the road.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Duncan area.
PRICE RANGE
C$103 - C$139 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
CanadaBritish ColumbiaVancouver IslandCowichan Valley Regional DistrictDuncan
NUMBER OF ROOMS
32
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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