This is one of the worst companies that I have dealt with in at least the past decade. A friend and I booked a trip to Shearwater Resort, on short notice, to stay there from Thursday to Sunday. On Wednesday, the evening before our trip, I called the resort to re-confirm the booking and to also advise that we would be partaking in their meal plan and would therefore not be bringing our own food. I was assured by Angelina that they had our reservation and were awaiting us, whereas she also confirmed the meal plan. We left our town the next afternoon for the 6-hour drive to Bella Coola, which would then be followed by a 3-hour boat ride to the lodge. To note is that there is no mobile phone service available during the 6-hour wilderness drive. Imagine our surprise, when arrived in Bella Coola at 8:00 PM, preparing to launch our boat, we received an email on my friend’s phone, advising us that our reservation had been cancelled. Stupefied, my friend phoned the resort and was advised that the cancellation was due to increased Covid-19 cases in Vancouver and Victoria, as well as concern by the Heiltsuk FN community. To note is that Vancouver and Victoria are 500 km from our town of residence and that our town, even at the time of this writing, still does not have, or has had, one single documented case of Covid-19; but I do have empathy for the FN concerns. Stranded in a village with a population of 1,000; with no food or accommodation, my friend protested, as the prospect of a 6-hour return journey, towing a 5,000 lb boat at night, was not something that we were looking forward to. That aside, we would not have made it back, as all the gas stations along the way close at 5:00 PM and we were almost out of fuel. A chap at the resort, who did not identify himself, said he would check with his colleagues and call right back. He did not phone back to this day. With the sun setting, we scrambled to find accommodation and finally found a place to stay. It is quite disconcerting that the resort cancelled our reservation literally when at their doorstep, did not offer to source us alternate accommodation or offer even the least bit of support. They not only ruined our vacation, but we are out a substantial amount of money. My friend and I both, in the following days, separately emailed the lodge (to several of their email addresses) to voice our displeasure, with no reply forthcoming to date. They simply don't care and this should be a warning to potential travelers that, if you have to cancel your booking with them for whatever reason, you will lose your deposit but, if they cancel your booking on a whim, you have no recourse whatsoever and are on your own. To make it clear: Covid-19 and the Heiltsuk FN are not the problems here; it is the resort's handling of the situation and their utter lack of caring, empathy or support. All they seem to care about is your money :( Bernd Eisele Williams Lake…
This place is a total rip off. Disgusting hotel, restaurant is awful. Overpriced gouge town. Boats are unsafe. On top of all this Shearwater also has very shady business practices in relation to the local fisheries, local environment, business operations, and fails to consult properly with the local Heiltsuk Nation whose territory is where the resort lies. Take your money elsewhere, there are plenty of local options that provide way better service and value!
amazing huge fish, great guides, great service, amazing food, beautiful fishing areas. Highly recommend. I went with my whole family. We did an all inclusive trip, I didn't have to plan anything. Best fishing trip of my life.
I enjoyed the seabus ride over. The resort has several stores and a restaurant. There is also a private gift shop and coffee shop on site and a laundromat which I didn’t need to visit but other visitors seemed happy with. It’s a great place to relax. The restaurant was good with the prices you would expect at a resort.
There is such an opportunity here for a great resort. Good fishing, kayaking, hiking etc. the season is short for these guys to make any money and they are trying to up their game but they have a load of work to do. The pub menu needs to be reworked. So visit with that in mind and you will have a great time.
Shearwater Resort and Marina has a new Chef. On the evening of July 3rd we had the pleasure of being served a sampling of Chef Brandon Johnsons talents. Lemon/lime marinated shrimp salad followed by Panko crusted Salmon in a creamy Cioppino sauce. Fresh donuts with a wonderful plum sauce for dessert. My descriptions don't come close to how absolutely wonderful these three dishes were. Chef Brandon and his staff go above and beyond to make sure your dining experience is exceptional. We see wonderful things happening at Shearwater and look forward to our next visit. If you get a chance to visit Shearwater Resort and Marina...don't miss a chance to eat at Fishermans Bar and Grill. The food and staff are the BEST!
Had the pleasure of spending the long weekend at Shearwater. Great facilities, superb seabus service and delicious food (I had the halibut burger). The servers and bar staff at the Fishermen's Bar and Grill were great. I'm always amazed at the amenities, selection of groceries and service available on such a remote stretch of the coast. Thanks for another memorable trip!
This was our 4th year on the Pacific Lure..........5 nights on the water, excellent food...okay Grant...you are a pretty good cook....We missed Capt. Mike this year but look forward to next year......FYI..I took my 90 yr. old father on the trip last year and they REALLY took care of him...and he caught the largest fish....20.5LB Coho....not bad!!!...Fantastic sunsets.......They take care of EVERYTHING......Booked again for next year.......
Outstanding as always . Staff , facility , fishing , wonders of nature all abound . 2019 will be my 40th trip to Shearwater . I will go for as long as I can with my 3 wonderful pals. It is an event and the treatment there is second to none.
From pick up by a Dash 8 at VHR south terminal to the return 5 days later the trip was seamless. Great accommodation, fabulous staff and every detail explained and covered. Proper equipment including foul weather gear is provided. Our guide put us on fish immediately! Scenery was outstanding and we saw orcas as well as humpback whales - eagles everywhere/ Food was "downtown good" - well prepared, well presented and excellent selections. One the best if not the best salmon lodges on the west coast. Shearwater is not to be missed.
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