What everyone needs after an active day hiking, kayaking, or touring Vancouver Island’s west coast: a plunge pool and hot tub, rain shower, and cheery fire waiting at their resort. Families vacationing in Ucluelet BC get all that and more in Black Rock Oceanfront Resort. What, precisely? Try heated bathroom tiles, dramatic views, and fine dining, but more importantly to parenting traveling with kids: full kitchens, free bike rentals, and oversized tubs.
Located on the far western coast of Vancouver Island, Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is an outdoor-loving family’s dream. Not only do you get plenty of space (this resort is suites-only), but Black Rock was designed with nature at the forefront: the contemporary architecture only accentuates what’s already there, allowing for breathtaking and dramatic views. These views don’t come cheaply, but what families get in return cannot be measured in a room rate. During our visit, we felt as though we were outside near the crashing surf and rugged coastline the whole time, even when we were indoors.
Our family of five had adjoining suites (one studio and one one-bedroom), which included two huge bathrooms (both with rain shower and tub), a full kitchen and living area, plus an extra kitchenette, two bedrooms, sleeping for eight, and even a washer-dryer. We also enjoyed complimentary wifi (standard) and two spacious decks past our floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the Pacific.
The resort boasts a full fitness center and spa, with kid-friendly access to the outside plunge pool and two hot tubs. When I think of the term ‘plunge pool’, I think deep and cold; this one is neither: it’s only 3 meters deep and heated, but still significantly colder than than hot tubs, making it fun to jump from one to another in chilly weather. Families can cook full meals in the kitchens, but we opted to only prepare breakfast, the adults eating dinner out at Black Rock’s Fetch Restaurant. They do have a kids’ menu that looked pretty tempting (and only $10 per plate Canadian), but we ordered a pizza for our kids. The ambiance of Fetch is half the draw (it’s located right next to the coastline view), and we wanted to enjoy it in peace.
While staying on-site families have free use of cruiser bikes to use around Ucluelet, as well as the option to join in for various family-friendly area activities, such as hiking in Pacific Rim National Park, kayaking with nearby Majestic tours, or clamming, whale watching, or surfing (lessons available!).
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Date last visited:
July 2012
Distance from the Intestate: a few minutes from the Pacific Rim Highway (4).
Room Rates:
Rates vary widely by season; check the Black Rock website for the latest information. Approximate pricing for the week we were on-site (in the height of the summer season) was $300 Canadian.
Dining options:
In addition to Fetch, Black Rock is adjacent to the town of Ucluelet, which offers dining in every price rage.
Directions:
Black Rock Resort is located at 596 Marine Drive, Ucluelet. It’s a 2.5 hour drive from the ferry terminal in Departure Bay (for travel from Vancouver) or a 20 minute drive from Tofino.
