Resort Review: Tigh Na Mara Seaside Spa Resort in Parksville

Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort, Parksville

We were recently invited to visit the seaside community of Parksville, located on the eastern shores Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

This was not our first visit to the family-friendly beach town, but it was our first time staying at the iconic Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort. I use the word iconic because the resort has become as much a part of Parksville as the beach itself. It has gained a solid reputation in Parksville, and Vancouver Island for that matter, and has earned many awards and accolades of the years, including #1 Spa in Western Canada for 2011.

Several of our friends and family have stayed at Tigh Na Mara over the years, many returning every summer, so we were curious to see what the resort was all about.

Before booking a hotel, we like to research the property by reading guest reviews online. There are certain things we look for when researching a hotel or resort, especially now that we have Baby B to consider.

Because of this, we’ve decided to start writing resort reviews with a similar format, highlighting the following 10 areas.

Review of Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort

1) The Location

The Tigh-Na-Mara is located dierctly on the beach with most rooms offering impressive sea views (the first photo was taken from our balcony). The resort is a short 10 minute drive into the town of Parksville, making it accessible for restaurants, grocery stores, fuel and attractions.

The resort has a variety of room options, from Studio rooms with kitchens to Oceanview Deluxe Suites with full kitchens to two bedroom private cabins.

2) The Bed

The king-size bed is quite comfortable. The mattress has a nice pillow top and the linen and fluffy pillows were high quality. And there we lots of pillows – something this pregnant lady was very happy about!

Baby B’s bed is a full-sized crib on wheels with a good mattress.

3) The Room

Our room is a 700 sq ft Oceanview Deluxe Studio on the 3rd floor. Since it was also a top floor suite, we had a vaulted ceiling making the room feel even larger. Our suite has a private balcony with an outstanding ocean view.

The room comes with a king-size bed, full bathroom with large shower, a jetted tub beside the bed (which baby B used as a pool!), a full kitchen with dining area, a living area with large comfy couch and a gas fireplace.

The only thing we didn’t like was that the skylight had no cover, making it hard to keep the sun out in the early morning. It also made it a challenge to keep the room dark for Baby B’s afternoon naps.

4) The Bathroom

The bathroom is large and well stocked with shampoo, soap, body wash and lotion. There was a large separate shower and a huge Jacuzzi tub in the main suite by the bed.

The walls in the bathroom were like a traditional log home, giving it a rustic atmosphere. There were no windows, so it gets very dark.

Hair dryer is included. There were no robes or slippers to use.

5) The Amenities

Perfect for a family vacation or romantic honeymoon. There are a number of amenities on site, including an indoor pool, fitness center, tennis court, basketball hoop, ping-pong table, volleyball court, two horseshoe pits, kids playground and gift shop. Bikes can also be rented.

If you’re looking for something more private you can purchase a pass to the grotto mineral spa. Or, if you have a spa treatment, the grotto pass is included.

There are a couple restaurants on site and the Sunday seafood brunch is highly recommend (the brunch attracts many people that aren’t even staying at the resort). Make sure you make reservations, it gets busy!

6) Kitchen available?

The Oceanview Deluxe Studio has a full sized kitchen and is well equipped with a coffee maker, fridge and microwave. We were provided cutlery, plates, glasses and everything needed if we preferred to eat in.

The only thing lacking was a dishwasher.

7) Did the hotel respond to guest requests?

Yes, and this is very important to us. We always request a crib prior to arrival and we were able to confirm we had a crib in our room prior to arriving.

The hotel was very accommodating to our requests during our stay. We also received a cheese and fruit platter upon arrival – nice touch!

8) Was anything unexpectedly included or not included in our stay?

We were given passes with our stay to enjoy the grotto spa, a mineral pool and relaxation lounge. Unfortunately I couldn’t participate because mineral pools are not recommended for pregnant women, but we did check it out. Cameron had a quick swim while I relaxed on the comfy loungers.

We didn’t expect to have an in-suite jacuzzi tub, so that was a nice treat.

Wifi was included and available in our room. The connection was great and we never had issues.

9) Price

It’s on the more expensive end. The Oceanview Deluxe Studio is about $250 per night, depending on the time of year and number of days you book. It’s certainly not the cheapest option but it delivers a luxurious experience with the best oceanfront views in Parksville.

10) After staying at the hotel, is there anything we did NOT like?

We enjoyed our stay and have nothing negative to report, aside from the sky light being too bright – making it difficult to sleep in. But that’s wasn’t a big deal.