I don't stay at many B&B' because I prefer boutique hotels, but this was my second visit to Sky Valley and I can't say enough about how special this place is. The rooms are cozy, the beds are like giant down filled pillows waiting to embrace you each night. The rooms are private and quiet, with nothing to distract you but the sounds of crickets and frogs (seriously, no TV or Radio!). The hosts are gracious, quiet and respectful of your needs and privacy. But the breakfast is the icing on the cake. There is not a better breakfast in the country! Generous beyond imagination and consisting of baked treats (scones, banana cake, tarts), eggs (soufflé, frittata, omelette) coffee tea or hot chocolate, and house made jams and jellies. Cornelia is an amazing gardener and maker of jams & jellies. Both Cornelia and Richard know how to cook! You will not be disappointed - and if you are, it can only be because you don't enjoy peace, quite, comfort and good food.

Even though they have a 2 night minimum, they were kind enough to grant our request for a one night stay. First of all I'd like the address the comments of the previous negative review. Everyone is, of course, entitled to their opinion but I get the impression that there's a little more to that story. I would never have described the grounds as messy/dirty. It is wintertime, and the driveway is not paved so obviously there is going to be dirt/mud. Secondly, I'm not sure what their expectations were in terms of landscaping, but again, it's still winter...I saw nothing wrong with the grounds. We stayed in the Ivy Suite as it seemed to offer the most privacy (the other two rooms are along the walkway so anyone coming/going walks right past your room) and it was very clean and very nice. The huge deck off the back offers an amazing view of the mountains and ocean.

I too, thought the unlockable, sliding doors were a bit strange. While I assume there is always someone at home to 'protect' the suites, who's to stop one guest from entering another guest's suite? Especially considering our suite fronted the pool and everyone could see right in. I would highly recommend to the owners this be changed but that's just me.

The bed was fantastic but the only source of heat was a fireplace which was VERY noisy when the fan turned on, plus when it turns on in the middle of the night you're not only woken by the fan, but also the light. The fireplace is a nice touch but having another, quieter option for heating would also be nice. The shower is also lovely and the toilet is separate.

We only met Cornelia, not Richard and I will just say that since we are not the type to want to spend the day chatting with our hosts, we were fine with her demeanor but I would definitely say she's a tad reserved.

Breakfast was fantastic and their dogs are dolls, but I love dogs. If you don't, you may want to prepare yourself for their 'greeting'. :-)

The Sky Valley Inn was horrible. We paid over $220 to stay for one night, and it was a total rip off. It was difficult to find the place and the roads were treacherous. The outside was filthy (dirt everywhere, loose garden tools laying around, etc) and the inside was dusty and smelled. Our room was extremely cold and the fireplace had a foul smell. The room doors do not lock so we did not feel very safe there. The hosts paid no attention to our dietary restrictions and the food that we could eat was bland and unappetizing. The hosts did not bother to make any breakfast for us (hence missing the "breakfast" part of the "bed & breakfast") even though we politely requested it the night before and we spoke to them and paid them in the morning. They were neither friendly nor professional hosts, and they put in minimal effort for the money they took from us. I would strongly discourage people from staying at this place, and we would never visit this horrible place ever again.

For us, finding this B&B was serendipity. As a family getaway, my mom was looking for a place that could teach her adult children how to cook and have a wonderful time in the process. As this is not a standard request, the Saltspring Chamber of Commerce connected us with Richard and Cornelia who orchestrated a wonderful culinary weekend for our family. We were treated like VIPs. As we were a party of 5, we were the only guests at Sky Valley and the service was impeccable. From the tea and coffee outside our door each morning, to making reservations for us at local restaurants, Richard and Cornelia provided an outstanding experience. The culinary evening that they planned for us began in the afternoon: it consisted of preparing amazing food (with great instruction provided to us by Richard as we cooked, and by Cornelia who sent us home with recipes, spices and homemade preserves to use when we recreated our meals at home), sampling amazing wine and wonderful conversation well into the night. Of course, the food they serve for breakfast is homemade and excellent, too!
We would not hesitate to return to this B&B. The location and amenities are beautiful; the service and food superb! What other B&B would turn itself into a culinary school for the weekend just to grant one little Christmas wish for our family?!