We stayed here a few weeks ago at the Salal Berry Cottage. The location was great, it is across the road from the beach. Inside the cabin was very cozy but we soon realized that the advertised double futon is just a love seat, which is false advertising. We were locked out the first night and had to drive into town and make a number of phone calls at 1am to finally get our keys and check in. The rest of the week there was no garbage pick-up or any other service. Upon checking out, the front desk person became quite rude when the fact that a double futon couch wasn't there. The cottage is great for two people who are there to surf on a budget and are comfortable with having no services. Pets were allowed and that is a bonus.

My boyfriend and me stayed in one of the B&B rooms at Solwood and were pleasantly surprised about this place: everything was clean (the shared bathroom, our bedroom etc.), the room was set up in a very practical way with storage facilities and a closet, we had fresh beautiful garden flowers on our bedtable and just loved the whole arrangement in the living area, with quite unique furniture pieces made of local woods, the lovingly prepared breakfast (fresh wholemeal muffins and breads, scrambled eggs with avocado, waffles with REAL maple syrup etc. - all made from scratch) and last but not least the relaxed but still caring staff. All these things are not self understood - we have seen a lot of Bed&Breakfasts and guesthouses during our 2 month trip through B.C. and are surely very picky when it comes to accommodation. Apart from all this the Solwood is perfectly located by the Ocean, at Chesterman beach, one of the most beautiful and popular beaches in Tofino, where you can sit around the fire, play guitar and gaze at the stars on clear nights. You can actually hear the ocean roaring in some of the rooms.
People who wrote those negative reviews must really have had bad luck with some too young and halfhearted volunteers who stayed there for short time and seem to not have cared enough. The people who manage the place at the moment (and they will be there too in the next season 2010) are lovely hosts and very conscientious about keeping the place clean, comfortable and enjoyable.
After my boyfriend had to leave I stayed at the Solwood for a couple of weeks in one of the small B&B rooms and got to know the place and people working there really well. I have seen guests, truly discerning travellers, who came there to find peace, freedom but still a bit of pampering leaving the Solwood happy and satisfied ... definitely a special place with a "soul", offering more than just accommodation.

I must have been asleep when I consulted Tripadvisor about this place. If I had read the recent reviews I NEVER would have booked it. There is virtually nothing positive to say about Solwood, except its location is pretty much as advertised. This is NO RETREAT/SPA. It felt more like a glorified campsite. There was no one to greet us, check us in or check in with us. We stayed in the Forest Den. It was dank and musty. No soap in the bathroom. No instructions on turning on the heat. (It was 55 degrees and damp). Not enough towels. (Didn't matter. We didn't want to use the dirty bathroom.) We stayed one night and left. (Have no idea whether we will get our money back as we have had no correspondence from owner). The Forest Den does not come with breakfast, but I had made arrangements to join the B and B guests for breakfast, confirmed in an email. They had no record of it when we arrived.

This was a complete disappointment and definitely false advertising.

I've stayed at Solwood 5 times. Each time I stay there it gets worse. The first time I stayed, it was great for a large party of 8, great price. However, the lady that is regularly there is very snarky to customers. The yard area has a lot of garbage around. One time I stayed in the main house for bed and breakfast. The room was ok, breakfast was good but the kitchen is dirty. They have a lot of piled up garbage. The outdoor shower is a great feature, however it's dirty with slugs crawling all over.

The Forest Den cabin has water issues. Sometimes the water doesn't work. The shower water pressure isn't very good. Drainage in the sink is poor. There's no proper stove, just a hot plate that doesn't heat up well since the electrical outlet has issues. The place is very damp and we found a slug in the washroom!

I wouldn't recommend this place. It would be best to stay somewhere else like Crystal Cove, Heart Garden or Long Beach Lodge. I have stayed at many places in Tofino, and this place is the worst. The only great thing is that its close to the beach.