Morningside Estate is located right on the Saanich Inlet—an extremely serene and scenic setting. When you look across the inlet, you get an unobstructed view of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park (no sight of buildings or any type of development). The deck that wraps around the house is very pleasant and allows you to easily enjoy the peaceful surroundings—there are chairs and tables nicely laid out that are perfect for meals, conversations, reading etc. We spotted seals and eagles, and had a relaxing time watching them from the deck.

We got lucky with the timing and had the entire estate to ourselves (at low season rates!). We stayed 3 nights in the Master Bedroom as bed & breakfast guests and thoroughly enjoyed it. The master bedroom was clean, very spacious (1000sqft), and private (located upstairs on its own)--it has 2 decks (front and rear), a fire place, large jetted tub, steam shower and more. We tried out the sauna which was a nice treat after a day of hiking in the rain. The rest of the house and the other suites were also well done and matched what you see on their website. The estate also has an outdoor pool, garden etc, which are all listed on their website at www.morningsideestate.ca (I’m including their web address because it’s a bit hard to find).

Breakfasts were excellent—healthy and balanced with variety each day (ie. fresh fruits, muffins, eggs, bacon, waffles, cereal, yogurt etc).

Janet and Gerry were friendly and generous hosts. The reservation process was straightforward. Ours was a last-minute booking and we made our reservation directly with Janet via email.

It is a great option and good value for a variety of occasions (family reunions, weddings, friends/couples retreats, group/corporate retreats, bed & breakfast). I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a scenic retreat with the comfort of modern amenities (ie. jetted tubs and down duvets) or for an alternative to hotel accommodation in the Greater Victoria or South Vancouver Island area. The location is unique in that you get to enjoy a private and beautiful setting, yet if you need a restaurant or a pharmacy (ie. you forget your toothbrush), it’s not far—about 15 minutes drive to Langford; about 20 minutes drive to downtown Victoria; about 45 minutes drive to Sooke Harbour.