My wife and young daughter along with another mother with her young daughter found themselves suddenly caught on the Malahat on their way to Victoria because of a tanker truck accident on the highway. With no place to go, darkness creeping in and two small children to care for, Prancing Horse came to the rescue! Elaine and her staff graciously welcomed our bedraggled travelers -even at a very late hour, put them up in beautiful and comfortable rooms and generally took great care of them.
Thank you for your outstanding last-minute hospitality, you really came through for us. Looking forward to enjoying a more relaxed and planned stay with my wife.

I was a little nervous after reading the other negative reviews but will usually give anything a try. I am so glad that we did. We were going to stay at the Malahat Mountain Inn for our 5 yr anniversary but when given a second quote and rudely dismissed I went on a search for something better.I found the Prancing Horse on the internet, saw the beautiful B&B and knew this was it! We showed up just after check in with a sign from Elaine (the owner) that told us exactly where to go. Then we met with Laura lee (the care taker) who showed us to our room right away. She showed us how things in the room worked. showed my husband the great selection of movies, asked us what time we would like breakfast and just overall was very friendly. She then left us to enjoy our time together. It was very comfortable being there and the #4 Luxury Suite was unbelievable. Perfect for anyone wanting a romance getaway. For dinner we went to a very nice restaurant in Shawnigan called "Steeples" a church that has been transformed into a restaurant it was really neat and the food was delicious. It was just the two of us when we returned. The soaker tub is big enough for two and they have a t.v mounted that you can turn to wherever you are in the room. Everything you would need is there. The views are breathtaking and you would not be disappointed. The breakfast we were served in the morning by Laura lee was above and beyond what we expected (fresh cut fruit, yogurt, granola, freshly baked croissants, tea coffee, orange juice and then to top it all off the best eggs benny we've ever had...and its my favourite so I've had it a lot. I believe anyone who stays here will love it just like we did...We cant wait to return. Thank you so much for everything!!!

Do NOT give Prancing Horse Retreat or Timberline Lodge your credit card number or they will charge your card and refuse to reverse the charges - even if you never stayed there. Not only did I cancel my reservation 5 minutes after making it upon realizing that the space was not accommodating for the number of guests, I asked if there was a cancellation fee - Elaine said there wouldn't be a cancellation fee as it was only five minutes since I booked - She then proceeded to charge me for two nights accommodation and now refuses to reverse the charges indicating that she requires an imprint of my credit card for refund. When I contacted VISA they confirmed that this was not the case - I filed a dispute and hopefully the issue will be resolved.
The business integrity and ethics of the Prancing Horse Retreat and Timberline Lodge owners (Elaine and Al) are questionable and I highly recommend spending your money and nights elsewhere as business like this should not be supported.

We stayed at the Prancing Horse Retreat as one of four B&Bs on our honeymoon. We were looking forward to this B&B the most out of all of our stops on our vacation because of its claims to luxury and a gourmet breakfast, excellent hospitality etc.

We couldn't have been more disappointed, especially for the price we paid. It was almost three times the price of anywhere else we stayed and ranked dead last for breakfast. The owners are rarely there anymore as they are apparantly spending their time on another business venture; it shows. They had a friend looking after the place who was given no help or suggestions on WHAT to make us for breakfast or HOW to make it. The bread and juice was of the lowest quality. We were served a "Popeye Sandwich" for breakfast. With a side of toast. Essentially, eggs on toast with a side of toast. Breakfast took us about 10 minutes....not what we were hoping for at around $300/night (we had their nicest room).

For our second morning, we asked if there would be any change in the menu. The man said sure but hadn't a clue what that might entail so we suggested potatoes and bacon etc. He did cook some potatoes the next day with eggs, no meat again. There were leftover eggs and he said he'd save them for the other guests- who were eating an hour later than us! Yikes!

This poor man was incredibly kind and welcoming but clearly and we truly enjoyed his company, but he had never had to prepare breakfast for anyone before. And certainly not for guests who are paying $200+ per night for a room. I was feeling bad that the owners had not instructed him on what to serve. If he wasn't going to be making scones from scratch they could've at least told him where to buy some high quality pastries and juice. Quite an oversight and terribly irresponsible.

There were small things broken in the room- a light switch and a few other things that just made the place feel a bit forgotten about.

If you're looking for a place to stay, the rooms are comfortable and the view is beautiful and you get something to eat in the morning. If you are truly looking for a BED & BREAKFAST, as it claims to be....this is definetely not the spot.