We only stayed for 2 nights in late September and wished it had been longer.

Forget the long unmade drive and just remember the view when you arrive - 3 bears on the beach looking for crabs with the nearest bear only about 30 yards away - Fantastic views and photos.

The rooms and bathrooms are not luxurious but they are very comfortable and very, very clean and the reason you are here is the location and the wildlife not the facilities.

We ate here both nights and the food is very good, on the first night the meal was real meat lasagne and spare ribs - not a combination I would have expected but it was really good and it is great to have a wine selection offered that you do not need a bottomless wallet to enjoy.

If you are in the area you must stay here - absolutely fantastic place in a lovely location and with a really great host in Dan.

Really do want to stay her again and would be gutted if we couldn't

We've just returned from 3 weeks on Vancouver Island and saw more wildlife in our 4 nights at Hidden Cove Lodge than on the rest of the holiday - amazing. We were really lucky to see mummy bear and her 2 cubs every day, as well as 'Meathead" (male bear) on a couple of occasions. We also saw otters and eagles most days and on the day we were going whale watching - 3 killer whales appeared off the end of the pontoon, amazing. Dan, Sandra and the team were all very welcoming and hospitable, it really made for a great start to our holiday. We would recommend you stay here and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.

We stayed for 4 nights at Hidden Cove Lodge and loved it. We arrived on a perfect, blue-skyed day and were so impressed with the scenery. The room was small but perfectly adequate, we ate dinner twice at the Lodge and it was delicious. Dinner was not served one of the nights we were there so we were glad we had a car.

We did 2 bear watching tours with Tide Rip Tours and a whale watching tour with Mackay Whale Watching, both of which picked us up in the morning from the dock at the lodge, very convenient!

When we weren't on tour it was lovely to sit outside and watch the wildlife. We saw some of the resident black bears, a river otter, eagles and woodpeckers.

The owner is a quirky kind of guy and as a previous poster wrote, does like to run things his way, but we had no problem with that and did have quite a laugh with him. He was more than happy to help with any queries we had and seemed to enjoy our company as much as we did his. There were guests from all over the world staying at the lodge and it was lovely to all chat at the end of the day.

We hope to get back to see more of beautiful Vancouver Island soon and will definitely stay at Hidden Cove Lodge again.

The title says it all. This place offers a unique experience in a wilderness setting. We had a one-bedroom cottage with a wonky propane heater which struggled to keep the inside temperature in the 60s. But the bed was very comfy and cozy, the silence divine, the three-course dinners well-cooked and well-served.

Still, the most compelling attraction is the wildlife. Eight black bears wander around; we saw five of them. The resident otter let us know he owns the dock and the pair of jays entertained whenever people were watching.

Then there's Dan, the owner. You are unlikely to meet another hotel proprietor quite like him: the Lodge is his labor of love, he runs it the way he wants to, and he's a total delight.

If you're visiting the area for whale or bear-watching or other outdoor pursuits, you will have rich memories if you stay here. Hidden Cove is a hidden gem.