Check-In/Check-Out: Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

Source: By MASAJI TAKEI

Posted: 09/18/09 12:32PM

Filed Under: Canada Travel Guide

A refined resort set amidst raw nature is an alluring combination for romantic retreats or solid pamperings. Perched as it is, on rocky outcroppings overlooking an often turbulent ocean, the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort on Vancouver Island’s west coast works this contrast to full effect. The Boutique Hotels & Resorts of British Columbia rounded out their upscale portfolio of hotels and resorts with this addition in early 2009. The town of Ucluelet (or “Ukee” as the locals call it), usually plays rustic neighbour to Tofino, an increasingly more polished resort village 40km up the road. The Black Rock steps up Ucluelet’s game considerably with this sophisticated property, complete with its spa, lounge and fine dining room.

Room to Roam: Directly north of Barkley Sound, part of the Pacific Rim National Park, Ucluelet is the obvious staging ground for many of the outdoor pursuits which draw visitors to the area. Fishing boats are joined by wildlife tours, setting out into the Broken Islands Group in search of Gray and Humpback whales, Orcas, California and Stellar sea lions. The Wild Pacific Trail cuts through the coastal rainforest surrounding Black Rock. Long Beach, and other breaks which make the area a surfing destination, are a short commute from the resort. Black Rock is about 3hrs drive from the ferry terminal on the east side of the Island and about 450kms north of Victoria.

Ambience: Even if the resort’s architecture couldn’t strictly be pegged as “West Coast contemporary” there’s a strong sense of a regional style and location-specific features. The buildings incorporate materials from the site itself and takes a form that complements the landscape. The eponymous black rock was quarried locally and the Wine Cellar dining room is built directly over a surge channel that cleaves into the main lodge. Large windows let in ample natural light while providing views of wind-sculpted cedars and spruce. The colour palette is greens and browns. The cumulative effect is naturally sleek, airy and calming.

Guests: The freshly opened resort seems likely to attract couples looking to sequester themselves away for the weekend and girls-getaways but the self-contained Beach Suites look to be a good setup for families. And the atmosphere is not so exclusive that it still feels accessible to locals looking for a good meal or a drink in the lounge.

Food & Drink: Executive Chef Andrew Springett oversees the food served in the 90-seat Fetch dining room (which has a 30-seat patio overlooking the ocean). The B.C.-born chef developed his craft at top resorts and restaurants in London, Whistler, Toronto, and the Queen Charlotte Islands - Haida Gwaii. He was also part of the gold-medal winning team representing Canada at the 2003 Bocuse d’Or Competition in France. More recently, as resident Chef de Cuisine at The Wickaninnish Inn in neighbouring Tofino, he established relationships with local food producers and farmers, and leans heavily toward fresh seasonal ingredients sourced in the region.

An 8ft. gas fireplace flanks the entrance to the 50-seat Float lounge. The bar is a 10ft standing wave of blue tile that curls overhead. The room, with it’s vast views of the ocean below is a fine position to share the menu’s small plates or sip at a proprietary cocktail (the “Ukee Cukee”: a cucumber infused Hendricks Gin, vermouth and San Pellegrino, or the “Cougar Coffee”, named after the cougar which wandered in behind a worker during hotel construction: coffee, Irish cream, kahlua, frangelico, whipped cream). An unexpected feature of dining at this high-end resort, is that prices are not the inflated versions one usually finds in luxury hotels. Prices on the breakfast menu, for example, are comparable to what you’d expect to pay at a regular brunch spot in Vancouver (poached free range eggs, house cured Coho salmon on English muffin with citrus hollandaise, $11).

At Your Service: Front desk staff will hit you with a wide smile and greeting from across the expansive foyer soon after you exit the elevator or enter the front doors. If they see you wandering out into the drizzle without the appropriate rain gear, they’ll offer up a hotel umbrella. The location seems to attract a particular breed of service staff, down-to-earth and outdoorsy, yet professional. There’s a good chance that when they’re not serving, they’re surfing. One wait staff, said that she was still stretching into a wetsuit when she was four months pregnant. You get the feeling that the front desk would be happy to help you book surf lessons, if not take you out themselves.

Do Not Disturb: The main lodge has 71, studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites. The one and two-bedroom Beach Suites (62 units) have a similar feel and colour scheme, reminiscent of the tones found in a coastal temperate rainforest but have their own entrances and in-suite washer dryers. Regardless of configuration, each suite has a balcony, fireplace, well-appointed kitchen or kitchenette (with nice touches like a French press and Milano coffee), and views of the ocean or forest. Everything is on hand to make it easy not to go outside if one wishes. Other features include a partition window which opens between the black slate tiled bathroom and the bedroom, providing a direct line of sight from the deep soaker tub to the view, your partner or a flat screen television.

Extras: The Drift Spa, features sea-inspired services and products, such as the therapeutic seaweed soak, body polish, mini-facial and massage, all using seaweed, hand-harvested from the ocean. Other amenities include a smallish but serviceable gym and three hot tubs overlooking the ocean.

The Draw: As a base for exploring the area or as a destination in itself, The Black Rock is an attractive combination of amenities (self sufficient units with kitchen/kitchenette, in-house lounge and restaurant, spa) presented in an impressive but understated package that would satisfy both privacy-seeking retreaters and design-conscious explorers.