Port Hardy: hotel con bar

We were here barely 12 hrs due to catching the ferry early next morn. It was a spacious room, clean and offered a good sleep. I asked for and got a wake up call for us on top of our phones just to be sure at such an early hr. Hence we missed the complimentary breakfast. The front desk staff were great, esp the gal when we checked in. I thought the price was somewhat high for the hotel but given their location they can command it. We had a lovely view of the bay from our room and enjoyed a peaceful walk out along the breakwater around the docks close by. I would consider staying here again if in Hardy. The town is 5 minutes away with shopping and food choices available.

The Kwa'lilas Hotel is the ”crème de la crème” in Port Hardy, BC, standing out as a luxury accommodation option in Vancouver Island North. The indigenous owned & run hotel features authentic, local, indigenous art, and an indigenized gift shop. This marks the third time we have stayed at this location, and the third time we have spent the night in the Executive King Suite - featuring 2 washrooms (great for travelling with friends), a freestanding tub in a large double bathroom, and views of the ocean. The hotel offers upscale dining choices at Nax'id (Drink), while Ha'me (Food) is undergoing renovations. We had also received 20% off of breakfast at Nax'id, as a result of our stay, and got to enjoy salmon & bannock in the morning. I would rate it ”Excellent” (5/5), rather than ”Very Good” (4/5), but we encountered an issue with the front desk while checking in. We had originally reserved the Executive King Suite for 3 guests, and had confirmed that the room has a pullout couch for the additional guest. Upon checking in, the staff member stated that we were only booked for 1 guest, and that the room did not have a pull out couch. An argument ensued where the employee implied that we were lying about confirming that the room has a pull out couch, and first offered us a downgrade to a double queen room at the Executive King Suite rate, then refused to get her manager to assist with the situation, and heavily implied that we would not be checking in at all. Finally, another staff member intervened and confirmed that the Executive King Suite has a pull out couch, to which the first employee's reaction was to argue with her coworker about the room not having a pull out couch. We finally settled in to the room, which was very comfortable and luxurious, and did, indeed, have a pull out couch for the third guest. Guest services was able to make note of the incident and ensured that something like this would not happen again. A recommendation I have for the hotel is to keep true to its indigenous origin and employ local, indigenous staff, rather than non-locals. I would highly recommend staying at Kwa'lilas when travelling to Port Hardy, or even Port McNeill.