Hastings House Country House Hotel

Lovely hotel staff. I would like to call out Will, Issac, Jeremy and Jack. They are such hard workers and truly are customer centric. It is a lovely place to visit when on Salt Sptinh Island. I recommend two nights here as it is a small island. The famous chef is just that famous for creating masterpieces. The first night he was there and I had the lamb roast with a mustard seed sauce, very tender, zucchini with the squash blossom I so appreciated and lots of veggies. The endive salad is very special. They are very lucky to have such an incredible chef who makes this a R&C restaurant awards abound on the walls. I recommend the Somerset room if you want a/c and a large expansive lovely room with a view. Farm East/West were booked for a large family gathering as well as they took out all of the tables from other rooms to accommodate a local couple's anniversary so thank goodness the weather outside was divine otherwise you have to go into a conservatory with no charm and are not able to dine in the historic part of the property which is why I came to this country home. The wait staff and kitchen are managed separately and do their own thing so it is not consistent service with the rest of the property. If the servers are in a good mood it lifts the energy if not it can be a bit of a negative vibe going on with the workers. I am senstive to energy and all it would take is a nice smile and a welcoming attitude. It does not need to be so serious it is suppose to be a joyous time. You will meet people who come to dinner from their boats, hotel guests and locals.

My wife and I stayed here two nights as part of a self-guided cycling trip we were on. When you first arrive, you aren't sure what this place is going to be like! It's on a large piece of land, with all kinds of different small "houses" that are the rooms. We stayed in the Hayloft room and it was spectacular! It had a sloped ceiling and a huge (tall) King bed that was the most comfortable bed we've ever slept in! Their bedding was high quality and you just felt like you were snuggled down into an amazing nest! Our breakfasts were included in our package and they were delicious. The dining room has a fantastic view of the Ganges Harbour and there is no bad table in there. We had one dinner here and it was AMAZING! The staff are all extremely professional and the atmosphere of the room was very quiet so very different from a lot of other loud/boisterous restaurants we are all used to going to. The food came out in a timely manner that was neither rushed nor delayed. It is by far the best meal we've had out in a long, long time. Can't say enough about the food/service here! They have many quiet and beautiful places outside to just sit and read or enjoy the scenery. They also have a bocci ball and crocket area! The staff was very helpful with regards to storing our bikes, and someone happily came in early the day we were leaving to get our bikes out of storage, as we had a very early ferry ride to our next island. If you are going to Salt Springs Island, do not miss staying at this Gem or at least dining there!

My husband & I recently stayed one night at the Hastings House Hotel on Salt Spring Island. We have stayed at several Relais & Chateaux properties and were looking forward to trying one new to us. The property looked charming on the website so we were surprised, on arrival, to find it in its current condition. The Pros: 1) The view of the harbour from the main building (Manor House) was beautiful from the patio, dining room, and upstairs Manor House bedrooms. 2) Our room in the Manor House was clean and had lovely Frette towels. 3) The waiters in the dining room were excellent. 4) The breakfast special in the morning was very good. The cons: 1) It was lucky we had looked at the layout of the property on their website before arriving as no mini-tour was given at check-in. The Hotel consists of several separate buildings connected by stone paths and stairs. We found check-in very unfriendly as we were simply shown a map and told to "find our room down the pathway". Not at all welcoming! 2) As we walked to find our room, we noticed the infrastructure was in great need of maintenance (e.g., peeling roofs on the Manor House, gutters bursting with leaves and branches, flower gardens showing no recent care by a gardener, etc.). 3) There was no concierge in the main building (Manor House) to ask questions or get help which is quite unusual at a Relais & Chateaux property. Check-in, located at another building, closed at 8:00pm so that only left the waiters to address questions which is not their job. There may have been an employee somewhere on the property in the evening but we never saw or heard them. 4) Cocktails on the patio were fine. Dinner in the dining room, however, was at best - fair. This was another real surprise as we had previously found food at other Relais & Chateaux restaurants outstanding. The wait staff did their best to 'talk up the food' but taste is always the final judge! Final Conclusion: The Hastings House Hotel has great potential if the current/future owners were to infuse a healthy amount of cash and tender care to refurbish the property's infrastructure (e.g., Manor House roofs, gutters, peeling paint, and flower garden), oversee better quality control of the dinner menu, and hire more employees to assist guests' needs. If this is completed, we would happily return for another stay. Until then, we will enjoy visiting our other favourite hotels in BC.