Name: Heron Guest House
Address: 646 Maple Road, Quadra Island, V0P 1H0 Heriot Bay, Canada, Quadra Island, QUADRA ISLAND, BC, Canada, Quadra Island, Quadra Island, Quadra Island, V0P 1H0, Canada
Rating: 7

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Packed Lunches

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Airport transportation

Transfer services

Transfer

Bike rental

Barbecue grill(s)

Hiking

Sun Deck

Recreation

Free parking nearby

Free Parking on Premises

Parking

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the guest house

Campbell River Airport

Comox Airport

Heron Guest House

Quadra Island

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

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3-beds

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38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

unfortunatley did not even manage to get to this property but having to cancel due to being told no non essential travel and informing the owner months 6 months in advance heard nothing and no refund!!! out of pocket and booking.com no help at all!!

covid cancellation

This place is like a scene out of Hoarders, the TV series, with an equally obtuse, dishonest, scatterbrained owner to match. I've honestly not before seen anything like this in my life or experienced an utterly clueless owner such as this.

Filthy accomodations, black mold, overrun with rats, mouse poop in drawers that contain dishes, no smoke alarms, extremely dodgy electricity which made us fear a fire breaking out, a bathtub that takes until morning to drain if you happen to bathe in the evening, dirty dirty dirty appliances, cobwebs, carpets that are so encrusted with dirt that you can't even shake them out. Yet they somehow manage to release their filth all over the floors every time you wipe your feet on them. Not even proper drawers or a closet for your clothing. You'll be living out of your suitcase because there's nowhere to hang anything up or put away any folded clothing. Expect to do your own cleaning here before being able to feel even slightly comfortable here.

If you're renting the so-called '3 bedroom / 2 bath house / cottage', be aware that you will only have use of ONE BEDROOM. The other bedrooms are either full of the owner's hoardings, or ridiculously inaccessible. The money you're paying will get you ONE BEDROOM to actually use, not the 3 bedrooms she dishonestly advertises. And the photos she posts of her accomodations are from years long past. The accommodations look NOTHING like the photos she uses to advertise.

Filthy washer / dryer which takes forever to dry clothing that you'll share with the owner, who leaves eggshells & other foul bits in the washer that you'll have to clean out yourself if you'd like to wash your clothing. I've never come across such an absolute pigstye in my life. 

Pitch black dark at night with extremely poor lighting - if any - & slippery stairs which are highly hazardous.

Yes, the view is amazing. The eagles & ravens are incredible, and you might get lucky & hear some seals. Other than that, I'd give this place & its owner a very strong pass. The owner is lazy, slovenly, and far from forthcoming regarding her accomodations.

Disgusting filth, rat poop, dishonest owner

Linda is a sincere and dedicated host. We have been staying at Heron House every year for the last 10 years, and every visit is better than the one before. I hold precious in my heart the view of sunrise over Beartooth Mountain and Desolation Sound. At home in Taiwan we go to sleep listening to recordings we made of gentle white noise, waves lapping against the beach just below the veranda of Heron House. For light exercise on Quadra we walk to the end of Rebecca Spit, maybe take a picnic. For a more serious day, Linda takes us up to the Village Bay Lakes or hiking on secret trials to hidden coves known only to a few privileged locals. In the evening we feast on oysters grown by Linda’s neighbors, sometimes on clams we dig ourselves. If we’re feeling social we step down for beers at the Heriot  Bay Inn. But mornings are still the best always peaceful and serene no matter the season.

My Spiritual Home

We stayed at Heron House for one night during our tour of Quadra Island and honestly after reading reviews became quite sceptical. However, as an outdoor educator I was keen to get involved in some vintage lodges which is exactly what we got. On arrival it does seem a bit out of sorts but the host had left us a trail of notes along the well kept path. We stayed in the Tide Room which is very private and isolated from the rest of the house. Reviewers are correct when they say there is an outdoor bath and shower, a simple pleasure that cannot be enjoyed everywhere so try to make the most of it. The room was aged with CD players, old kitchen equipment and retro covers and pillows but this is a property with character, history and charm and as long as you are prepared for that you will have an enjoyable stay! We spent our evening on our ‘patio’ viewing the ocean on our provided deck chairs and would like to thank Linda for the experience. 

Alternative accommodation in a good way! 

I agree 110% with the above comments and ratings. Plus there was a boiled water notice that she lied about. She posted a water advisory notice on the refrigerator. I asked her if it was if the water was safe to drink and she said yes. Only after I was up at night with stomach cramps and diarrhea did I google water advisory on Quadra island and find that her house was under a boil water notice. Check for yourself.

Boil water notice!

I booked the cottage at Heron House (through a reputable booking site) for a friend and I so we could do some adventuring on the island for a couple of days. Our plan was to have shared accommodation with full kitchen amenities so we could socialize during our trip yet still have separate sleeping quarters. Two days prior our host Linda called to cancel because it was already booked and unavailable. She then offered a room in the main house or a refund. Two days before?!  Travel arrangements were already made and we were to now look for alternatives on short notice?!  Admittedly after some expressed disappointment another room was offered and the price was not requested to make up the difference so we reluctantly accepted. Fast forward to a quick change in weather as often happens on the West Coast and we find ourselves checking in to some very interesting accommodations. Now that’s not to say that this isn’t acceptable to some people depending on how they travel...but for my friend and I, it was barely one step above camping. From the dilapidated outbuildings, to unmanaged shrubbery and pathways covered in weeds and barely alive old patio pots...doors to our rooms that secured from the inside with a lock you’d find in a public restroom stall or in my room, didn’t lock at all when we were out seeing the island. So that kind of didn’t bother me as much as my friend who had been approached on arrival by a man who asked us if he could help us with our things or sell us some ummm ‘party favours’. Well who was he and why was he asking if he could help us? We weren’t introduced to him as someone who should be assisting us to our rooms. Anyways...Linda was a nice lady...if you can forgive that she seems to have cancelled on people before according to some of the reviews I read. Maybe struggling to manage the multiple booking site calendars that she has this property listed on (that’s what she explained to me was the reason for cancelling so late prior to our confirmed booking). She has allowed her property to go into disrepair for any number of reasons (the property is for sale as well)...like the glass panel the fell from the deck railing above my room just prior to our arrival (not removed during the entire stay), the rocks that held up the bottom step to my bed, the heavy 70’s style curtains pooling on the floor at the dirt stained threshold to the patio...musty smell of the space (yes it is right on the shore to the ocean but this was old and unclean smelling musty).  Linda had to remake the bed as she showed us through my space, empty the coffee grounds from the machine...she didn’t notice the used hand towels or the used coffee mug that I later had to wash with my dishes that night. Linda also showed us the outdoor shower and bathtub. I’ll provide pictures for that. I think it’s important to note again, that despite my own recounting of our experience, it may be that some travellers would find these things very quaint, eclectic or rustic as verbs to describe this property. All fine if the property was better reflected in the advertising photos which I found to be very misleading and so that all travellers can make informed decisions on their level of quaint. 

After you view our pics you are as informed as can be. The views are as spectacular as a waterfront property should be. Property is walking distance to the Heriot Bay Inn (restaurant food and service were fantastic) which has a very nice deck patio and the adjoining campground and Marina. 

Now you decide

A story to be told....

We booked the Tide Room.  The host was very friendly, but...the room was not what we expected. Bar fridge with a broken freezer, microwave, single hot plate, toaster.  Note from host saying not to use more than one appliance at a time otherwise it would blow a breaker and we would have to go upstairs to reset it.  Inconvenient.  Also, if the breaker blew, the toilet wouldn’t work (electric pump).  Numerous other notes like this about what not to do.  No closet or dresser. Makeshift table and kitchen seating.    It was cold despite the heater and damp.  It smelled musty/moldy and their were tons of spiders and cobwebs.  The shower did not look sanitary.  Old bath and hand towels showing their wear.  We were offered a different space but it was not satisfactory either (a cat was using the landing as a toilet as we approached to view the “tree house”).  Cat poop, lots of cat poop. I gave it one star for the view. We found other accommodations the next morning.

Not what we expected

It was a last-minute booking for me not knowing if I was going to be away for work. Linda did her best to make it work for us. It worked great.
We were supposed to be in a suite one night and then have to switch to another the next day, which was OK for us. It worked out that she had a cancellation so we ended up in the same room for the whole weekend.  
Yes it was magical as you can see in my pictures.  This is not a place you want to take your five star Shelly.  If you want to go stay at this place leave your pretty little princess shoes at home. 
The walkway down to the beach is a little rug it but it’s absolutely gorgeous once you get there. We could watch the Cortez ferry going back & forth and almost touch it, plus you’re right across from Rebecca Spit. 
 The view from our place was spectacular. We were almost at in view with the Eagles which visited us at least A couple times while we were there. As we looked down I saw a family of three deer. A buck, a doe,and a fawn still with its spots. They showed up both days.
 There was a pub just a short walk away to Heriot bay but I wouldn’t recommend. I think they have a captive audience. Expensive and the food was not very good. We ended up walking Just up the hill to the grocery store and everything we needed was there.
 No this property is not manicured, But if you can look at its natural beauty it’s probably one of the last places that you can visit in BC that hasn’t been chopped up by some huge corporation .
Linda has been there for 62 years, I’m pretty sure it was her mother’s place.
Very quirky, & I little funky. Go with an open mind, and again ,leave your princess shoes at home. I’m sure you’ll have as good a time if you do.
Thanks Linda, see you next year. 
John & Sandy

Heron Guest House

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