1055 Island Hwy W, Parksville, British Columbia V9P 2E1 Canada
French Creek Cottages and Suites
8 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
We decided to try a new cottage during our recent trip over to Vancouver Island and was pleased to find a two bedroom cottage right on the ocean. We were very pleasantly surprised by the roominess of not only the living room space, but also the bedrooms were quite spacious as well. The main bedroom had a nice size closet as well as a set of drawers with ample room to lay out our bathroom necessities on top, as the bathroom did not have any where for anything other than toothbrushes, paste and hair combs/brushes.
The owners are in middle of renovations and the work done to date showed their dedication to the cottages. The kitchen was well equipped, and our only complaint was not enough electrical plugs and lighting. The unit could use a nice overhead light in the living area, and perhaps a fan for air circulation, but I am sure they are yet to come. The landscaping was well kept, especially considering we were there over the new year holidays, and clear access to the beach made it easy to get to for daily walks. We had no access to the internet, but as we were enjoying ourselves so much, we did not even take time to ask the office for the information to access. Housekeeping is available if needed and fresh towels etc provided every other day. All in all we had a wonderful stay at the cottage and look forward to another visit when over on the island.
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Date of stay: December 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is an out of the way little spot perfect for a quiet get-away. The log cottages are certainly charming with paned windows over looking the bay, wood interior and the rooms are spacious enough. It doesn't get any better than falling asleep listening to the waves.
Often with charming comes a few idiosyncrasies. The lighting in bedrooms is poor and makes for finding clothing difficult without daylight. Finding electrical plugs is a challenge. The furniture needs updating but they are working on that from what I understand. The shower is teeny tiny.
There is a lot going for French Creek Cottages but it is evident that the management (until recently) has been lacking (paint is peeling off the exterior, a floor lamp cord was spliced together and wrapped in red tape, the counters are a little worse for wear). The fish plant and marina across the bay might be considered an eye sore for those seeking BC raw beauty but it didn't bother me. The beach is a mix of rock and sand and the cottages offer great access but the small bay doesn't offer the long beach walks some might be looking for.
The food at the pub next door is promoted by staff and that's because it has the same owner. I didn't try it but just be aware that there may be ulterior motives.
I would definitely go back.
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Date of stay: August 2013
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Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Most rooms have a great view of the beach. Just ask to make sure.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at the French Creek cabins in August 2014 because we were looking for a place that took dogs. This establishment actually has two locations. In addition to the cabins off the highway, there are some rooms a ways away in a nearby building by the marina, and also a campground. This review only applies to the cabins.
We stayed in cabin #3, one of the "front row" cabins with a very nice view of the beach and ocean. You also have a view of the marina with the boats and a fish plant off in the background, but the view is pretty nice.
The beach is not huge but it is not crowded either. It is a sandy beach with a few rocks but still good for swimming and for the kids to build sand castles. I saw people flying kites and launching kayaks from the beach. There is a raft that you can swim out to. To the right is a rocky area with lots of tide pools to explore.
One thing to be aware of is that the hotel grounds are home to many domestic bunnies. People have released their unwanted pets here (and many other places on the island and elsewhere in BC), and they have survived and established a home here. So beware that this may be a temptation for your pet that may like to chase them!
The cabins look like they were built in the 1960s with minimal upgrades since then. However they are clean and in quite good shape and really have everything you need. There is a well equipped kitchen, TV and wifi. As with a lot of older buildings, perhaps not quite enough electrical outlets.
One minor problem is that the bedrooms don't have overhead lights, just reading lamps on the bedside table. The rest of the room can be quite dark, particularly the closet, so you may wish to bring a flashlight.
The towels are changed every other day, but other than that there is not really any housekeeping. We stayed for one week and nobody ever came to pick up the garbage which we left outside. The rooms were not cleaned either. However, all in all, I would recommend French Creek if you are looking for a place to stay with pets, as there is not really much else available in this area.
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Date of stay: August 2014
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:The front row cabins have a nice view of the beach. The second row cabins do not and are also...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is such a fun place to stay in my view. I like value for my money and this was such a surprise for me. It's the equivalent to staying in a heritage house in ocean side cottage form! It has a play area for children with full view from all cabins except one. Clean! All nooks and crannies are in good repair. Horse shoe pits and fire pit close to the water! A restaurant three minutes walk away and a good bakery across the road and two minutes away. You can multiple book for a groups of families for reunions etc. BBQ. I will be back. If you read Betty C's feedback it's filled with specific information. The smell is a few short days in herring spawning season in February and is gone by evening. If you want to swim in low tides Parksville and Qualicum are pristine and five minute drives away. The cabins are very clean in my view, this is my third stay in 10 years and I've marveled at the preservation of these cabins. So. don't worry, if you like value for your money, I've yet to find better than this.
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Date of stay: June 2015
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:If you have children ask for a cabin with a view of the playground (most cabins are).
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here this summer.Rooms are dark, and full of spiders.Poor management.Overpriced.Pub food not great.There are lots of other good places to stay in the area.The beach is fairly nice though.Other than that, check alternate places to stay.
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Date of stay: September 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had been searching for accommodations that were ocean front and would take large families with pets. I couldn't believe how difficult this was to find. Most properties that were ocean front didn't have ocean front units to stay in or didn't take dogs. I was looking for something where i could see the ocean. I like being able to wake up in the morning, have my cup of coffee or tea and sit relaxing looking out to the ocean and listening to the sound of the waves, or in the evening after dinner, relaxing with a glass of wine. I didn't want to walk through a large property to go to the beach. With my search I came across French Creek Cottages and based on what reviews I found, which were not many, I decided to give this a try. I knew by the reviews and the pictures that this was rustic and minimalistic. I knew that the cottages were dated. They are not sparkling clean but clean enough. The lighting in the cabins is a bit on the dim side. Staying in these cottages would be a step or two above camping. Though these cabins are not perfect I would stay here again. My family occupied the Triplex units, which are units closer to the ocean, for one week in July. We had the convenience of having a kitchen that had a fridge, microwave, stove, toaster, tea kettle, stocked with plates, cups, cutlery, pots & pans, paper towel, dish towel and dish detergent. We had a TV, and free internet which was nice to have. The bathrooms had a shower, no tub and supplied with the basic necessities of toilet paper, bath soap bar and shampoo. Fresh towels were supplied every 2nd day and the bedding changed midweek. If you wanted it changed more frequently you just need to let them know when registering. Beach towels were also supplied as well as an oscillating fan for hot days. There are coin operated washing machines and dryers but they are not on site, which I found a bit frustrating to find out. Not difficult to get to, just not convenient. There is a swimming pool on the property but it has been closed for a few years with no plans to reopen it in the near future. It's a shame too, this would have made our stay even more enjoyable, especially during days where the weather isn't that great. In the centre of the property there is a playground for the children and a horseshoe pitch for adults in an area closer to the beach. The beach is quite rocky and full of dried up seaweed when the tide is high but very nice when the tide is out, exposing the sand. Our little ones loved it. There is also a wooden swimming raft for anyone wanting to go for a swim during high tide.
There is a fish plant and marina to the left of the bay and some people may find it ugly, didn't bother me. I read one review where the person stayed in the spring and there was a strong fish smell. I didn't experience anything like that during the end of July. Even though It wasn't perfect we enjoyed our stay. We found it very relaxing and calming and wished that we were staying on for a 2nd week. If you are looking for something basic where you just want to relax and you don't mind things such as smudges on the window blinds or not perfectly clean floor corners then I would give French Creek Cottages a try.
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Date of stay: July 2014
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Enjoyed staying in the units in the Triplex. Interior paneling is painted making it brighter than...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have been coming to this place with my family and friends for years. It has all that you need for a weekend getaway or however long you'd like. The cottages are cozy places with lots of places to sleep and a working kitchen and tv. Even if you do not like the cottages there are plenty of other thing to do like: Going to the beach, going fishing, going to the pub,etc. All in all it is an awesome place to stay. I will be coming back again.
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Date of stay: August 2015
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:1-6 are the ocean views and 14 is the biggest
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The cottages were moved off the property in late Spring early Summer I think, and the land is up for sale at present , it has a great view of French Creek Marina and the Coast Mountains in the distance, the only draw back to this location is it's close to the sewage facility and in the summer it can be smelly some days.
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Date of stay: September 2017Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi my family stayed in French Creek Cottages 17 years ago. We want to stay again as adults. We are 8 people and could take the two larger cabins What would be the cost for 5 days July 14-19 or 20?
Thank you Lynne Johaneson
There are more places to choose from in the Parksville area.
LOCATION
CanadaBritish ColumbiaVancouver IslandParksville
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French Creek Cottages and Suites - Reviews & Photos
Frequently Asked Questions about French Creek Cottages and Suites
Which popular attractions are close to French Creek Cottages and Suites?
Nearby attractions include North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (5.2 km), Parksville Community Park and Skate Park (4.0 km), and Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park (6.4 km).
