Journal - Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge

2020, The Clayoquot Season With a Difference

Beau Thoresen — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 01:59:57 +0000

Over summer, a core leadership team has remained on site and taken the invaluable opportunity to provide some TLC to a location that has provided sanctuary and solace for guests and staff for nearly 25 years. It’s the first summer season since 1997 that Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge has stayed closed to guests, and a nil capacity has offered a unique opportunity to get the lodge into tip top shape.

“I truly do see silver linings”, said Sarah Cruse, General Manager of CWL. “Time spent together as a team, a chance to explore the ‘quiet’ outdoors, a window to complete maintenance tasks on site, and a chance for our staff to come to a completely different approach to life”. The dedicated group consists completely of returning staff and managers, some of whom have spent the last 8 Summers in the Bedwell sound. While the Summer 2020 team may be small in numbers, they have an overwhelming supply of spirit, and intimate connection with the wilderness only few can understand.

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Baillie Lodges Goes Global

Beau Thoresen — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 03:37:32 +0000

The move comes as Baillie Lodges’ partnership with US-based KSL Capital Partners, LLC, nears its third year, with the acquisition and planned renovation of Tropical North Queensland icon Silky Oaks Lodge already part of the group’s expansion activity. Remotely located among Vancouver Island’s pristine wilderness and on the shores of Clayoquot Sound, the acclaimed Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge (formerly Clayoquot Wilderness Resort) is accessible only by seaplane, helicopter or boat. The retreat features 25 luxury tents each with views of the sound and offering access to a swag of adventures from horse-riding, whale, and bear-spotting to canyoning and scenic helicopter flights.

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Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge Double Award Winner

Beau Thoresen — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:02:52 +0000

This marks the third time Clayoquot has claimed the accolade of Canadian leader, however the newly recognized world title is a first for the lodge and a testament to the recent push for sustainability and continuity of integration within their unique ecosystem. General Manager’s Bradley Goian and Antonella Puglisi said the timing of the recognition at the end of the season couldn’t have been sweeter. “What a wonderful way to acknowledge all the hard work put in by our tremendous team and all our partners.”

In addition to a lengthy list of green operations across the property and ongoing salmon habitat restoration projects, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge donated $100,000 to local organization Clayoquot Cleanup earlier this year and launched its Coastal Ambassador Program, offering guests the chance to participate in hands-on coastal restoration work.

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Clayoquot’s Call to the Wild

Beau Thoresen — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 00:25:52 +0000

After a year in hibernation, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge has opened to reveal a brand new look! Located at the heart of Vancouver Island’s UNESCO protected wild-west playground, the luxury outpost has been given a fresh dose of vitality following a Baillie Lodges-led reimagining of guest quarters just in time for the 2021 season. Newly decked out with contemporary furnishings, specially commissioned pieces from local designers and artisans and heavenly king beds dressed in fine linens, the tents offer the ultimate in sophisticated, glamping style.

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Clayoquot’s Clean-up Quartet

Beau Thoresen — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 06:16:13 +0000

The year was 1993 and Clayoquot Sound was the target of highly unregulated, industrial-scale deforestation. Thankfully, conscious civilians and First Nations stood together to protect the old-growth rainforests and preserve the pristine landscape. They took action by setting up camps in the wilderness and searching for culturally modified trees, or CMT’s, that exhibit historic modification by First Nations tribes as a part of their tradition. For the local Ahousaht First Nation, this usually came in the form of stripping the bark of cedar trees as a symbolic gesture, or the tree itself being cut and carved into a timber canoe.

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Clayoquot’s MICHELIN Honour

Rachel Crowley — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 04:27:21 +0000

Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge was one of only two properties in Canada to receive the Three Keys honour in 2024 and one of just ten properties in the United States, Mexico and Canada to be awarded the prestigious status in this, the inaugural MICHELIN Keys selection dedicated to the region.

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Glacial Immersion Health Benefits

Beau Thoresen — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 05:06:19 +0000

The Glacial Immersion, one of Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge’s newest signature experiences, offers an opportunity to connect with nature in a way that invigorates both your body and mind. The experience itself was stemmed for the Clayoquot teams’ own cold water club, who regularly brave up and soak in the icy waters for the mental and physical heath benefits. Beyond the initial shock of the cold, this practice offers a myriad of positive health benefits, encompassing mental clarity, physical resilience, and spiritual well-being.

The Glacial Immersion isn’t just about the physical act of immersing yourself in cold water – it’s a holistic experience that realigns your spirit, mind and body. Here’s how:

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Head Chefs Unite for 2022 Season

Beau Thoresen — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 05:39:00 +0000

Mark and Olivia began their culinary journeys at Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Since becoming acquainted, two years on Mark and Olivia have worked together all over the country in many different restaurants, including Haida Gwaii, the Okanagan Valley, Toronto and even Nicaragua. As they would know all too well, cream rises to the top, and in 2022 Mark and Olivia are set to lead the culinary team in a shared Executive Chef role. We sat down with Mark and Olivia to hear more about their story as they prepare for the upcoming season.

How long have you worked at Clayoquot and what attracted you to the role?

Mark: My first season at Clayoquot was in 2018, I had accepted the role of morning Chef De Partie, I was really excited to work at a property in such a unique location. Clayoquot looked like it could provide quite an adventure just by existing there! Due to staffing issues we were in need of a Sous Chef, and with my past experience that role fell to me and for the past three open seasons that has been my position at Clayoquot.

Olivia: I began my journey with Clayoquot in the 2019 season. At the time I was living in Toronto and I was looking for a change in scenery and atmosphere that would support my aspiration to live more simply and purposefully.

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In Profile: Sarah Cruse

Beau Thoresen — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 00:00:15 +0000

Sarah, tell us a bit about yourself…

My roots in hospitality started with my summertime job working on golf courses in the cottage country of beautiful Muskoka, Ontario. I always wanted to be a resort General Manager, but I took a different approach and learned the art of growing grass and managing beautiful golf courses. My big break was working for Banff Springs Hotel, in the Rockies, where I was appointed as Superintendent for the golf course at a young age. That is when I fell in love with the world of hospitality.

After working for various golf courses across Canada, I was offered a position at Quail lodge Golf Country in California. Fast forward ten amazing years and change was calling, I felt a desire to try something different to golf resorts. As it happens, I saw an ad for a wilderness luxury lodge in British Columbia. I just knew I had to work there, so I jumped on a plane, and the rest is history. I landed in Clayoquot in a world of remote wilderness and my life was changed forever. I was completely re-inspired as I worked side by side with an incredible team. After one unforgettable year, I was called back to the States. A gift was awaiting me in the form of a green card but that required me to work in the States. I decided to continue my education in wilderness hospitality and was very privileged to work for Dunton Hot Springs, in a majestic location on top of a mountain in Colorado.

What drew you back to Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge for a second time?

Home is where your heart is and when I left Clayoquot, I just knew I had unfinished business and would be back. As I continued my journey with other resorts, I always kept Clayoquot close to my heart. My fascination with this property is unexplainable. It must be the unique location, the complete disconnect from the world, and the solitude that allows the people to truly connect to what is important. When the role became available once again at Clayoquot I felt like I was being offered a second chance to complete what I had started four years earlier and nothing was going to stop me this time!

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Reduce, Reuse, Cycle

Beau Thoresen — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 06:31:49 +0000

In an effort to reduce the lodges’ carbon footprint while adding yet another dimension to the variety of guest experiences on offer, a fleet of electronic bikes has been introduced to replace motor vehicles used for guest transportation. While the ebikes are immediately greener for their lack of fuel consumption, further benefits include the absence of air and noise pollution – laughter excepted! The lighter vehicles’ significantly reduced physical impact on the trail in turn reduces the impact on the surrounding environment and improves ecological sustainability. Above all, travel by ebike is undeniably fun and a far more immersive mode of transit, allowing more opportunity to soak in the pristine natural environment.

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