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Vancouver Island ToursBritish Columbia, Canada

Good value, Oceanfront

Coast Bastion Hotel

A straightforward harbour-front hotel on Nanaimo's downtown waterfront, steps from the seaplane dock, the whale boats and the old town. The practical night before an early ferry or a drive north.

NanaimoOn the waterfrontMid-range
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Editorial listing. The link goes to the hotel's own website; we have no booking partner and earn nothing from this page.

Nanaimo is a place most visitors pass through, and the Coast Bastion is the hotel that makes passing through pleasant: harbour views, a walk along the seawall to dinner, and the departure points for whale watching and seaplanes in sight of the lobby. It is a mid-range chain hotel and does not pretend otherwise.

Departure Bay ferry terminal is ten minutes north and Duke Point twenty minutes south; check which one your sailing uses.

Ideal for

The water

Beside the harbour walkway downtown; the whale-watching offices and the seaplane terminal are a few minutes' walk along the seawall.

Key facilities

We only list facilities we can confirm on the hotel's own website, and this one could not be checked automatically. See the official website for current facilities.

Checked 6 Sept 2026

Compare with

Boutique, Oceanfront

Upscale

Inn at Laurel Point

An independent, carbon-neutral hotel on a garden point between the Inner Harbour and Fisherman's Wharf, with every room facing the water. The quiet way to be at the centre of Victoria.

Victoria
On the waterfront
  • Couples
  • Peace and quiet
  • Short stay / cruise

Resort, Oceanfront

Luxury

Oak Bay Beach Hotel

A seaside resort in the village of Oak Bay, ten minutes from downtown, with heated mineral pools over the water, a spa and a pub, rebuilt in the style of the 1920s original. For a slow stay with the city within reach.

Victoria
On the waterfront
  • Couples
  • Peace and quiet
  • Honeymoon

Resort, Oceanfront

Luxury

Wickaninnish Inn

The inn that made Tofino's storm-watching season famous: a cedar-and-stone lodge on a headland above Chesterman Beach, every room facing the open Pacific, with a spa in the rocks and one of the coast's celebrated restaurants.

Tofino & Ucluelet
On the beach
  • Couples
  • Honeymoon
  • Storm watching

Eat nearby

Floating patio restaurant

$$$$

Penny's Palapa

A Mexican restaurant on a float in Nanaimo's boat basin, all patio and umbrellas, open in the warm months. The most enjoyable lunch on the Nanaimo waterfront, a short walk from the whale-watching offices.

Nanaimo
Mexican
  • Waterfront
  • Casual
  • Family
Restaurants in Nanaimo

From this base

Tours around Nanaimo

Area guide