B.C.'s Kingfisher Resort and Spa brings oceanfront relaxation to a new level

Ocean waves crashing, a warm soak on a stormy night, and a massage booked in the morning — the Kingfisher Resort and Spa on Vancouver Island is a water lover’s paradise.

Situated right on the Strait of Georgia, the ocean-facing rooms have the peaceful roar of the waves as a constant backdrop. I visited in February and lucked out with the Romance Suite with a massive soaking tub to watch the elements outside.

My journey to the Kingfisher began with a flight from Vancouver International Airport to Comox. It’s quicker than going via the ferry, and the airport accepts direct flights from Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton, Calgary, Puerto Vallarta (in the winter), and Toronto (in the summer).

But as I scanned my boarding pass at YVR security, the officer told me my flight was at another terminal. I thought YVR only had one terminal? So the adventure began.

I was taking a propellor plane out of the South Terminal, which houses small aircraft making shorter journeys around coastal B.C. As I waited for the shuttle bus, the woman beside me in the bus shelter told me she’d quit her job at a school to become a psychic medium.

“Am I going to make my flight?” I asked her.

“I’m worried for you,” she replied.

Well if she’s worried, I’m worried too. Into a taxi I get.

At the south terminal, we crouched to board the Pacific Coastal Airlines plane. It was my first time on a plane this small, and the pilots brought on a smooth journey despite the wind and rain.

After landing in Comox, it’s 25 minutes to the Kingfisher via shuttle transfer. It’s unassuming at first. But once you walk through the lobby, you discover the garden with lights, bonfire circles, dining domes, and the pool and hot tub. And, of course, the famous Healing Caves and Pacific Mist Hydropath below.

An immersive and ocean-focused experience at Pacific Mist Spa

The Kingfisher is renowned for its spa facilities. This winter, it expanded its offerings with its new Healing Caves. They’re a circuit of six caves, each offering a distinct wellness therapy to stimulate the senses. You’ll go through in private groups of up to four people, where the caves combine high-definition screens with nature soundtracks and changes to temperature, humidity, smell, and even taste to create a fully immersive experience.

You travel to the corners of the earth, first in a dry sauna that takes you soaring over the desert. Next, you immerse yourself in a rainforest aromatherapy chamber. Then it’s time for cold therapy, where you wrap yourself in a towel for epic snowy scenery in a frosty room. Then it’s time to relax in a red-light sleeping bag while stargazing in the celestial cave. Next, it’s the salt cave, which I thought was the most unique. The air is infused with salts that you can taste as you breathe — I never knew air could be so delicious. Finally. it’s a hot tub experience with rain and rumblings to simulate a thunderstorm rolling in from the ocean.

At the Pacific Mist Spa, all the treatments are ocean-inspired. I tried the Pacific Pearl Body Scrub, which began with my therapist using bamboo brushes to promote circulation. I couldn’t help but think of the scratching of sand on my skin as ocean waves washed over my body. Onto a massage with moisturizing gel, finishing with a scalp session that seemed to relax my whole body from head to toe.

Then, we’ll get into the Hydropath. This is another series of caves that recreates the West Coast shoreline beneath the resort. It’s been the Kingfisher’s signature for the last two decades, guiding guests through an eight-step hydrotherapy process with trace elements and minerals from the sea.

There are hot tubs, waterfalls that massage your shoulders, and a cold glacial circuit before it’s time to soak in a salt pool. Drizzling spouts above create the illusion you’re sitting in a hot spring on a gently rainy day.

Finally, it’s time for a personal bath where you step into a small pool shaped like an egg. The spa lays out plates of exfoliating scrub on seashells which infuse the warm water with a delicious scent after you rub it into your skin.

The Hydropath concludes with a lounge area facing the ocean. I sipped herbal tea from a plush chaise and watched an eagle circle above the water with the mountains in the distance.

After all that relaxing, I’d worked up quite an appetite.

Michelin-trained chef brings delicious bites to seaside resort

The Kingfisher recently updated its menu under the guidance of chef Jonathan Macdonald. He began his restaurant career at age 11 when he lied about his age and applied for a job at the best restaurant in his hometown of Lincolnshire, England. He was allowed to sit out in the cold to puree tomatoes with a potato ricer.

“I think [they] thought I’d quit, but I kept going back,” Macdonald told Daily Hive. “I got to taste all these magical and beautiful foods I’d only ever dreamed of.”

Decades later, after his daughter moved to B.C., Macdonald applied to the Kingfisher to be closer to her.

“It broke my heart to keep leaving her,” he said.

He was brought on as executive chef and designed the menus of the resort’s three restaurants to reflect the stories of his travels around the world.

“I’m trying to bring a little international influence to The Kingfisher using as many local suppliers as I can with a modern approach,” he said. “Here in the Comox Valley are an amazing community of artisanal farmers and producers. My intention is to showcase mine and their passion.”

Ocean7 and AQUA Bistro and Wine Bar overlook the ocean, serving delicious plates whether you’re after something light before a spa treatment or a divine truffle pasta.

The third dining option is a private dome under the stars.

The sky-facing domes are wonderfully intimate, with great acoustics that make dinner conversations sound like expertly-produced podcasts. The domes have a separate set menu from the restaurants, and with a dinner price of $150 per person plus tax and gratuity, they make for a popular choice for special occasions. Brunch in the dome is more affordable, with an à la carte menu and a $30 rental fee for the group.

If you’re looking for a seaside getaway with excellent spa treatments and delicious food, the Kingfisher is an easy choice. Direct flights to Comox and frequent ferries into Nanaimo make getting there a breeze, and with everything you need right on the property, it’s a simple recipe for a rejuvenating trip. If you’re as much of an ocean aficionado as I am, this gem makes for the ideal weekend getaway.

Daily Hive was hosted by the Kingfisher Resort and Spa and Uniglobe Specialty Travel. 

You might also like:
• Floating spa on restored barge HAVN expanding to Vancouver
• Relax and refresh: Here are 8 of the best spas in Vancouver
• 4 unique Nordic spas and saunas to visit around Vancouver