Best Western Dorchester Hotel

Hotel

Was an excellent stay so far, restaurant and the ladies working there are excellent, food is awesome and really well done. Front desk staff were awesome. Even my dog loves the place.

Good value for the money. Beautiful view. Bright rooms. Nothing too fancy, but just right. Restaurants downstairs are both amazing.

We booked a family room for 5 people, and two dogs. We got to our hotel room around 12AM, and found a used condom on the floor while we were eating. Front desk picked it up after we complained, and sent us to a new room. Our new room only had ONE bed, so we called front desk AGAIN, and finally got moved to another family room. On our way through the terrible dingy hallways, we went up the stairs to our new room and there was boards on the floor with nails sticking out of them, waiting for someone to step on them. Although the lobby looks very nice, don’t let it fool you. Front desk was very understanding, I feel sorry she has to deal with this.

I will never stay at this hotel again. From being checked into a room that wasn’t ready yet to navigating around piles of dirty linen blocking the hallway to haunting, I swear this place is haunted. I had the worst and weirdest night there ever. Plus the rooms are absolutely tiny. Oh then when I had a shower in the morning there was a wet, used facecloth in the shower. Maybe Casper had a shower at some point between the haunting. I will go to the restaurant in this hotel, what a great mom and pop style restaurant with absolutely delicious food and good prices.

Drew was fantastic! Took such great care of us! Room was nice and clean. Comfy bed, heat lamp in washroom, and a spectacular view of the harbor.

This hotel is ideally located right downtown and offers free surface lot parking. Both great amenities. The hotel is quite old, so the rooms are small, the one elevator is small, there is no bell service to help with luggage, but they do a very good job with what they have. The bathroom was outdated and was not clean. There was grunge on the top of the baseboards in the bathroom and the cabinet doors had not been cleaned in a long time, but the room itself was clean enough. The lobby and restaurant are the best thing about it and have been updated, the rest of the hotel is old. The windows let in quite a bit of noise, so take ear plugs.

The hotel has a nice location in downtown Nanaimo. Parking is tight and limited, especially for any truck or larger vehicle. When booking the room through Best Western, we were not made aware of a $30 per pet per night charge, but were forced to pay this at the front desk when checking in. The room was very small but comfortable. Noise level was very loud until about 2AM, as the room was located on the first floor near the lobby. Would not recommend. There are much better value hotels in Nanaimo.

My family has been coming to Nanaimo from Alberta for 10 years every summer an we always seem to stay here. Very clean, staff is friendly & it’s located in such a great place close to the harbour an little shops. It’s very much a home away from home.

The rooms were good as I believe they went under renovation. The lobby was clean and was also renovated. The hallways were a bit dated but they might be working on renovating that next. All in all, it was a pretty standard hotel.

We stayed for two nights and were very satisfied. The rooms are clean and we found everything we need. The staff at the reception is very friendly and committed — Eli did an excellent job — thank you!

Great location! Comfortable room! Super staff and service! Appreciated guest laundry… maybe install a couple of more machines. Wi-Fi went out for over 12 hours… would have been nice to be offered some reward points for inconvenience of having to leave site to do work internet. Overall, would definitely stay here again.

Hotel room was a good size. Beautiful view! nice to open the windows. Good location, close to the theatre and cute gift shops. Nice lobby with water feature. Free parking.

Stayed overnight for work. Everything was professional and quick for check in. The hotel is older which is not really my preference. The design is also quite dated. The bed was comfortable and everything was clean.

Basic accomodations. Tiny rooms but they are clean and comfy. People with mobility issues should be aware that there are lot of little stairs on each floor. Even if you use the elevator, one you get off there are steps up and down in the hallways. Parking is tight but free.

I've always been happy with this hotel but was quite thrilled to get the updated suite (membership really does have its awards! Nice location in the middle of town and I really love the open patio on the second floor. Great view of the harbor, good beds and beautiful clan rooms. Very good value!

Lovely harbour view. Great access to downtown restaurants and the walkway along the harbour. Clean room with no carpet — laminate floors. As this is a downtown location, parking isn't super convenient and is not in a secure lot.

Fine place to sleep. Nothing fancy. Great service and great location downtown, on the harbor.

Older building decently re done, clean with nice staff. I prefer the coast across the street but this hotel is cheaper and does the job for the price.

Went for a professional tourism seminar. Refreshments were restocked throughout the day and were quite tasty. The screen for the projector was a bit small for the size of room but otherwise the facilities were sufficient.

Rooms are ok, would do well with an update. The lobby is nice. Parking is outside lots that were full. I would stay here again when the coast bastion is full.

The room was small but it was nice and comfortable. I really enjoyed the rooftop patio. The location is wonderful, right on the water, downtown, plenty of shops around. I found it odd that the room didn't have a microwave, you had to go to the 3rd floor to use one (in the laundry room…). In the middle of the night a loud high pitched beeping happened but I managed to fall back asleep. In the morning I awoke to no hot water which was a huge disappointment but I understand that things break down. I was there for a conference and they did a pretty terrible job with keeping our room stocked with water and coffee. On the second day they blamed it on having every conference room booked so our group got shafted because… I guess someone had to be? They didn't have enough water pitchers or cups. I say, go buy more! This is your business. Do it right or don't it at all. Be prepared. I wouldn't book this place for a conference if I had the choice.

The hotel is nice and central with good spots to eat just out the door. Staff were professional, The room was Typical best western standards, but the view was great, overlooking the harbour.

Rooms and hallways really need to be updated. Hallways smelled musty. Rooms were clean. Beds were comfortable. Go out to eat.

First of all, when I booked with the agent at their central reservations I asked specifically if there was a pet fee for the room and was told there was not. Upon checking in I was informed there would be a $25 pet fee after explaining I had been told over the phone there was none. The front desk agent Drew was understanding but said there was nothing he could do. Had I known about the fee I would not have stayed at the hotel and gone somewhere less expensive. The room I stayed in smelled like a seniors home and was stuffy. I had to leave the window open while I went out for dinner to not be overwhelmed with the odor. When I went to take a bath after checking in I found both short and long hairs in the bath tub, and on the towels folded on the rack. Disgusting. At about 615am I heard a loud rattling akin to the sound of glass on glass, I thought at first maybe it was an earthquake shaking the windows but it sounded like it was coming from the plumbing above my suite. I was not satisfied with this experience and will not be staying at this hotel again. For almost $200 for one night I expect to have a clean room that smells fresh and not be woken up by maintenance issues. The only positive of this experience was the front of house staff who were polite and pleasant to deal with. They were accommodating to give me a late check-out of noon so I could leave my dog in the room while at a business meeting.

The single room was small and noisy. I don’t think there were a lot of guests but I was in a room where I could here the couple in the next room as I believe their bed was on the other side of the wall! The staff were very friendly though!

Overall the stay was okay. Room was very small, but well done and renovated. My husband and I called the desk before we went to bed to see about turning on the AC. The front desk person said just to press “fan” on the remote, which didn’t work. The AC just kept beeping and it was quite loud so we gave up on trying to press buttons to get it to turn on as we didn’t want to annoy the people in the rooms around us. We called once more to the desk to see if there was anything else we could do, and no answer at the desk. There was also a couple of long hairs in the bathroom on the ceiling of all places and dust tapering down from the roof. View was of another room across from us. My husband and I felt like we paid enough that our room was a disappointment.

Spent one night. This is a beautiful hotel. Nice accomodation, newly renovated. Great price point and good amenities. Highly recommended.

Would be five stars if I'd have been staying overnight, but my experience was a wonderfully quiet and beautiful wedding and reception for my grandmother. What I can say was that the food was 5 star for certain, and the atmosphere and interior decorating were spectacular. 'A' grade.

Lovely hotel with harbour view from restaurant. Friendly staff. Complimentary coffee in lobby. Updated and comfortable. Walking to quaint shops and restaurants.

Saturday is made for sleeping in with your other half. The good half… But good luck with that at the Dorchester. Between the Fog Horns, ghosts and goblins on the roof, and the BC ferries horn every minute from 7am on, makes for a bunk stay… Just saying.

My fiance and I stayed in this lovely hotel for one night. I must say we were both blown away with the attitude and professionalism of the receptionist, Eli. This young gentleman exceeded our expectation in anyway and made us feel very special. People like this deserve the best in this world. Stay awesome Eli!

Yes the room was quite cozy (very small) but since we were only going to be sleeping in there it was a non-issue. The staff was great, friendly and helpful. Eli was amazing and one of the reasons I would definitely come back. I highly recommend the granola, fruit & yogurt breakfast in the restaurant.

Last minute reservation. Nice room. Quiet with a comfortable bed. Parking is pretty limited, so you may have a long walk. The staff was helpful and attentive.

Great hotel with easy walking access to the Nanaimo sea walk and downtown. Excellent staff and amenities. I will stay here again on my next trip.

Lovely hotel, centrally located near downtown/shops/ oceanfront. Rooms are large, yet slightly dated, but charming. Would stay here again.

Clean well appointed room with a great harbor view. Central to the downtown core and waterfront. Expect a very soft bed so ask if they have any firm if you need it. We didn't. My fault but back paid the price. The restaurant and small lounge are not open for very long but there are a lot of other places close so it wasn't really that big a deal. Overall very decent value for the cost. I would actually have given it 3 and a half stars but can't figure out how on the review.

It was nice and clean but my single room was a bit small. As there was only me it was ok. Breakfast buffet was very small only French Toast, bacon and a bowl of chopped fruit.

Been at a several day conference. This hotel is to of the best hotel. They offer great support for our conference. Clean and bring pretty. Fantastic location. A 10 min walk during breaks is a fantastic change to a seawall experience that clears put your head. Amazing in all aspects. A+

Lovely clean hotel, comfy bed, quick check in and nice view of the ocean from nearly all rooms. It's also close to the Lighthouse restaurant and other eateries, as well as near to the float plane terminals. We stayed there with a 3 month old and staff were very helpful and accommodating. I would recommend it!

Nice, clean hotel. Great location. Good price. However, parking lot was full by the time of my arrival. Parked in a city run lot a block or two away.

I have stayed overnight. It is pretty good hotel. It is located in a quiet place and you could sleep with the open window. Be aware that the electricity in the bathroom will be turned off with the light. Therefore, do not try to charge your gadgets in the bathroom — you will be disappointed at morning.

The room was very nice, very clean. Lots of space. We had to use the sofa bed, which was expectedly uncomfortable, but the children did not complain and had a good night's rest. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating was because of an awful fishy odor in the hallway, perhaps from another room. Aside from that, I would definitely recommend this place. It is the best Best Western hotel that I've stayed in.

Very nice 3 star hotel. Great location and within walking distance of restaurants, pubs, and coffee shops. Only complaint would be the room was a bit small. The bed was nice and the room had very nice furnishings.

The staff were very respectful and accommodating. We had some young friends who had special diet restrictions and the serving staff were magnificent and caring. It made our little heroes feel safe when they were thousands of miles from home.

The room and the staff are very good. The only issue is that close parking for the Hotel is a little bit of an issue because of the limited space but the Hotel has arrangements with an indoor parking place about 1/2 block away. Overall this is a good place to stay with their own private outdoor lounge area for the smoking crowd. Well done.

The premises were great for the function we were at. Everything is very high class, and the building is old but very majestic. Most things are updated and well kept. Service and setting were great. I hope we'll be coming back, my association makes that decision.

I booked this hotel online and walked in a few minutes later. The man at the front could not have been more welcoming and efficient. The location is great, restaurants within walking distance. Room was clean and comfortable. This was the first time I have stayed here, and will return for sure. The parking being a bit away from the hotel was the only critique I had, but it was free, so does not negate a stay. Highly recommended.

We had a nice evening, was disappointed in the meal we had fish was over cooked and My Teriyaki Chicken burger only had a dot of sauce on it, but the waitress was very nice and did ask if all was ok and as we where on a time frame we did not say anything so part our own fault.
The bed was very comfortable, staff great and rooms very clean.

Friendly staff, nice room, had an excellent dinner. Complimentary access to a laundry room.

Everything you can expect from best Western. Except no breakfast included. The laudry dispenser was empty. Hallway on the second floor smell like cigar.

WE had a great Valentines weekend stay for our anniversary. Nice clean rooms had the big huge suite. The only thing I was not too happy with was the restaurant downstairs in the hotel. I do not really eat breakfast foods, like pancakes, waffles, or bacon and eggs. All I wanted was a club house sandwich. Well they could not make that so our server said she could at least have the chef make me a toasted tomato sandwich. So thats was nice. However when the bill came. They charged us for a full breakfast sandwich plate which should have had eggs, bacon, ham, and eggs on it with a full side of hash browns. $13.50 for two pieces of dry toast no mayo no nothing and a cpl slices of tomato? really?. Felt ripped off. Wished I had waited and gone to subway like I had planned once hubbie ate his grease fill.

Nicely renoed lobby, great service in the restaurant, friendly staff. The shower didn't drain… didn't like that too much.

Pet friendly rooms are not very clean, my dog kept finding and eating crap off the floor. TV'S are outdated and have input functions blocked so you can use your own gaming device. Costs $25 a day for a 6lb. Chihuahua to stay. Clerk at front desk was not very friendly and laughed at and was told no repeadedly when I asked if there was any upgraded rooms I could pay to change to. My three week work stay will only be 4 days at this hotel.

Started reservation from Christmas till Dec 27th. Liked the location and the pleasant front desk. Concerned that dusts are spreading everywhere in the room — on the kettle, on the floor, even on the sheet. Once I've seen the big clusters accidently under the bed. Indeed disgusted me. Won't recommend staying at here — since that people dislike dusts on theirselves.

Wow… If only we had spent another twenty bucks when we booked. Because we booked in after 7 we got the smallest room they had, view of a wall. Could have got a bigger room at the local hostel. The one star is for the nice employee who checked us in promising they will upgrade us on our next trip. There will never be a next time at the Dorchester Inn. Bastion will be the only option in the future… Totally ruined what was to be a romantic getaway (hard to be romantic when you can't walk around each other going past the bed). Travellers be warned they will charge you regular hotel prices for a glorified linen closet.

Awesome Large Nanaimo Location.

Awesome Nanaimo Location.

Review based on a one week stay Nov 2014 : staff : friendly and willing to help and answer any of your questions regarding the area. Reception : open 24/7 unlike what their website indicate. Place : clean and well maintained so I don't know what people were complaining about. Room : got a room with queen size bed. Room was clean when I got there and room service is in the call all the time. Room has tv, mini fridge, AC, heat and iron. Location : great location and close to many rest. And bar that you can walk to. Parking : they have 2 parking area and I haven't had any problem finding a space so far. Overall : I'd stay at this place again if I ever to visit Nanaimo. Would definitely recommend it.

Okay; b-rfast a little soggy.

Service atrocious, bedbugs in phone Booth sized rooms and SMELLY! When I complained to Paul Tilroe, the General Manager, he basically told me to get lost. Just terrible.

No idea what the other reviewers are complaining about — it was fine. Excellent location, clean well furnished rooms, and friendly service.