the Artful Suite - boutique accommodation with handmade furnishings & art.

The moment you pull in the driveway you know it's a great spot. Everything looks well kept & organized, inviting & you literally pull up within 10 feet of your private entrance. It has a secluded feel, warm gardens, patio's and trees make it truly feel like your space. Norma greeted us with a friendly smile, showed us what we needed to know and made us feel like we could count on her for anything we could possible need. Oh yes, the fresh muffins were delicious. The suite was super clean, a nice living room with F/P & television. Lots of info on local activities. Down the hall to a nice little kitchen, with all you need, perfect for 2. The bedroom was comfy, lots of closet space, robes & slippers. (nice) The bathroom very clean, modern & just fine. The suite is very well decorated with a variety of art, paintings, woodwork, pottery & more, super nice. A big bonus is the location, a 5 minute walk to "Pipers Lagoon Park" & the ocean. We enjoyed it very much & would not hesitate to return.

Thanks, Norma & Robert

Garry & Arleen

Nice house on a quiet spot, far from the city noise but close enough to almost everything if you have a car. Our host was realy friendly, helpfull with lots of information and willingness to help us have a nice vacation. The suite was verry clean and well equiped, and the muffins Norma left for us on the kitchen table were fantastic. All six of them !

Lower level suite with convenient parking. Main drag for access.

Nice place run by nice people...who could ask for anything more

Norma and Bob Waddell's 'Artful Suite' is just that. It is a wonderful and spacious accommodation, with every comfort and convenience you could imagine or wish for. There was absolutely nothing wanting, including a well-stocked kitchen looking out over a garden (with complimentary cream, coffee and muesli), a cozy bedroom and its double bed, and a delightful living area with gorgeous West Coast art adorning the walls (my favorite was a pair of hummingbirds in flight) and beautifully worked wooden furniture. A treat for the eye as well as a lovely respite from the workaday world.

A former resident of Nanaimo and an avid birder, I chose the suite due to it proximity to Pipers Lagoon, which is a short stroll away. And this did not disappoint. With bracing mid-winter winds off the sea, it brought joy to my heart, as I saw such a variety of things that will soon be gone once spring sets in. A variety of sea ducks - harlequins, buffleheads, red-breasted mergansers and the occasional grebe or loon. There are also oystercatchers, sandpipers, and a resident eagle or two. A very large sea lion was roving around the shores on any day I chose to come there. After a leisurely amble along the spit (enclosing the lagoon and opening to the sea on its southern side), a hill of rocks forms a barrier to a small island. If you have the ambition (and shoes) to clamber over the basalt, you'll reach an island which harbours rare Garry Oak habitat. It is a treasure to which I return, time and time again, and made especially wonderful by topping off each hike with a warm cup of tea in the Waddell's inviting suite.

And, of course, all of this is a mere 10 to 15 minutes away from any Nanaimo destination - the downtown, nearby shopping malls, other nature spots and in the summer, any number of beaches and lakesides. I am so grateful to Norma and Bobb for all their thought and care which made for a truly a memorable stay that I hope to reprise.