This New Coastal Hotel Offers a Front-Row Seat to Nature’s Wildest Storms

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn’t it be something to stay there? We do, too—all the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

I always thought winter in British Columbia was just about chasing pow in the mountains. But on the far west coast of Vancouver Island, storm watching is a thing people travel to experience. And The Nami Project in the village of Ucluelet (pronounced “you-CLUE-let”) is the perfect place to embrace this particular Canadian pastime. The collection of eight modern self-catering suites and cabins, which opened in January, are nestled next to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, right on the ocean’s rugged coastline, giving guests a front-row seat for watching winter’s massive swells.

A dream destination for pluviophiles (rain lovers), this area averages 132 inches of precipitation a year, most of it coming down between October and March. I envisioned myself cozied up with a book in front of my room’s floor-to-ceiling windows or on the protected deck—but the incredible views were highly distracting. Instead, I ended up outside, immersed in the scenery. With the right gear, adventuring near the property’s lush surrounds this season is an absolute delight. Just be sure to pack what locals refer to as a West Coast tuxedo (a rain jacket).

A section of the five-mile Wild Pacific Trail lies steps from the Nami Project. Its canopy of colossal Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and 800-year-old red cedars creates a natural umbrella that kept me surprisingly dry on my hikes. This path hugs the coast, and during a storm, it provides epic views of waves as high as 20 feet lashing the rocks.

The 25-mile stretch of shoreline between Ucluelet and the more widely known Tofino, to the north, turns into a cold-water surf mecca in winter. Hardcore waveriders suit up in heavy-duty wetsuits (as much as six millimeters thick), hoodies, gloves, and booties to ride monsters at spots like Long Beach.

After I spent hours braving the elements, the Nami Project was even more inviting. Each room has heated floors, plus a private sauna and hot tub, and the oceanfront common area boasts a gas fireplace, two sunken cedar hot tubs, a cold-plunge tub, and lounge chairs set beneath outdoor heaters.

Adventure Intel

Ucluelet and Tofino can feel overrun by tourists in the peak summer months. In winter, though, you’ll have the trails and beaches to yourself. Warm layers and full rain gear and wellies are essential if you want to experience huge waves up close at popular storm-watching outposts like Cox Bay and Chesterman Beach. The deck of the Kwisitis Visitor Centre, within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve at the south end of Long Beach, overlooks the ocean and affords spectacular vistas. Always be mindful of the tide, which can rise fast, and don’t try to snap the perfect Instagram shot by standing on the slippery tidal rocks—it only takes one rogue wave to topple you into the icy, urchin-filled waters, and strong currents can quickly pull you out to sea.

Winter surf is reserved for experienced waveriders (if you’re a beginner, come back in summer). West Coast Shapes rents boards and can share intel about local breaks. For a slightly tamer scene, Florencia Beach in Ucluelet sees waves that aren’t affected by the tides and is protected from harsh northern winds.

If hiking is your preference, hit the Wild Pacific Trail, which has two main sections. Lighthouse Loop is an easy 1.9-mile path: walk it clockwise to see Amphitrite Lighthouse first, then continue through the mossy rainforest to the stunning headlands. Or wander the 3.1-mile out-and-back stretch from Big Beach to Rocky Bluffs, lined with gnarled old-growth trees, for something that feels straight out of FernGully. A local suggested I tack on the Ancient Cedars Loop, and I’m glad I took his advice. The extra half-mile winds through a grove of behemoth cedars, including one that measures more than 40 feet around its base.

In the drier months, rent wheels from Ukee Bikes and cruise the new 15.5-mile ʔapsčiik t̓ašii (pronounced ups-cheek ta-shee) pathway between Ucluelet and Tofino in the national park reserve. Or sign up for a Hello Nature Adventure Tours; the outfitter works closely with local First Nations members to develop its kayak and hiking trips. Itineraries range from two-and-a-half-hour paddles in Ucluelet Harbor—where you’re likely to encounter sea lions, otters, and eagles—to multiday kayak and glamping trips to the Broken Group Islands.

Choice Room

The Nami Project’s four suites and four cabins take their cues from the minimalist aesthetics of Japanese and Scandinavian design. Each feels like a private spa, thanks to a cedar sauna in the bathroom and an outdoor cedar hot tub crafted by local manufacturer Forest Cooperage on the deck. All accommodations have kitchens, living and dining areas, plus decks with forest and ocean views. I was treated to an aromatherapy session every time I opened a window or door and was hit with scents of sea spray and cedar.

My cabin, Arashi (the Japanese word for storm), felt as if it were suspended over the crashing waves. It affords guests the most expansive view of the coast, and its half-covered deck is perfect for stargazing and storm watching.

Eat and Drink

Because the Nami Project is a self-catering property—kitchenettes are equipped with a microwave, fridge, water kettle, French press, dishes, and cutlery—you can stock up at the Ucluelet Co-op Food Store or Blackberry Cove Marketplace (which also has a fantastic book selection). I was more interested in trying area fare, and fueled my adventures with breakfast sammys and pastries (don’t miss the cardamom knot) at the Break Café and Bistro, and a customizable bowl from Ukee Poke, located within the West Coast Shapes surf shop. I also splurged on the hyperlocal tasting menu at Pluvio, a husband-and-wife-run restaurant with just 24 seats.

When to Go

The Nami Project is open year-round, and there’s no bad month to come as long as you pack the right gear. Summer draws throngs of hikers, kayakers, anglers, and beginner surfers who benefit from sun and mellow waves. During the quieter fall months, the forest takes on red and golden hues and the swell picks up for annual local surf events like Queen of the Peak and the Women’s Canadian Surf Championships, both held in Cox Bay. Winter is when Mother Nature shows off her power, bringing huge waves for hardcore surfers and epic storms for spectators.

How to Get There

Like most wild places, Ucluelet takes some effort to reach. Fortunately, there are several options. You can fly into British Columbia’s pretty capital, Victoria, and drive four and a half hours through the rainforest along a windy road.

Or from Vancouver, the province’s largest city, hop the new and fast Hullo passenger ferry to Nanaimo in just 75 minutes, then rent a car and drive the last 110 miles to Ucluelet. Alternatively, rent your ride in Vancouver (often the cheaper option) and make the 1 hour 40 minute journey with your vehicle aboard BC Ferries to Nanaimo.

Finally, if you’re short on time or get carsick, you can take a 40-minute charter flight from Vancouver’s South Terminal to Tofino–Long Beach Airport, where you can rent a car and drive 15 minutes to The Nami Project.

Don’t Miss

Wood carvings, paintings, and screen prints made by First Nations artists are on sale at Cedar House Gallery, a space owned and operated by Nuu-chah-nulth artist Tlehpika Hjalmer Wenstob and his family.

And the gray whale migration from Baja California, Mexico, begins to arrive along the west coast of Vancouver Island in February and is celebrated each March during the weeklong Pacific Rim Whale Festival. A Whale Trail sign at Amphitrite Point along the Wild Pacific Trail marks a lookout for blows and breaches. Humpbacks come to feed May through September, and orca can be spotted year-round.

Details

To Book: NamiProject.ca

Price: Suites from $343 and cabins from $453

Address: 828 Odyssey Lane
Ucluelet, BC VOR 3AO, Canada

When it comes to board sports, Outside correspondent Jen Murphy still prefers snowboarding British Columbia’s legendary powder to surfing the coast’s icy winter waves. However, she is now a storm watching convert and considers her meal at Pluvio one of her top dining experiences of 2023.