This West Coast Island’s Hotel Zed Serves Up A Feast For The Senses
A small boutique hotel group on British Columbia's Vancouver Island sets a playful tone throughout its properties, especially in its restaurants. Here are a few reasons Hotel Zed deserves a hot date on your travel calendar.
Rebel Against the OrdinaryHotel Zed founder Mandy Farmer's family has been in the hospitality business for many years, notably as part of the management team for the budget-friendly chain called Accent Inns .
About a decade ago, she began cooking up a vision for something completely different. "I was looking for something to take me out of my regular world," said Farmer in a recent interview. When it comes to hotel rooms, that was a challenge. "There were all these beige, cookie cutter boxes, so I spent a lot of time seeking out places that were inspiring," Farmer said, naming the Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood as an early role model.
The whole Zed project truly got rolling with a couple of vintage vehicles. "Instead of the usual courtesy car, I thought why not put people in a vintage VW bus?"
Drift Feels Like The Hotel Of The Future, Putting Food Front And Center Full speed aheadWhile it took a while for her dream to become a reality, it was worth the wait to create something that feels part pop art installation, part comfy accommodations. The motto? "All the comforts of home... if your home was weird." No wonder Zed's motto is Rebel Against the Ordinary.
Here's a rundown on the amenities guests can expect when checking into the Tofino location :
At the Victoria property, guests can check out the sweet subterranean space off the lobby, designed to recreate the basement of Farmer's grandmother from the '70s. There's also an Airstream trailer that can be rented and a newly launched 1980s tribute room that harkens to the era when Garfield ruled. Yes, there's a cat-shaped rotary dial phones in that room.
But it's not just about goofing around. Farmer's vision is dedicated to anticipating what guests want and delivering. Take the in-room coffee service, for instance. There are no pods, but rather a French press and custom-made ceramic mugs rather than single-use paper cups. Yes, please, more of that.
The engaging concept pushed forward by Hotel Zed picked up speed from the get-go and Farmer gives a huge chunk of the credit to the loyal team. "Our mission is to take amazing care of the staff," she said. And the solid retention numbers are proof that approach is working. "There are no scripts, no uniforms. We just want the staff to bring their awesome selves to work. I mean wouldn't it be great if people showed up for work and really loved their jobs? That's what we're trying to do."
Fall Is Prime Time To Visit Tofino, One Of Canada's Coolest Surf Towns Connecting through foodThe restaurants at both Van Isle venues carry on the clever approach by delivering food that comes off as fun, not fussy. At Roar in Tofino, that means a beautiful "seacuterie" board accompanied by fermented hot sauce, as well as a drool-worthy brunch poutine that takes the Canadian classic in a new direction with charcoal-roasted potatoes and cheese curds smothered in a brown butter hollandaise. There's also the aptly named apres surf happy hour with deeply discounted drinks.
Victoria's Zed shines a light on The Ruby , which is run by a couple of server-turned-restaurateurs who enjoys a long relationship with hotel management. Calling The Ruby a gem in the brunch game would be an understatement as the kitchen skillfully delivers on a creative cast of bennies including a version featuring Ruby's sister restaurant's barbecued pulled pork. There's also a must-try pasta-focused version called the arancini bennie. The best kind of carbo-loading.
Oh, and that very cool sound system? It's 100 percent vinyl spinning at this place.
No shocker, there's usually a line out the door at The Ruby, especially on weekends.
What's next?Looking down the road, Farmer would like to see the number of Hotel Zed properties grow. But when that happens, she's adamant about maintaining the chill vibe and the fun atmosphere that makes this such a special place. Does the possible expansion mean we might someday see Hotel Zed locations in the U.S.? "I'd love that," Farmer said.
