Madrona Beach Resort

I love the Madrona's location, and the off-season price is budget-friendly. But the room we stayed in this April was very unclean. There was dust on every surface, greasy handprints on the wall, dirty light switches and a dirty range hood and kitchen garbage can. The shower curtain looked dirty and worn, and there was debris under the bed. I had to clean the room before I felt comfortable staying there. I told the office about all this at checkout. They said they'd pass it along to the head of housekeeping, but I've heard nothing since.

Our room was upstairs, just a few steps from the beach, and there was a nice grassy outdoor area for the kids to play and for barbecues. Everything was clean and comfortable, and the staff were very friendly. We love the location. It's become our gateway tradition every year.

The setting is gorgeous and the nights are really quiet, with lovely views to the east. Parksville beach is wonderful for walking, especially at low tide when it stretches out so far. We stayed three nights in one of the "Ridge" units and really enjoyed it. It was spotless, fully renovated in the past few years, and had very comfortable beds and a full modern kitchen. The staff were fine, though we barely interacted because of the virus safety protocols, which we were fine with. We'd stay again, and the nightly price felt well worth it.

The views are great, and the off-season price isn't too bad considering. But I keep finding pubes somewhere when I visit. The first time it was in the shower, this time in the bed sheets. The sheets had been washed, but it was still gross to see. Good thing I bring backup sheets.