- Story by Susan Lundy

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on

Charles McDiarmid loves to tell a good story, and he鈥檚 relishing this one.

As the managing director and co-owner of the , he is recalling his quest back in the 鈥�80s to build a prestigious Relais & Ch芒teaux hotel on an outcropping of rocks owned by his family in Tofino.

He tells the story with the same exuberance and charm exhibited while showing me around me around his beautifully appointed inn 鈥� an exquisite destination hotel and restaurant on the edge of Vancouver Island鈥檚 wild west coast.

In British Columbia we are blessed to have five Relais & Ch芒teaux properties, and I set out this summer to experience two of them. And while the Wickaninnish and the Wedgewood may seem polar opposite in experience 鈥� one built in remote and the other sumptuously revealed in a grand downtown building 鈥� they meet in their expression of the Relais & Ch芒teaux鈥檚 鈥渇ive Cs鈥� of charm, courtesy, character, cuisine and calm.

Founded in France in 1954, Relais & Ch芒teaux represents the highest benchmark in hotel accommodations and fine dining, and includes a worldwide group of more than 540 privately owned hotels and restaurants. Each must pass an anonymous review process every two years in order to maintain the designation. The concept grew from the vacationing traditions of upper-class French society, who travelled to a variety of 鈥渞elais鈥� (lodges) and 鈥渃h芒teaux鈥� (castles) which, while different in architecture, scenery and cuisine, presented consistently high standards.

Years ago, when Charles was learning the ins and outs of the hotel industry working at the Four Seasons, most hotels were structured to serve the business traveller. However, over the years Charles heard a consistent theme: visiting businessmen would say, 鈥淲hen my wife and I want to get away, we go to a Relais & Ch芒teaux.鈥�

Charles began exploring these boutique hotels, noting they were all small, family-owned and highly regarded.

鈥淭hat became my goal,鈥� says Charles, whose family dreamed of constructing a hotel on their land that hugs Tofino鈥檚 Chesterman Beach. 鈥淚n my mind, that鈥檚 what we wanted to be鈥� that was the pinnacle.鈥�

The goal to build a Relais & Ch芒teaux hotel in Tofino began to take shape, but before Charles could set planning in motion, he wanted design standards for the prestigious association.

鈥淚 wondered things like 鈥� do we need to install a bidet in every bathroom?鈥�

So he started making phone calls, and over the next two years, tried to obtain a set of Relais & Ch芒teaux standards by calling myriad people in cities all over the world, leaving messages, sometimes phoning in the middle of the night to accommodate differing time zones. Charles finally got his answer from a heavily-accented woman in France 鈥� and he laughed for two days afterwards.

鈥淗ow do you become a Relais & Ch芒teaux hotel?鈥� he asked.

鈥淲ell, monsieur 鈥� either you are or you鈥檙e not.鈥�

Today the standards for Relais & Ch芒teaux are a little more exacting, says Charles, adding, 鈥淚鈥檝e gone out and looked at others and discovered each is eclectic 鈥� Each property is its own unique experience.鈥�

He says: 鈥淚t strikes a chord these days. Travellers want to feel that a place respects its location. It鈥檚 an experience of the destination 鈥� not an imposing of it.鈥�

Charles, who wanted to 鈥渄ance on the table鈥� when the Wickaninnish received its designation soon after opening 1996, adds, 鈥淭o me it is the pinnacle of my dream to be welcomed into the family of Relais & Ch芒teaux.鈥�

As I stood at the window of my room at the Wickaninnish, looking out over the length of sand and pounding surf that is Chesterman Beach, I thought, 鈥淪peaking of pinnacles 鈥� this is my dream vacation.鈥� True to its honouring of the 鈥渄estination,鈥� the Wickaninnish is a celebration of West Coast art and culture. Every single detail 鈥� from the exquisite yellow cedar table in the brand new wine cellar and tasting room to the remote-controlled curtain above the bathtub in my room 鈥� speaks to extraordinary thoughtfulness and sumptuous luxury.

Cuisine at The Pointe Restaurant is nothing short of miraculous, with the same care and attention to detail going into every dish, served in a spectacular, ocean-edged, art-infused room with floor-to-ceiling windows. This is the wild West Coast at its very finest.

In a seemingly different experience, the Wedgewood unfolds as a luxurious oasis in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Greeted at the entrance by sharply dressed valets, visitors step off of Hornby Street and enter a lavish-yet-cosy, chandelier-lit lobby that oozes with rich colours and provides a stark contrast between inside and out.

Everything from the golden-hued antiques and stately furniture to the artwork on the walls in our expansive king suite and the fine china (Wedgewood Fine Bone China!) in the stunning Bacchus restaurant gently evokes a sense of 鈥済rand English manor.鈥�

The has been a member of Relais & Ch芒teaux since 2008, and general manager Glenn Eleiter says the designation 鈥渆nsures our clients will experience something wonderful when they walk through our doors. It is confidence-inspiring for guests and staff alike.鈥�

Indeed, as my husband and I sat on the private balcony of our suite, sipping glasses of ros茅 and enjoying the sights and soothing sounds of a park and water feature below, the experience is definitely wonderful. While the Wedgewood easily expresses all of the Relais & Ch芒teaux five Cs, we were almost speechless at the level of service (courtesy) provided by the staff. Every need was met, often before we knew we needed it.

Glenn concurs. Of the five Cs, he says, 鈥淭hey are all important and it is difficult to place one ahead of another, but we receive accolades from our clients for our warm, authentic welcome and the attentiveness that we provide at every encounter, so 鈥榗ourtesy鈥� is one of our strengths.鈥�

He adds, 鈥淏ut, I [also have to mention] the cuisine in Bacchus that our Executive Chef Montgomery Lau prepares with his culinary team 鈥� we are a culinary-forward hotel with Bacchus being at the very heart of the property.鈥�

Our two meals at Bacchus 鈥� dinner and breakfast 鈥� were simply spectacular.

The restaurant/lounge at Bacchus is rich and romantic with antique furniture, warm, dark cherry wood and Murano crystal fixtures. A large painting of Bacchus, the Greek god of wine and revelry, presides over the lounge.

The night we dined there, the large, street-facing windows were open to the warm night air and a pianist gently set a backdrop of familiar tunes. We supped on a range of delicately presented seafood, sampling poached steelhead salmon, halibut, pan-roasted scallops and lobster linguine, and sipped sparkling ros茅 and later a Ch芒teaux La Gorce from the restaurant鈥檚 superb Bordeaux selection.

And like the Wickaninnish, the Wedgewood is family owned and operated, with the daughter of founder Eleni Skalbania 鈥� Elpie Marinakis Jackson 鈥� currently the co-owner and managing director.

Eleni Skalbania founded the Wedgewood in 1984, when she purchased and re-worked an old apartment hotel, transforming it into its current glory.

鈥淲e strike the perfect balance between world-class amenities and product with sincere and caring people providing personal service at the highest of levels,鈥� says Glenn.

Indeed, my experience sampling just two of BC鈥檚 has me fired up to check out the others.