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Restful and Serene ♦ Quiet Neighborhood ♦ Washer/Dryer

Lakefront holiday home in Nanaimo with a water park

Photo gallery for Restful and Serene ♦ Quiet Neighborhood ♦ Washer/Dryer

Living area
Living area
Living area
Room
Room

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 487.8 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Kitchen
  • Free WiFi
  • Mountain view

Explore the area

View map
Nanaimo, BC
  • Place, Vancouver Island University
    ‪15 min walk‬
  • Place, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Place, Departure Bay Ferry Terminal
    ‪6 min drive‬
  • Airport, Nanaimo, BC (ZNA-Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome)
    ‪4 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom

Main Bathroom

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Kitchen
Dining area

About this property

Restful and Serene ♦ Quiet Neighborhood ♦ Washer/Dryer

Poet's Retreat is an immaculate, fully updated, 2 bedroom oasis. It is fully furnished and supplied. All of this in an incredibly central location and beautiful neighbourhood - easy access to both highways, less than a 5-minute drive to restaurants and shops of the Old City Quarter, downtown, Nanaimo Harbourfront, VIU. The Aquatic and Ice Centres are under a 10-minute walk away.

As you step into the suite, you'll be greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere, with tasteful decor and natural light. The open living area is the perfect spot to unwind after a day of exploring the city, featuring comfortable seating and a flat-screen smart TV with Netflix and Amazon Prime for your entertainment.

The fully equipped kitchen boasts all the appliances and essentials you need to whip up delicious meals during your stay. Whether you're a culinary enthusiast or just looking to enjoy a home-cooked meal, you'll find everything you need right at your fingertips.

Both bedrooms are thoughtfully furnished with plush bedding and ample storage space to ensure a restful night's sleep. The serene ambiance of the garden outside adds to the tranquility of the space, providing a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Convenience is key, and Poet's Retreat comes equipped with laundry facilities, allowing you to keep your wardrobe fresh and clean throughout your stay. Additionally, guests have access to complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, ensuring you stay connected during your visit.

Located in a vibrant neighborhood, Hawthorne Heights you'll find parks, VIU, and attractions just steps away from your doorstep.
There's something for everyone to enjoy! For cyclists, we are located right on the Trans Canada Trail, and there is secure bike storage on site.

Whether you're visiting for business or pleasure, Poet's Retreat provides the perfect home away from home for your central Vancouver Island stay. We look forward to welcoming you!

Poet’s Retreat comfortably sleeps up to four guests. Base rate covers two adults; $25/night per extra adult.

Earlier check-in or later check-out is possible, depending on our bookings. Feel free to ask!

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
Mountain view
Parking available

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Stair-gate, crib, booster, toys. park nearby.
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Events

No events allowed
STRICTLY NO OUTSIDE GUESTS AT ANY TIME.
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Load and start the dishwasher
Gather used towels
Remove personal items and take out the rubbish
Turn off the lights and lock the doors
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
Quiet hours from 10PM to 8AM out of respect for neighbours.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Note from host: STRICTLY NO OUTSIDE GUESTS AT ANY TIME.
Long-term renters welcome
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
Property Registration Number 5033016, H451586630

About the area

Nanaimo

Located in Nanaimo, this holiday home is in the city centre and on a river. Departure Bay Ferry Terminal and Duke Point Ferry Terminal are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda. Travelling with kids? Consider Nanaimo Aquatic Centre and Brechin Lanes. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
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Map
Nanaimo, BC

What's nearby

  • Nanaimo Aquatic Centre - 14 min walk - 1.2 km
  • Vancouver Island University - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • Nanaimo Regional General Hospital - 4 min drive - 2.3 km
  • Departure Bay Ferry Terminal - 6 min drive - 3.3 km
  • Duke Point Ferry Terminal - 14 min drive - 21.0 km

Getting around

  • Nanaimo, BC (ZNA-Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome) - 9 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Drip Coffee | Social - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Off The Hook - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Tim Hortons - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Jalapenos - ‬20 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Restful and Serene ♦ Quiet Neighborhood ♦ Washer/Dryer pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Restful and Serene ♦ Quiet Neighborhood ♦ Washer/Dryer?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Restful and Serene ♦ Quiet Neighborhood ♦ Washer/Dryer?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Restful and Serene ♦ Quiet Neighborhood ♦ Washer/Dryer located?

This family-friendly Nanaimo holiday home is located by the sea, within a 15-minute walk of Nanaimo Aquatic Centre and Vancouver Island University. Departure Bay Ferry Terminal is 2.4 mi (3.9 km) away.

Reviews

10

Exceptional

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy
Rating 10 - Excellent. 42 out of 43 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 43 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 43 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 43 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 43 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Nicole L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Clean, great hosts and great location, and everything as advertised.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Gillian B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
What a wonderful place to stay! Jennifer and Howard were excellent hosts. We had a safe spot to keep our bikes, a great grill to use and easy parking in front of the house. Howard made sure we each had a Nanaimo bar in the frig waiting for us. What a special touch! Lots of towels and washer and dryer with soap provided. We highly recommend this stay!
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lisa S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

As advertised

Nice touches with labels to easily find things. Clear & concise instructions. Would definitely book again!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

emily b.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nanaimo getaway (Poet's Retreat)

It was an awesome vacation,we enjoyed our stay. It was so clean and organized and a friendly neighboring place to stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Karen P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Impeccable and well-equipped!

Lovely, modern, well-equipped, clean home in a safe, pretty neighborhood. The hosts are professional and warm, and very accommodating. The 6 minute drive to the waterfront and Port Theatre worked perfectly for us! Highly recommend this accommodation!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Linda M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet place to stay in Nanaimo

This unit is in a quiet residential neighborhood, close to a bird and turtle conservation area and a lake with a nice trail for walking. The hosts are very responsive and friendly. For my family of 3, it was a great fit. We had breakfast in the unit, were close enough to Victoria and the beaches and hiking areas further north. We would stay again next time we’re on Vancouver Island!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Melissa H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wow!

Our family of 4 stayed here for the weekend and had an amazing time. The suite is incredibly clean, comfortable and well appointed. We wouldn’t hesitate to stay again, and would totally recommend to anyone!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Dennis D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome Spot... Would Definitely Stay Again!

We had such a great stay here for the week! The place is on the lower floor of a couple’s house in a really quiet and beautiful neighborhood. It was super clean, well laid out, and had everything we needed. There was lots of parking, and the location couldn’t have been better... close to the highway, the ferry, and super easy to find, and central to get around. Getting in was simple with clear instructions, and the whole process was smooth from start to finish. Howard, the host, was awesome! He's really friendly and helpful anytime we needed something, but also gave us our space.Overall, just a really comfortable and easy stay. We’d definitely come back and highly recommend it to anyone heading this way!
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

David S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Pleas

Nice, calm environment, just a short drive to downtown Nanaimo. Walking distance to nature trail. Host above, but quiet and respectful. Attention to detail. Well-equiped kitchen (and we cook)! Very clean. Comfy KING-size bed. Highly recommended.David & Anita
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Melanie S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful home in a lovely neighbourhood

We enjoyed 2 weeks at this home in the summer with children. Everyone was comfortable and had a fantastic time. Spacious and clean and close to so many activities. Very friendly property managers. Highly recommended destination.
Stayed 13 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Katie Y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfort and cleanliness

This property was perfect for us. We have children under 3 and Lindsay set us up with everything we needed - baby gate, crib, children bowls and cutlery, highchair - it was so great to have all that set up when we arrived. The property is clean, comfortable, and very close to a playground for the kids to play and run around. We had a great stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Wayne H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family visit

Beautiful neighborhood and area. Excellent accommodations. Very clean and comfortable. Well equipped kitchen. I stayed with my 2 brothers for 4 nights and it worked out great. Would be excellent for couples or small families with kids. Our hosts we excellent! You won't get treated any better. I highly recommend this property. I will be telling my daughter and son in law to stay when they visit her father in law in Nanaimo.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Larry Y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect house for 4 adults

We booked this property for a 4 day bonspiel in Nanaimo. The pictures and description totally describe the house. It was well equipped with everything we needed to relax comfortably during our stay including some spices and condiments in the kitchen. The attention to detail within the house was evident and the hot tub was very relaxing between curling games. We met Lindsay and Jason at the Nanaimo Curling Club and they were super friendly. Highly recommend this house as it is in a newer, quiet neighborhood and close to downtown Nanaimo. Thanks so much for helping to make our stay relaxing and enjoyable! We will definitely come back next year.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Rob O.

Beautiful Home!!

After a long trip from Toronto, we came to this welcoming beautiful home with a warm personal note, Nanaimo bars, fresh flowers and comfy bathrobes. It was fully furnished with everything we needed and more! Even a beautiful view of Mt. Benson on the front balcony in a quiet neighbourhood. Could not ask for anything more. We were there for two weeks, it had all the appliance and untensils to cook (or BBQ) a full family meal. Lindsay our host was very responsive when we needed her, but I think we only had one or two questions. Everything is well organized and explained with instructions. Definitely recommend this place and will be back!
Stayed 14 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Katharine L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This property was excellent. Check in was easy, the unit was large and well stocked. We found the owners easy to connect with. The booklet/manual was full of useful information. Clean and quiet, it suited our needs very well. I highly recommended this unit.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ferdinand R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very nice apartment with good kitchen and well equipped. Parking in front of the house. Quiet neighborhood. Easy access to central Nanaimo 5 minutes by car or 30 minutes walking. The hosts have been very kind and helpful!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sabine H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Super schöne Unterkunft

Tolle Lage in einer ruhigen Wohngegend, man ist schnell mit dem Auto überall. Super Ausstattung: Gewürze, Kaffee/Tee, Shampoo/Conditioner/Duschgel/Handseife. Viele Kolibris im Garten.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Morgan R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place

Perfect for us.... clean everything we could possibly need and loved it
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brendan W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Space

This was a lovely place to stay. Neighborhood was nice and quiet. And perfect location that’s close to everything
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ana M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect！

Comfortable and convenient for all your needs.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Susanna W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautifully appointed apartment.

Poets Retreat is located in a lovely and walkable neighborhood with trails that lead to a sanctuary for native flora as well as striped turtles and birds. By car, it’s just minutes to the City Center’s shops and great restaurants or to several excellent parks with hiking trails The owners of Poets Retreat have provided a fully equipped kitchen, and the living room and bedrooms are spacious and comfortable. Howard and his wife are easy to contact if any unexpected issue arises. I highly recommend this lovely retreat. We had a wonderful stay.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Linda G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Our Summer Family Stay at Poets Retreat

We very much enjoyed our stay at Poets Retreat. The house was tastefully decorated, very clean, serene and quiet. We were greeted with a welcoming note, a bottle of wine and freshly cut flowers . The house instructions left for us were very clear. The beds were very comfortable and we had everything we needed to make our stay relaxed and pleasant including a booster chair and bucket of toys for when my grandkids dropped over for a visit. The first floor office was very useful for those of us who worked remotely. The house is located not far from all amenities , downtown, beautiful parks, a lake, and a lovely marsh where we would go for walks and blackberry picking.. Our hosts reached out to check in on us and were warm and responsive whenever we needed to communicate with them. I would not hesitate to stay at Poets Retreat again.
Stayed 30 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jaylem D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Stay for work trip

Stayed for 3 months on work assignment. Excellent place, was very clean and even better than what is seen on the photos. Lindsay was great, very easy to reach, and provided everything I needed/requested during my stay. Highly recommend, and I’d definitely stay again next time in Nanaimo.
Stayed 82 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Alex L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Thank you for your hospitality!

We can't describe how we were impressed by the property and property owners. The property was very clean, beds were very comfortable and we had a lot of towels. It is very cozy and relaxing place. Kitchen was well stocked, had everything we needed. The owners were very helpful, quick to respond and provided a lot of suggestion about the Nanaimo and surrounding areas. Location is perfect, and neighborhood is nice and quiet. We highly recommend this place!
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Luke S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

5 star stay, very clean and excellent place to relax

Really enjoyed our stay here felt like a home away from home. The place is really nice and great location. I went for walks daily in Buttertubs wildlife park which is just a short 5 min walk from here you'll see all kinds of wildlife. It's a very quiet neighborhood you can hear the birds and it's really peaceful. Lots of nice books about the island were also placed throughout and interesting reading which was very thoughtful. The place was exceptionally clean and everything was great on arrival the host has been superb and we felt well-taken care of. The hot tub is a great bonus and was nice when it cooled down. Neck Point and Pipers Lagoon are great places for an evening walk or to explore just a short 20 min drive away. Look forward to staying here again sometime
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

About the host

Hosted by Howard Anderson

Host profile image
After more than 24 years in the Vancouver area, we’ve happily settled into island life. When we’re not out walking, paddling, playing volleyball and racquet sports, or exploring new corners of Vancouver Island, you’ll probably find us relaxing in the garden or enjoying a good meal with family and friends.

We truly love Nanaimo and all it has to offer, and we’re excited to share some of our favorite places with you. We’ve put a lot of care into making Poet’s Retreat a cozy and welcoming space - we hope it adds something special to your time here. Enjoy your stay!

Why they chose this property

This neighbourhood is quaint and very quiet with beautiful Mount Benson views, close to Vancouver Island University, the Aquatic Center, and the Ice Center and surrounded by parklands. What's not to love? But if the great location isn't enough, Poet's Retreat has been designed with your comfort in mind. From the moment you walk in the door, you will notice the relaxing and soothing vibe of this suite and will love the beautiful furnishings and comfortable beds. It all adds up to a great and memorable vacation that you'll wish didn't have to end.

What makes this property unique

Poet’s Retreat stands out for its warm, homey feel and thoughtful touches that make traveling easy for everyone, including families. The suite is fully private and self-contained with its own entrance, kitchen, laundry, and peaceful vibe, perfect for relaxing after a day of exploring.

We’ve stocked the space with kid-friendly extras like books, games, children’s dishware, a pack-and-play, and a high chair to make little ones feel just as welcome as the adults.

Tucked in a quiet neighbourhood near nature trails, lakes, and parks, but still just minutes from downtown Nanaimo, VIU, and the ferries, it’s a great launch pad for your Vancouver Island adventure. And since we live on-site, we’re happy to offer local tips or help out, while giving you space to enjoy your stay.

Languages:

English, French, Italian, Spanish
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