Tofino Hostel / Whalers Guesthouse

Excellent hostel with great amenities. The kitchen is ample, there’s a pool table, lounge, reading room, and the views of the harbour are beautiful. There are a few inconveniences to be aware of. The kitchen is closed from 9:30 pm to 7 am, so don’t expect to do any late night snacking or early breakfasts because you can’t access your food. Also the front desk hours are very limited - 10am to noon and 5pm to 9pm, so if you need help outside of those hours you’d have to go hunt for someone. The dorm rooms are basic but fine. Mattresses good. Lockers are small. My biggest quibble is with the lumpy pillows. They’re in need of a refresh, so I definitely recommend you BYOP. Be aware that this is definitely a quiet hostel. The 10 pm quiet time is strictly enforced.

Jill R|5/5|just now on Google|Excellent experience staying at this hostel/guesthouse! It's exceptionally clean, the kitchen is well organized and has a great system for each guest to store food if they would like. The beds are comfy and guests really respect the quiet hours which made for a relaxing stay. I was a solo female and stayed in the co-ed 6 bed room (which i was nervous about when booking) but I had an amazing stay! The common bathrooms are really clean and lots of space in the shower stalls. Never had to wait for a shower to be available or a toliet or sink. The dining room has an amazing view of the tofino harbour/marina. The staff were so friendly and helpful and came to my rescue when I left a luggage bag behind. They assisted with making sure the bag was safe and Fed Ex picked it up fine. I will definitely be back very soon, and highly recommend this place. Best value accommodation in Tofino.

Really great hostel, well stocked kitchen and lovely communal areas. The bedrooms were clean and comfortable for our group of 8. Our complaint would be that you can’t check in till 5pm, then you’re expected to leave at 10am so you’re not really paying for a day, you’re paying for 17 hours. For that, the price is steep and it’s inconvenient. The kitchen is closed for quite a while during the day so it’s hard to make yourself lunch etc. so it’s inconvenient in that regard. Would stay again though, it had beautiful views and was comfortable

I had a fantastic stay at this hostel in Tofino! I’ve stayed at a few hostels over the years and this one is by far the best yet! The staff were extremely friendly and committed to their work of caretaking for the hostel. I complemented many staff members at how clean they keep the place. The amenities are great with a very large communal kitchen, including three stoves/ovens and an expansive counter space. They have a beautiful patio space (plus BBQ & kitchenette) and an indoor common space which looks out to a beautiful view. Finally, they also have strict quiet hours starting at 10pm to ensure everyone has a quiet night’s rest.

This was the most affordable option in Tofino. Had a private family room that overlooked the water. The room was as pictured. Beds were comfortable and linens were hotel quality. The location was amazing and walking distance to the main 'downtown' and grocery store. The communal kitchen was kept clean and very organized. Staff did a good job, weren't overly friendly. Booked surfing through them and got a discount. Would stay again.

We were there only one night, but we enjoyed the stay. Did not need the kitchen or BBQ area but we were blown away by the amount of highly organized refrigerator space, well equiped kitchen and how respectful residents were of each other. Our room was good, with comfy beds and bedding, but could use more outlets (what place can't? lol). Bathroom/shower rooms were clean, and the only improvement would be 2-3 more hooks and/or a shelf in each shower, and beside the sinks.

I've stayed here multiple times and would come back again. Friendly, social hostel, very clean, well equipped kitchen with a sensible layout, incredible views. Staff were friendly and responsive when I needed something. Minus a star for service because staff aren't available until 5pm and they need a better parking system. No one knew how parking gets assigned and there was nowhere to park nearby during a torrential downpour, so people took others' spots and there were some conflicts while we all stood in the lobby for 20 minutes waiting for staff to come on. It was a bumpy start but the rest was smooth sailing.

Very cool hostel. The important things for me (like charging port for cell phone and reading light on every bunk, lockers in the room) were given. Curtains would be nice to have a little privacy. Unfortunately I had a lady in the room with who was snoring, horrible. But besides that everything wonderful.

This was a beautiful hostel. Right on the water, the views from the rooms are not to be missed. Apparently it fill up during the summer but was fairly empty when my friends and I went in February. The staff were great and were very forthcoming when it came to telling us about the town. The place itself is huge. Giant kitchen. Great big lounge area. A great place for single travelers, families and everyone in between.

Just returned from my 5th stay at this hostel. It's wonderful! Big, clean, bright, safe, friendly. The sauna is a nice touch too, great for warming up after a long day on the water. Great location, gorgeous views, affordable price you can't beat it!

Great place! Very good location, by the ocean, big rooms, large kitchen and dinning area. Very clean. We had a private room with 4 beds and a bathroom. Love it!

Love this hostel. Clean. Excellent common area with fireplace and beautiful views. Well-appointed kitchen. And, after a cold day in the water surfing, they have a sauna to revive your core temperture.

Friendly, clean and fun. Great communal spaces (big living rooms, big kitchen). Staff keeps everything clean (which is a challenge with all those people using the same kitchen). Nice bathrooms and showers too. Internet is slow though.

Best hostel I ever stayed at. Amazing place. Great views, huge kitchen, great rooms. Tofino is magical on it's own... Always looking forward to going back.

I completed a 5.5 month road trip across the states and up into Vancouver Island in 2014. I stayed here for 10 days in February and fell in love with Tofino. I probably stayed at 30 hostels over the course of my travels and this one played an amazing part in a special way. It was relaxing, had clean beds/bathrooms/kitchen, and (even though Tofino is a small town) it was in a nice walkable area. It also had plenty of parking. The best part is in the photos. An incredible view of the bay/inlet where I sat and ate breakfast every morning with other travelers. I look forward to going back.

these guys are jerks. we showed up on a friday night and told them that two of the beds we reserved for weren't coming, and they said we needed to pay for their beds the whole weekend. the next day they had put two people in the lounge on mattresses instead of trying to sell the beds in our room, essentially double dipping. add to that the place is huge, impersonal and has waaay to many rules and a ridiculous 'quiet hour' policy. there are way better places to stay in tofino on the cheap.