we had a great time here- so patient with our dogs, lovely yard. Thank you for being great hosts!

It's a very nice ambience in the backyard with the lights and fire pit and the outdoor dining all on a patio nicely landscaped beautiful environment. Fully equipped kitchen with extras such as loads of spices and teas and coffees. A great home away from home.

Great experience! Sylvain the host is very nice. The suite is clean and cozy, the yard is beautiful. They have a dog Ruby, super friendly and cute. Perfect place to spend your weekend!

My husband and I decided we needed to get away for an anniversary celebration and wanted to take our dog. After hunting through listings, we found this place in the Shawnigan Lake area that had a fenced yard and welcomed dogs. We are so glad we found this location. It was perfect for us and our dog. We arrived to discover a "Happy Anniversary" banner over the little fireplace and some chocolates. So very kind! The apartment itself is on the lower floor of the house and is very well appointed. Everything one could want in the kitchen and the place was spotless. The outdoor seating area was really well laid out but we didn't use it due to the snow and hail. We could have put on the heaters, but we were quite cosy in the apartment itself. The backyard was ideal for our dog and she thought Ruby, the resident dog, was wonderful although I think Ruby wasn't as thrilled with the young, bouncy border collie. Once our dog understood that Ruby didn't want to wrestle, they happily coexisted. The location was great for us to do some hikes each day. Good access to the Kinsol Trestle, the Cobble Hill Mountain Regional Recreational Area and Old Baldy mountain. Also there were plenty of restaurants and vineyards to visit where we could celebrate our hikes and anniversary. All in all we had a wonderful stay and would enthusiastically recommend this listing to others.

We just needed a place to stay while we worked near by, the bonus was that our dog could be off leash in a fenced Yard. Ruby the golden doodle is the sweetest soul and she was so patient and understanding with our crazy dog. Overall a very good experience and a super cozy comfy place.

This property had everything we needed and a very sweet dog named ruby that greeted us at our coming and going. We had a great stay.

We had a great time! Sylvain, Karen, & Ruby were very welcoming & made us feel like we were part of their family while we were there. The accommodations were perfect- all that we could have possibly needed was provided! We will definitely stay here again when we come to this area!!

Fantastic hosts and an incredible property in a great location to explore the Cowichan Valley, you will want for nothing! From the very well equipped indoor spaces to an incredible outdoor pace, this place has it all! Our 2 dogs were very happy here - a huge yard and friendly Ruby to play with! We will be back! Highly recommend!

We had a great time. Wasp issues but that's everywhere. The Murphy bed was a challenge as our pillows were constantly falling behind the head of the bed. Really enjoyed the Bose stereo system and the beautiful outdoor setting. All in all a relaxing time with terrific amenities. I would definitely recommend staying here.

We had an absolutely wonderful stay and the space and Sylvain were extremely welcoming!

Highly recommend! Very clean, roomy and great outdoor space to enjoy. Had everything we needed and more.

This was the perfect place to stay for us as our daughter was getting married by the kinsol trestle. The patio was a beautiful place to relax in the evening. We like it so much that the groom, his dad and grandfather joined me, my son and grandson for our pre wedding photos of us getting ready. Very nice and accommodating owners.

It is a quiet home base while attending MISSA and doing a tour of island. Groceries, Victoria, Saanich, Parksville, Qualicum all in drivable distance. Had use of patio area, fire table, bbq. Kitchen has functional stove, large fridge and dishwasher with cookware, utensils and dishes provided. The lake access area and MISSA is a short drive away. The owners whose place is above the rental have a wonderful dog Ruby that would come visit from upstairs. There is also a cute cat that would come by. Even so it felt very private. Quiet time starts at 10pm which was quite alright with us as we were up early and in bed early. The speed limit is 50km on the roads but the locals drive around 80 or more. There are lots of people who walk and bike on shoulder of narrow roads so I didn’t feel comfortable driving too fast and would pull over to let the speed demons get on their way. All in all a friendly hosts and area.

Beautiful place, perfect location for hiking access. Excellent if you have a dog-social dog, as their dog Ruby shares the fabulous backyard. Lots of room for dogs to run and play. They even included a doggie water fountain! For the humans, super comfy beds, well appointed, really a nice place. We greatly enjoyed ourselves!

Super friendly host, lovely host dog Ruby who shared her beautiful garden and deck with us and our two furry family members.

My girlfriend and I stayed in Sylvain's basement suite for 8 nights in July 2022. It was a wonderful stay! The outdoor space with the lighting is lovely. Sylvain is a very attentive host who makes sure your every need is met. He was also very welcoming and friendly. The suite is very centrally located to everything that Shawnigan Lake has to offer. We loved the area and did many fun things! We highly recommend 1750 Ice Cream Shop in Shawnigan Village (homemade yummy ice cream!) We also went to the Malahat Skywalk (stunning views) and went down the slide (lots of fun & not too scary). There was also outdoor music festivals everyday and lots of floating in the lake. Sooke Potholes are about an hour drive away and Cowichan River for another float was a fun thing to do as well. The famous Kinsol Trestle is 5 mins down the road and another fun thing to explore. All in all, a very enjoyable stay and would highly recommend this property. Sheryn & Alexandra North Vancouver & Langley

The host was nice and the property was nice. The downside was that there were too many bugs inside the property: ants, fruit flies, black flies.

The host was nice and the property was nice. The downside was that there were too many bugs inside the property: ants, fruit flies, black flies.

Excellent!

The pictures of the deck sold me on this property. I'm a gardener so all the flower boxes and baskets appealed to me. The apartment was also well done, fully equipped kitchen, comfortable sitting area, king size bed and great laundry equipment. The host was very attentive and helpful.

We are from Oregon & this is our first visit to Vancouver Island. We had a week and wanted to look beyond Victoria. The Shawnigan Lake “west arm oasis” is an excellent, affordable, & dog-friendly vacation rental between Victoria and Cowichan valley. Sylvain is a very responsive host, even late at night when not at home. Ruby is a very friendly dog even to our not too friendly dog. The rental is better than pictures, the ceilings are normal (not low), and rooms are good size. The bed is very comfortable, medium soft, & true king size. Inside and out, there is much attention to detail, not just decor, but materials, lights, trim, etc. The electric fireplace is a really “hot” surprise! The rental has given us ideas to improve our own home. The “oasis” is the patio where Sylvain and Karen have made a large, beautiful and comfortable area to enjoy.

We are from Oregon & this is our first visit to Vancouver Island. We had a week and wanted to look beyond Victoria. The Shawnigan Lake “west arm oasis” is an excellent, affordable, & dog-friendly vacation rental between Victoria and Cowichan valley. Sylvain is a very responsive host, even late at night when not at home. Ruby is a very friendly dog even to our not too friendly dog. The rental is better than pictures, the ceilings are normal (not low), and rooms are good size. The bed is very comfortable, medium soft, & true king size. Inside and out, there is much attention to detail, not just decor, but materials, lights, trim, etc. The electric fireplace is a really “hot” surprise! The rental has given us ideas to improve our own home. The “oasis” is the patio where Sylvain and Karen have made a large, beautiful and comfortable area to enjoy.

It's a lovely place to stay - has everything you need. The friendly and helpful host is very open to suggestions and requests and responds immediately. It was a great place for our dog with a big safe backyard. We would definitely stay here again! ** and Ruby the dog requires a special comment - she's a lovely young dog who is friendly and gentle with people and pets.

We had a great stay at this suite! Very nice backyard for my dog to play with who got along well with Ruby!

We had a great stay at this suite! Very nice backyard for my dog to play with who got along well with Ruby!

Basically all you need is your slippers and a toothbrush! Very very nice place with everything you need plus more !

Our stay was wonderful. We enjoyed meeting Ruby (the owner's dog) outside every morning. If only we could have stayed longer, we would have loved too! It is so peaceful, and we loved the design of the place, with an outside patio. It offered a perfect location for a home away from the hussle and bussle of studies and work! It was a pleasure speaking with the host.

Our stay was wonderful. We enjoyed meeting Ruby (the owner's dog) outside every morning. If only we could have stayed longer, we would have loved too! It is so peaceful, and we loved the design of the place, with an outside patio. It offered a perfect location for a home away from the hussle and bussle of studies and work! It was a pleasure speaking with the host.

Beautifully renovated unit, well equipped. Private with a beautiful deck.

Beautifully renovated unit, well equipped. Private with a beautiful deck.

We stayed here for a couple nights and were impressed with how spacious, clean, and well appointed the suite was. The deck off the suite was lovely and the huge, enclosed yard was a dream for those travelling with a dog. The resident dog, Ruby, was super friendly and enjoyed saying hello to us and our dog. Check-in was simple and Sylvain checked in with us via messenger to ensure everything was to our satisfaction, which it was. Thank you for a lovely stay!

We had a very enjoyable stay: the hosts were exceptionally responsive and helpful, answering all of our questions promptly and thoroughly; the suite is very clean, well-appointed and comfortable; the deck and garden are beautiful; the location is great--lots to do in any season, although the deck would be just splendid in warm weather. It's a perfect spot to relax, and a nice area to explore.