Dalvay-by-the-Sea

I stayed at the hotel for a week in the summer of 2001, and to this day it remains my favorite. I was a young, solo traveller, and while Dalvay skews towards families and older couples, I felt very much a part of things right away. Within an hour of my arrival, I was already drinking a glass of wine on the beautiful wrap-around porch. The atmosphere is incredibly laid back, with various nooks and crannies to explore. I would compare the Inn to one of the Grand Lodges in the US national parks. Lots of dark wood and rugs.

The best part? Breakfast and dinner are both included in your room price and man, can they cook here. The breakfasts are huge and with a small lunch, enough to satisfy until the dinner hour. As for dinner, well I'm sure everyone says to try the Sticky Date Toffee pudding and they're all right. Heaven! I would also encourage a liberal sampling of the island's seafood at dinner. They usually offer some variation on mussels, as well as oysters as first course options. For the main entree, if I remember correctly, there's usually salmon, fish of the day and local lobsters to choose from . Then there's dessert, which offers the pudding along with a few other dishes. On top of all this, the hotel offers a superb traditional afternoon tea for around $15 US. I was dining alone and they still brought me enough scones, pastries and sandwiches to feed a small army.

The hotel is also located directly across the street from a beautiful but often unocuppied beach. The hotel offers information on many activities both within the park (nature walks, stargazing, etc...) and outside it (lobster suppers etc..).

Finally, not far from the hotel (just outside the park entrance) is a WONDERFUL drive-in movie theater. A can't miss experience. There's a great snack shack on the premises.

Second and third floor are best. First floor rooms appeared to look into the back area. If you have a large group or family, look into renting one of the cabins.

Dalvay's a can't miss!

Unique Quality: Proximity to beach, amazing views of the ocean from most rooms, unbeatable food, free access to boats, bikes, games, books from their library and much more!