room attendant

ambassador

sous chef

reservation agent

guest service agent

The Wickaninnish Inn

A Typical Day at Work: A typical day at the Wickaninnish Inn involves meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that every room meets the highest standards of cleanliness and comfort. From the moment I arrive, I am engaged in a range of tasks from preparing rooms to assisting guests with any special requests, all while maintaining a warm and welcoming atmosphere.What I Believe I Learned: During my tenure at the Wickaninnish Inn, I have learned the importance of consistency and excellence in hospitality. I developed strong organizational skills and a keen eye for detail. Additionally, I gained valuable experience in time management and multitasking, which are essential in a fast-paced hotel environment.Management: The management at the Wickaninnish Inn is exemplary. The leaders are supportive, approachable, and always open to feedback. They foster a positive work environment where every team member feels valued and motivated. Their guidance and support have been instrumental in my professional growth.Workplace Culture: The workplace culture at the Wickaninnish Inn is one of collaboration, respect, and excellence. There is a strong sense of camaraderie among team members, and everyone is dedicated to providing the best possible experience for our guests. The Inn’s commitment to high standards and sustainability is reflected in the daily operations and instills a sense of pride in the team.The Hardest Part of the Job: The hardest part of the job is managing the high expectations of guests while ensuring that every detail is perfect. During peak seasons, the workload can be demanding, requiring efficiency and resilience. However, the support from colleagues and management makes even the most challenging days manageable.The Most Enjoyable Part of the Job: The most enjoyable part of the job is the satisfaction of knowing that my efforts contribute to the memorable experiences of our guests. Receiving positive feedback from guests and knowing that I played a part in their enjoyable stay is incredibly rewarding. Additionally, working in such a beautiful and serene location as the Wickaninnish Inn is a privilege that I deeply appreciate.Overall, my experience at the Wickaninnish Inn has been incredibly fulfilling, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such a dedicated and inspiring team.

The first impression I had while interviewing for a position was that the Wickaninnish Inn is serious about hospitality. I appreciated how in-depth my two interviews were, how interested they were in my background, my previous experience and mostly, my passion for the service industry.
I had never lived or been to Canada and felt truly supported and assisted by my department manager when travelling to Tofino (it was a 30-hour trip with many bumps in the road). After only two months of employment at the Inn, the management team announced the property would close due to the pandemic. Thankfully, I was part of the few who kept working throughout the closure and acknowledged how privileged I was to be a full-time employee while so many in my industry were unsure what the future held, and for that, I will always be grateful.
Although a small, family-owned property, I was promoted twice in my two and a half years of employment. In my 12-year career, I had never been a Marketing and Sales Manager, but having known me for a while, they trusted me to take over the role. Their "leap of faith" has translated into tremendous personal and professional growth. Yes, everyone works very hard. Guests' expectations are high. Tofino is remote, with limited resources and housing issues. We struggle at times with staffing levels. However, there's a reason why this hotel and team have been voted one of the best in the world numerous times by international publications. If you are looking to take a meaningful step in your hospitality career while working in one of the most beautiful places on earth, this is the place to be.

The Wick is overall a great place to work. In beautiful Tofino, you will be looking at the best sunsets on your evening shifts, step on to the beach after your shift, be surrounded by beauty and nature and be proud to work for one of the best resorts in Canada. The people they hire are overall great. Somehow everyone is super chill, relaxed and loves the Tofino life, YET wants to work hard and with the high service standard the Wick has.They pay pretty well, actually, compared to most hospitality jobs in Canada. 
The problem is that somehow management does not always see this. They have SUCH great employees and they say it's their most important thing, but it does not feel like it. It's really the senior management, as they have been there forever, so things are done "the Wick way". It often clashes with the fact that they hire educated and experienced people who HAVE actually worked in different places around the world, so might actually have good input. 
Management is approachable, they are good and kind people, they have a good sense of humor. But the gap between senior management and the rest of the employees is massive. And no matter how many times employees point out the faults or what could be done better - nothing changes. Senior Management is simply not really there and when they are - they micromanage. It can be extremely frustrating.
It's a great place to work, but you just have to stop fighting, bite your tongue and let it be what it is, as some things will never change.

Do you work hard at the Inn? Yes! But it's the kind of hard work that involves pulling together as a cohesive team when the peak season comes, and each day finishes with a sense of accomplishment - and walk on the beach, if you are so inclined. 

I spent 14 years at the Inn, and loved it. Of course there are times when you feel stressed out and perhaps overwhelmed, but I as long as I communicated and asked for support it was given to the best of everyone's ability. I was also able to pitch in and help other departments in the times mine had more bandwidth, so able to learn new roles and perspectives.

Ideas were carefully considered, and it was amazing to be part of real change and impact by, for example, participating in the Inn's green committee efforts. Community involvment and participation are highly encouraged. 

After starting as a Front Office Supervisor, I moved into an entry level marketing role and able to develop and grow  into a management and strategy role, with autonomy, creativity and mutual respect with the team as a whole.

I was never more proud of the Inn than during COVID, when management chose people over profits, pausing operations in respect of the town's residents and indigenous population as long as non-essential travel advisories were active. This, despite most other properties in Tofino being open and fully booked with out-of-town visitors. 

I was always encouraged in my passion for public service, and eventually left to pursue that field; however, I will always remain a passionate member of the "Wick Family".

Moving to Tofino was one of the best decisions I made in my young adult life. The Wickaninnish Inn is world famous, and it's easy to see why. It's beautiful on the outside and the inside, located in one of the best places in Canada. 

That being said, I probably could have found a MUCH less stressful occupation than as a GSR at the Wick. There are several other resorts that manage somehow to offer a high level of professionalism and standards, but retain a healthy moral among staff.

Management is very demanding, and somewhat unforgiving of mistakes. Obviously, attention to detail is important, but rather than a policing mentality, perhaps management could consider strategies to improve their meticulous processes. That would be some value added leadership... 

Long story short, Tofino is a great place to live either temporarily or long term, although it isn't for everyone. I would highly encourage anybody looking at working for the Wick to consider other options just up the road and save themselves some stress. 

I left before my contract was complete, in order to pursue other opportunities (being paid to kayak). As a result am not eligible to be rehired. And I have yet to lose ANY sleep about that.

I worked as a housekeeper for a summer season in 2016. It is an absolutely awful place to work. All the upper management gives you a presentation at orientation patting themselves on the back and boosting their egos. I would work from about 830am to 4pm, then have to come back around 6 for turndown service and not get home til 9 or 10. After receiving a tiny paycheck and seeing I was scheduled for 14 days in a row on the schedule I quit and moved the next day. I was tired ALL the time but still only cleared about $500 every two weeks. After staff accom comes out of your paycheck you're left with nothing, while breaking your back to keep an ungrateful management team happy. The management is truly awful. I'm a hard working employee and they made me feel like I wasn't doing anything fast enough or good enough. Do not waste your time applying here, you won't be able to enjoy the Tofino summer because you'll be working ALL the time.

We are working 6 to 7 hours a day and 5 to 6 days a week in the whole year. Our team are very dedicated in our job to give our company an excellent feedback from our beloved guests. All things catered for here anything you need we make sure we taking care of it. I learned how to work in a team and how to acknowledge everyones' ideas and their unique personality. Each person in our management is a very good leader, even the owner of the inn was my friend. They are all down-to-earth people. If we commit mistakes they're like giving us parenting. Same as my co-workers they are absolutely friendly and helpful. We respect each others personality, tradition and beliefs. I can say summer time was the hardest part of our job. We normally have 6 to 10 days straight before we take our one day off. But that was totally fine because they pay us per hour. MONEY MONEY MONEY! Summer was the most enjoyable part of our job as well, because we love to work despite of a very busy day.

I have truly enjoyed my employment at The Wickaninnish Inn. There was definitely challenging days. Working in hospitality is not for everyone however if you would like a career within this industry The Wickaninnish Inn is the place that will take you there. The hours in the Summer can be very demanding however the shoulder season is the time to recuperate.  The management is very patient and willing to help you attain your personal best.  I have acquired a variety of skills with their support. The management culture is very positive and accommodating. The Inn offers a variety of benefits over and above extended health. Each employee is encouraged to take advantage of these including overnight stays, spa and restaurant discounts to name a few. The Inn is a front runner in environmental sustainability and decisions are made to respect the beautiful environment that the property is situated in.

The Wick is beautiful, it’s high end and it’s everything you’d expect that comes with that. You have passionate people looking to learn and grow. Coming from a background with zero hotel experience before this it has been a learning experience. During this experience I have felt challenged, supported and held accountable to do the best I can. The work is rewarding, sometimes hard and sometimes expectations that are difficult to meet. These difficult scenarios are from a place of passion where everyone truly wants to do a good job. Overall the team is a great bunch of people. This comes from all levels of employees up to managers. 

A day in high end hospitality is always different. Prepare to have a dynamic mindset in the approach to each day. To get the most from it you need to approach with an open mind. There are easier jobs is Tofino but, if you want to learn and help develop your career alongside a great bunch of people this is one of the better options you can choose. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
There was a lot of perks to working at the Wickaninnish inn. Living on a beach, everyone was friendly, lots of company events. If you can get a job anywhere, but the cafe or restaurant I recommend a job here.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The management was terrible. They treat all new hires like garbage no matter how hard you work. The kitchen constantly has a rotating staff as they’re not able to keep anyway.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment was very stressful. 12 hour shifts which normally isn’t an issue however, accompanied with management that just yells, it gets old quick.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Show up at 12:00 P.M. prep everything for your station. At 6:00 P.M. start service until 11:00 P.M. wind down cleaning the kitchen top to bottom.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Room attendant 2 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Ambassador 2 salaries reported	$19.75 per hour
Sous chef 2 salaries reported	$62,000 per year
Reservation agent 1 salary reported	$21.00 per hour
Guest service agent 1 salary reported	$20.50 per hour

Working at The Wickaninnish Inn: company overview and reviews

The Wickaninnish Inn

The Wickaninnish Inn ratings

Popular jobs at The Wickaninnish Inn

Salary satisfaction

Job seeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected