Airport, Nanaimo, BC (ZNA-Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome)
5 min drive
Room options
View all photos for Room, 1 Queen Bed
Room, 1 Queen Bed
7.67.6 out of 10
Good
33 reviews
(33 reviews)
1 bedroom
Sleeps 2
1 Queen Bed
View all photos for Room, 1 Queen Bed with Sofa bed, Kitchenette
Room, 1 Queen Bed with Sofa bed, Kitchenette
9.69.6 out of 10
Exceptional
5 reviews
(5 reviews)
1 bedroom
Sleeps 4
1 Queen Bed and 1 Queen Sofa Bed
View all photos for Room, 2 Queen Beds
Room, 2 Queen Beds
1 bedroom
Sleeps 4
2 Queen Beds
View all photos for Room, 1 Queen Bed, Kitchenette
Room, 1 Queen Bed, Kitchenette
8.68.6 out of 10
Excellent
4 reviews
(4 reviews)
1 bedroom
Sleeps 2
1 Queen Bed
About the area
Nanaimo
City center stay.You'll find Beach Estates Park and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital within a 15-minute walk of this Nanaimo motel. Departure Bay Ferry Terminal and Brechin Lanes are also within 2 miles (3 km).
Departure Bay Ferry Terminal - 12 min walk - 1.0 km
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital - 13 min walk - 1.2 km
Departure Bay Beach - 3 min drive - 2.2 km
Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park - 5 min drive - 1.3 km
Getting around
Nanaimo, BC (ZNA-Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome) - 6 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's - 4 min drive
Drip Coffee | Social - 15 min walk
McDonald's - 15 min walk
Tim Hortons - 4 min walk
Amoré Bistro - 20 min walk
About this property
Departure Bay Motel
Motel near Departure Bay Ferry Terminal in Nanaimo
As a guest of Departure Bay Motel, you'll find a vending machine, a picnic area, and laundry facilities. WiFi is free in public spaces. Free self parking is available.
Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this Nanaimo motel.
22 guestrooms or units
Self-service laundry
Front desk (limited hours)
Outdoor picnic space
Smoking in designated areas
Departure Bay Motel offers 22 air-conditioned accommodations with coffee/tea makers and complimentary toiletries. Accommodations offer separate sitting areas. LCD televisions come with premium cable channels.
Bathrooms include shower/tub combinations. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access (speed: 25+ Mbps).
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Front entrance ramp
No elevator
Tile flooring in room
Well-lit path to entrance
Room amenities
Entertainment
LED TV with premium cable channels
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Private bathroom
Shampoo
Shower/bathtub combination
Soap
Toilet paper
Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)
Towels provided
Food and drink
Coffee/tea maker
Cookware, dishware, and utensils
Electric kettle
More
Air conditioning
Heating
Laptop workspace
Separate sitting area
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Contactless check-in available
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 19
Check-out
Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open daily from 7:00 AM - midnight
Front desk staffed during limited hours
If you are planning to arrive after 11:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours)
Pets
Pets: CAD 21.00 per pet, per day
Service animals are exempt from fees
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome.
Property payment types
Important information
Fees
Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:
A damage deposit of CAD 200 will be collected before check-in.
We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.
Optional extras
The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.
Pet fee: CAD 21.00 per pet, per day
Service animals are exempt from fees
This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card 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
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, and a first aid kit
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A credit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and debit cards. Cash is not accepted. For guests' safety, the property includes a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, and a first aid kit in each accommodation. Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.
Property Registration Number 5031994
Property is also known as
Departure Bay Motel Motel
Departure Bay Motel Nanaimo
Departure Bay Motel Motel Nanaimo
Reviews
Departure Bay Motel Reviews
7.8
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Fine for a quick overnight. Good bed, big room. Kinda noisy and not in the best shape (water stains on roof, some grime in shower). Appreciated that they accept pets for a fee.
Colin
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025
10/10 Excellent
Anthony
Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
Very clean!! Room was on the smaller side with 2 queen beds that were very comfortable. We didn’t spend much time in the room. Only there to sleep. Was very quiet. Property was very clean and well kept. My only suggestion would be to shorten the curtains so they don’t block the AC.
Our stay was very convenient to the ferries at departure Bay, which is why we pick this hotel. Unfortunately, the people above us were very loud, moving furniture,heard them walking thumping on the floor etc., which was annoying for us underneath them. The road noise was also a bit noisy. I had a difficult time sleeping.
Nice staff with hospitality
Room has strong odour of cigarette and sweat odour everywhere. Found Bubble gum under the bed. I don’t recommend this place as they don’t know how to clean properly.
Nice staff with hospitality
Room has strong odour of cigarette and sweat odour everywhere. Found Bubble gum under the bed. I don’t recommend this place as they don’t know how to clean properly.
The motel is older but very clean and comfortable. It would be nice to have air conditioning though. Parking is also a challenge for the larger vehicles.
Check-in was easy and the guy was super nice. Old school key style which was fun. Rooms are clean. The living area a little outdated but the bathrooms were really nice. Like really nice. Bed was comfy. Location was perfect for us. Super happy we stayed. They also have free mini golf no on-site but that was cool.
I'll start out by saying the front desk staff at the hotel are very helpful and welcoming. I had high hopes for this place based on the relatively good review score. The common areas and outside of the facility looked clean and well kept. I was expecting the same from the guest rooms.
Nope.
Unfortunately the room we were assigned was starting to show its age, and the cleanliness was lacking.
The laminate floor was well beyond the point of needing to be replaced. There were coffee stains on the duvet cover. Bathroom vanity showing heavy wear. Crusty food smears on the side of the microwave. Dirt and dust on the floor in the bathroom. It had to be tolerated for the one night we were there, knowing there was nothing else available and no other options.
The positives of our stay were the bed was comfortable, the AC blew cold and we were on the quiet side of the building.
I'd be willing to book in again since it's such a convenient location, but maybe not during the busy season. I wonder if staff have a such tight turnaround time on rooms during the summer and they just don't have the time to dedicate to a proper clean.
Nice and clean. We needed a place to stay at short notice due to an airline strike and thankfully they had space to accommodate. . I hace atayed here in yesrs oast and it has akeays been a pleasant stay
Colleen
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025
6/10 Okay
Anita
Travelled with family
Aug 18, 2025
Liked: Staff & service
Bed was not comfortable - the pots/ pans in the kitchenette were not really usable and had no luck getting a different one when asking at reception. Had to ask for toaster.
We used this as a one night stop over before catching an early morning ferry. The room was rather outdated but clean and comfortable which is all we needed. 3 mins to the ferry terminal so no need to add extra travel time for city traffic. Easy to get into the city from. As others have said friendly welcome and helpful staff at reception . Not sure I’d stay more than 2 nights here but if you are just passing through a good place to lay your head at night