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Character Stay across Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary

Top rated by guests

Very spacious 2875 sq. ft. home allowing plenty of space for large bookings.

Granite countertops

Maple shaker kitchen cabinets with top of the line stainless steel appliances and induction cook top.

Chest, card game/eating table for four.

Large spacious kitchen

9.8Outstanding

(68 Ratings)

"The location next to a park and wildlife area is excellent for families "

Carlyn

Don't miss out! Price and availability may change

9.8 / 10.0

Outstanding(68 Ratings)

House in Vancouver Island

12 guests · 5 bedrooms · 3 baths

Reasons to book

Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating

Top-tier experienceA high end property in this area

Book with confidenceWe partner with the top travel sites so you know you're getting a great deal on the perfect rental

About this house rental

Character Stay across Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary
House Video Tour: https://youtu.be/XqseWmblWiY
The best of what Victoria's character home charm and modern west coast living style has to offer. A beautifully updated 5 bedroom, 3 full bath Character home that is centrally located between downtown, ferries, and YYJ airport yet tucked away in the blissfully quiet neighborhood of Swan Lake with stunning views! With a nature reserve across the street, there is no shortage of beautiful wildlife including humming birds, deer, and bunnies; leaving one feeling at home in a true nature sanctuary. There is also a lower seperate legal home (not a suite) which offers two bedrooms and a full 4 piece bath which can also be rented for larger groups if needed.

Amenities at Character Stay across Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary

Family friendly

Map of Vancouver Island

city location on map

Nearby attractions

Elk Falls Suspension Bridge

Nymph Falls Nature Park

Seal Bay Nature Park

Things to know

Additional fees to expect

Cleaning & other feesWe include all stay related fees in the Cleaning Fee line, which may include cleaning, property manager, resort, tourism and other stay related fees. All Vrbo properties are professionally cleaned after each stay.

Booking feeNo booking fees, easy credit card payments.

Service feeThis helps Vrbo provide a safer and more secure booking experience.

TaxesTaxes on accommodation such as Occupancy Tax, VAT, or GST. May also include tourism fees.

Customer support

Customer support is handled by our partner Vrbo

$$$$

Top rated by guests

9.8Outstanding

(68 Ratings)

"The location next to a park and wildlife area is excellent for families "

Carlyn

Don't miss out! Price and availability may change

$$$$

9.8 / 10.0

Outstanding(68 Ratings)

House in Vancouver Island

12 guests · 5 bedrooms · 3 baths

Reasons to book

Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating

Top-tier experienceA high end property in this area

Book with confidenceWe partner with the top travel sites so you know you're getting a great deal on the perfect rental

Map of Vancouver Island

city location on map

Nearby attractions

Elk Falls Suspension Bridge

Nymph Falls Nature Park

Seal Bay Nature Park

About this house rental

Character Stay across Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary
House Video Tour: https://youtu.be/XqseWmblWiY
The best of what Victoria's character home charm and modern west coast living style has to offer. A beautifully updated 5 bedroom, 3 full bath Character home that is centrally located between downtown, ferries, and YYJ airport yet tucked away in the blissfully quiet neighborhood of Swan Lake with stunning views! With a nature reserve across the street, there is no shortage of beautiful wildlife including humming birds, deer, and bunnies; leaving one feeling at home in a true nature sanctuary. There is also a lower seperate legal home (not a suite) which offers two bedrooms and a full 4 piece bath which can also be rented for larger groups if needed.

Amenities

Family friendly

Things to know

Additional fees to expect

Cleaning & other feesWe include all stay related fees in the Cleaning Fee line, which may include cleaning, property manager, resort, tourism and other stay related fees. All Vrbo properties are professionally cleaned after each stay.

Booking feeNo booking fees, easy credit card payments.

Service feeThis helps Vrbo provide a safer and more secure booking experience.

TaxesTaxes on accommodation such as Occupancy Tax, VAT, or GST. May also include tourism fees.

Customer support

Customer support is handled by our partner Vrbo

Ratings and reviews

9.8 / 10.0

Outstanding(68 Ratings)

10.0 / 10.0

The location next to a park and wildlife area is excellent for families

10.0 / 10.0

As a group of six girlfriends gathering for a significant birthday celebration, the house was perfect for our get-together. The house was very clean, spacious, beautifully decorated and maintained, and had everything ( and more) that we needed to be comfortable. The outside spaces were well planned and welcoming. The nature park across the road provides a scenic 2.5 km walk. It was a 15 minute drive into downtown Victoria.Gerry is a very responsive host who takes great pride in maintaining his beautiful house. Upon our arrival, he was there to greet us and give us a tour of the house. Highly recommend Gerry's house for a spacious and relaxed stay.

10.0 / 10.0

We had a lovely stay in this beautiful property.

10.0 / 10.0

We were in Victoria for a family wedding. This home was the perfect place to host our group. So spacious and comfortable. The home is absolutely beautiful and so well stocked with anything you may need. Our host was very friendly and welcoming. Definitely would stay again and recommend to any group visiting the area.

10.0 / 10.0

This was a great place to house our family of 8 for the weekend. Plenty of space, very well stocked kitchen and great indoor and outdoor spaces.

10.0 / 10.0

This is a stunning property in a wonderful location. The house is beautifully furnished and very comfortable. This was a long anticipated family reunion; we enjoyed the outdoor spaces for dining, and we all took walks around the Swan Lake Sanctuary. at the end of the street. The host is extremely helpful and gracious. Highly recommend!

10.0 / 10.0

Gerry was very gracious and thorough introducing us to his lovely home. He thought of everything that a guest might need or enjoy; from the multiple tabletop fire pits on all the patios to the fully stocked kitchen. Bedrooms were spacious, clean and comfortable. The photos in the listing do not do the property justice. We hope to return sometime soon. Thank you, Gerry!

10.0 / 10.0

Stayed for 3 nights with 12 family members for a reunion Host, Gerry is attentive and quick at communication. Very clean home. Home is stocked with everything you need and more - air mattress, towels, beach towels, kitchen has everything you need for cooking dinner like spices, utensils, tupperware, BBQ. High quality linens. Outside seating areas are spacious with fire tables and pleasant garden. Gerry takes so much pride in making this a perfect stay for all. Highly recommend.

10.0 / 10.0

Perfect for larger groups wanting a place to unwind after a day of visiting the Victoria area.

10.0 / 10.0

Very clean and well stocked home, beautiful property and close to the nature preserve. Host was very attentive and involved.

10.0 / 10.0

We had a great stay & Gerry is a fantastic host!

10.0 / 10.0

Situated conveniently in Saanich with an easy drive to shops and restaurants, this property is high class! It is so well stocked with high end dishes, cutlery, glasses, and serving platters and bowls. It was never a question of finding something but of which to use. Definitely not your often found poor quality, limited supplies. Many spices and basics provided. As we were 4 adult sibling couples, it was easy and comfortable to make meals and spend time there. We even hosted a small dinner party for an extended family of 3 more in the dining room. There were multiple sitting areas with well maintained patio furniture. The owner was more than happy to help with minor issues around how to use things. Loved the park that was just a short walk down the street. Sets the bar very high for future rentals!

10.0 / 10.0

Our 2 families enjoyed our stay at Gerry’s lovely property. Obviously it is a wee way from downtown but downtown is an easy Uber. Would recommend if you have a big group as lots of space.

10.0 / 10.0

Gerry was absolutely amazing and was so helpful during our stay! He made us feel so welcome and provided all the extra perks to make our visit memorable and comfortable. We definitely will be returning again

10.0 / 10.0

Our family of 6 adults and 2 teenagers stayed in this beautiful home for three nights in November. It is easily one of the nicest VRBO rentals we have ever had and is as beautiful and as spacious as the photos shown in the listing. It was a cool, rainy weekend, so we didn't use the deck or yard but it would be lovely to sit out there in the summer. The host, Gerry, met us upon arrival, to give instructions and information which was very helpful. We also knew he was close by should any problems arise, (which there were none!) There are some rules, but he takes great pride in this property and it shows. The house is located in a quiet area, near a nature preserve, where we went for our family photo session. It is only about a 15-20 minute drive to any of the attractions we wanted to see in Victoria. Airport 20 minutes away. The house was exceptionally clean, beautifully decorated with attention to detail. Kitchen was well stocked with dishes, glasses, appliances, condiments, spices and so on. We didn't cook any big meals, but everything you would need is there. The beds were comfortable with great quality bedding. I would definitely rent this property again if we go back to Victoria and recommend it to anyone. A +5 star rating for sure.

10.0 / 10.0

We had 3 couples staying for one week. The location was perfect for getting into Vancouver and nearby places, while not being in a high density area. The kitchen was well appointed. The beds were comfortable. We enjoyed breakfast every morning on the back deck. Gerry was quick to address a couple of small issues we had. Recommend this home.

2.0 / 10.0

The house in this rental has another basement unit renting out, we were asked not make any noise after 11pm, don’t think this is kids friendly house. The check in process felt overbearing and during it, Gerry made a few remarks, like some India guest get his oven dirty and some Filipino guest took away his olive oil bottle, that made us feel uneasy. Without any prior notice, one of his workers walked into the backyard, where we were having dinner, to start watering the plants and violating our privacy. The checkout process was very unpleasant with the owner accusing us of ruining his dining table with ‘Chinese characters’ as we were a Chinese group. The markings on the table didn’t look new and after attempting to dispute them with Gerry, we were given a $600 incidental charge for something that we didn’t cause and was told that Gerry would be wanting more incidental charges to replace the table entirely. Gerry just simply believes his “well trained” cleaner will check every inch of the house every time the guest leave, just like he said he told the worker not watering the plants while guest inside, but the worker still showed up. We would NOT recommend this house to anyone. If you do stay, we strongly recommend you take detailed photos and videos of everything when you check-in and before you check-out to prevent you from running into a similar experience like ours.

10.0 / 10.0

It was great! Thanks!

10.0 / 10.0

Our 3 generation family of 10 just completed a most enjoyable stay in this beautiful property. This lovely home is located in a quiet area, close to major attractions and services. We loved our early mornings on the large deck surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with hummingbirds and butterflies. After busy days of sightseeing we would again gather on the deck to laugh and share our adventures of the day. The home is as pictured; beautiful, spotless, very comfortable. The dream kitchen is well equipped with everything you need to create interesting meals. The large dining room table accommodates 10 diners, and also provides a wonderful spot for games. We appreciated our host, Gerry who was attentive without being intrusive. If we needed anything we would send a text and he would respond quickly. He dropped off what we asked for at the front door. He did the yard work while we were away from the property. He was generous in answering questions and providing information when we asked. We all loved this home and it’s location. If we can get everyone together again we wouldn’t even look for a different property, we would book this house.

10.0 / 10.0

My family stayed here for several days and it was a wonderful time. The house is beautiful and well-taken care of. There is space to sit on the deck and play outside in the grass. There is a large kitchen/living room area for everyone to spend time together but there are also several rooms where everyone can spread out if they would like. Everything you need is pretty much there. The inside of the house is immaculate and updated. The outside is beautifully landscaped. It is near a nature sanctuary which is nice to walk around in the morning or evening. There are many bike trails near by and a gym with a great pool for kids. Downtown Victoria is only 3 to 4 miles away so that is not a bad drive. The owner, Gerry, takes a lot of pride in the work he has done on his home and wants his visitors to have the best time possible. I enjoyed meeting him and I appreciated his hospitality. This was a wonderful house. We had 9 people stay and it was perfect for us.

10.0 / 10.0

I am not always the most confident when booking a stay for a group: its a lot of responsibility! So, when my sister got to Gerry’s ahead of me and texted, “It’s amazing!”, I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was attended to: neat as pin, superb communication, incredibly well stocked cupboards, room to congregate but with space for those who wanted to retreat, beautiful surroundings, attention to interior design, and easy to follow instructions. I can’t thank Gerry enough for his kind hospitality and would certainly stay here again….and again.

10.0 / 10.0

This is a very nice large house with a large deck that worked well for our group for two nights. It is on a quiet street but only two blocks from an arterial. I recommend it and would stay there again.

10.0 / 10.0

This property was perfect for 5 friends exploring Vancouver Island. It is easy to get to all major highways and so close to downtown. Highly recommend.

8.0 / 10.0

This rental is easily the nicest I’ve ever stayed at with any rental service. The house is lovely with excellent amenities. The owner obviously takes very good care of the house. There are many upgrades throughout making it a luxury stay. The house is fully stocked with most everything you need including ample towels, toiletries, dish and laundry soap. The owner is very nice, has excellent communication and was able to work with me on an issue with a change in occupants last minutes. The only issues we had were the slightly overbearing and ever present owner as well as feeling like our kids weren’t welcome. The owner was there for the checkin and took us on a 30-45 minute walk through of the whole house. While some of this was helpful, some of the items he covered were self explanatory or able to be covered in a handbook. The owner definitely takes pride in his home but said some unnecessary things eluding to the concerns that my children were going to break things and cause messes. Halfway through the trip we got a message that our kids were too loud in the morning asking us to keep our 1 and 3 year olds from walking too heavily. The owner was also on site a lot of the time and we felt as if we were being watched. Overall this home would be great for friends or a family without little kids.

10.0 / 10.0

The property was very well looked after and the host had extreme pride in the property and it was evident. We had an excellent stay in Victoria because the accommodations were excellent as described.

10.0 / 10.0

Lovely house with plenty of room for our party. Nice walking trail across the street and park nearby. Host thought of every detail. We loved it!

10.0 / 10.0

The property was perfect for the needs fof our group of seven.There is probably no other property available that has the amount of supplies in house for use by a renter . The number and variety of glasses available were impressive. Gerry was very responsive to any of our requests . There is plenty of parking nearby for any guests..The house is modern inside and true to pictures online. The nearby Swan Lake nature walk was nice and enjoyed by all of us. Highly recommended for a group going to Victoria

10.0 / 10.0

House worked well for 8 of us. Well stocked kitchen, down to spices! Owner was so accomadating and easy to work with. Great outdoor space. It was wonderful

10.0 / 10.0

Property and house were beautiful. Great location, easy to get downtown. Just the 1 ensuite upstairs for 3 bedrooms was a wee bit awkward to maneuver.

8.0 / 10.0

Many stairs. Only 2 of the bedrooms have a bathroom that’s convenient to the room. Dark lighting in kitchen over work area. Poor lighting in many other places. Nice outdoor areas and very well provisioned.

10.0 / 10.0

Gerry was prompt, helpful, and very friendly. Highly recommended.

10.0 / 10.0

Amazing house with lots of room for our extended family of 14 (includes 2 infants). Gerry was an outstanding host; provided ever thing exvept our food. Great location; close to downtown, beaches, shopping but a quiet location. A can't miss place to stay for a larger group.

10.0 / 10.0

Great place as a base in Victoria to travel and work from.

Great place as a base in Victoria to travel and work from.

House is beautiful, extremely well furnished and well equipped. In fact, not a thing was missing. The place is large so afforded privacy for all the members of the group. Definitely would like to come back.

10.0 / 10.0

Wonderful stay

Wonderful stay

We had a wonderful stay at Gerry’s house. It is just gorgeous and very comfortable. We ate meals on the beautiful backyard deck. We drove into Victoria or rode the double decker bus into Victoria each day. We walked on the trails in the nature preserve. Thank you, Gerry, for having such a wonderful rental house in one of my favorite cities!

6.0 / 10.0

Great location with helpful but overbearing owner

Great location with helpful but overbearing owner

My family and I stayed here for a long weekend and had a mixed experience. While the owner was very helpful it also felt like he was hovering over us. This meant we couldn't relax as much as we had hoped. Some of his comments also came across as rude as he was very protective of his house and issues with our guests not knowing the parking rules (which we're quickly fixed and didn't require rude comments). In a bit more detail: The positives were: * A great location, easy access to downtown Victoria * Very clean and well kept home (sheets were ironed before our stay) * Owner was receptive to help with home issues The negatives: * In the headline of the listing it said six bedrooms, however it turns out there are only 5 bedrooms (plus space for a provided air mattress) and one of the bedrooms doesn't have a door so it's exposed to any noise in the main living room * Previous issues discussed above about owner hovering over us * The WiFi was not reliable despite attempts by the owner to fix it

10.0 / 10.0

Beautiful property

Beautiful property

Gerry was wonderful and his place-beautiful!

10.0 / 10.0

Stunning property and gorgeous home

Stunning property and gorgeous home

Gerry the host was very accommodating and offers this property at a very reasonable price. If you are looking for a rental home while on vacation or even a weekend getaway this place is a must. 5 star plus more. The property is exceptionally clean, well organized and come with all the amenities one needs just as if you were in your own home. Gerry has thought of everything right down to the condiments in the fridge and spices in the kitchen. And as I am a avid cook and baker I had access to all the tools necessary to create a gourmet meal which I was happy to cook. We will definitely rent this property again.

10.0 / 10.0

Beautiful house and excellent stay!

Beautiful house and excellent stay!

This house was definitely one of the nicest Rental homes we have stayed in. Absolutely beautiful and immaculate. Easy access to all Victoria with a vehicle, most activities within 10-15 minutes by car. Lovely walking path around Swan Lake easily accessible by walking from house. The house itself has been lovingly restored, is beautifully decorated and appointed with high end linens and supplies. We had a wonderful stay and I would choose this house again when I return!

10.0 / 10.0

Gerry Is The Best Host Ever!!!

Gerry Is The Best Host Ever!!!

Gerry is the absolute best, most attentive, kind, wonderful host I have ever had for a vacation rental. The house is absolutely immaculate. I rented the big house and the smaller unit and popped up from the smaller unit to see the big house after guests had checked out. Gerry was in there with the cleaners cleaning and he was running lemon through the coffee makers to get them spotless. It is not something anyone would ever know that he does, but he does it! The whole house was spotless. Everything is washed, even throw blankets, throw rugs, and pillows. Gerry is always there when you need him. The house is stunning and full of character. It is close to downtown and all of the major attractions. It is a really wonderful place to stay. xo

10.0 / 10.0

Amazing property

Amazing property

Great time for the family. Super clean and well stoked kitchen. Gerry the owner was gracious and super accommodating.

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