Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort - True Key Hotels & Resorts — Hotel in Parksville

Disappointing Experience – Wouldn’t Recommend

Even before arriving, something felt “off” about this place. After booking, I received a text asking me to fill out a form with my vehicle details, upload a photo of my ID, and check off their rules—most of which were just standard industry policies. The message made it sound mandatory, but when I called to clarify, they said it was actually optional. That kind of inconsistency was unsettling. Since I had specifically booked this hotel for its outdoor hot tub, I also asked if it was open—only to be told that they empty and restart it every Sunday for maintenance. That seemed excessive, and I was already feeling like this place was overly rigid and controlling.

Unfortunately, our actual stay confirmed those initial concerns. Despite it being low season and the hotel nearly empty, we were assigned a room directly above the lobby, accessed through a tiny vestibule shared with only one other room. Oddly, that room was also occupied, and the other guests seemed just as surprised and annoyed by the arrangement.

The communication throughout our stay felt more like micromanagement than hospitality. Within 30 minutes of check-in, we got a text saying they hoped we were enjoying our stay—along with a reminder that check-out was at 10 AM (an hour earlier than industry standard). At 8 PM, another text notified us about items for sale in the lobby, immediately followed by yet another check-out reminder. Then at 8 AM the next morning, one more check-out text arrived, this time with an email detailing late check-out fees—priced so high they were nearly the full cost of the room. Instead of feeling welcomed, we felt like they couldn’t wait for us to leave.

The property itself had potential, but the attention to detail was lacking. Our room’s balcony was unusable, covered in snow, and overlooked a wooden entry structure with a large pile of bird droppings in the one spot they hadn’t protected. They also advertised a designated smoking area, which we thought was a nice touch—even though neither of us smokes. But when we checked, it turned out to be nothing more than a bench in the parking lot, completely buried in snow. In a region with heavy rainfall, we expected at least a small sheltered space, but there wasn’t one.

To top it all off, I later noticed an unauthorized charge on my credit card. It was only $1.05, but no business should be able to charge a card without permission. When I contacted the hotel about it, they told me that the charge was because the platform I used for booking supposedly didn’t cover that fee. However, I’ve used the same platform for over 50 bookings and have never encountered this before. At no point did the hotel acknowledge the issue or offer to refund the charge. My credit card company reimbursed me, but the hotel’s attitude about it was concerning.

The only positive was that the standard room and bed were comfortable. But with the unwelcoming atmosphere, excessive messaging, lack of thoughtful upkeep, and unauthorized charge, we were relieved to have only booked for one night. I would not recommend this...

Would rate this 3.5 stars. Definite pros and cons. Overall, I felt the experience was not up to par when compared to other resorts in the area. -was assured our room would be cleaned and stocked daily. First day this did not happen and we came back to a dirty room without coffee etc. -carpet in the rooms are very old and just look dirty. My parents stayed over a week and not once did their carpet get vacuumed. It has stains and looks/is very unsanitary. -very loud wedding reception/celebration that was quite disrupting all night on Saturday. When I called the front desk to ask when the party would be over she assured me it would be done at 10:30. That was not the case at all. Very loud disrupting people banging into walls and using loud voices, not to mention the bass of the music. Since they are so adamant about “quiet hours” in the manuals of this facility I was shocked that this was a problem we had to deal with. We had to leave very early the next morning for a day trip and all of us had a terrible sleep. We were literally put in a room right next to the party without any warning whatsoever. -fitness center is terrible - 3 pieces of low grade cardio equipment. 3 sets of dumbbells up to 5 lbs that were purchased from a drugstore. The one weight machine is probably the only thing of quality. Every other resort on this resort strip has the option to use the local Parksville gym (Jim’s Gym) as a workout facility free of charge. This one does not and I feel it’s a shame to not partner with another local business who can offer what this resort can’t even come close to. Last year they told us they were investing more into improving the fitness center so we were disappointed to return to the equipment they had -pool and hot tub were relatively clean. Hot tub isn’t overly large but decent enough. Pool is heated and spacious - nice feature -our room was relatively spacious (as they are privately owned condos) and included laundry as well as two bathrooms. -hardly any rooms will have a view of the ocean and if they do it is quite interfered by the trees blocking. -we were minimally compensated for our issues with this resort and the terrible noisy night. The compensation was a small credit to ONLY be used at this companies properties which are few and far between. -front desk staff was hit and miss. They deactivated my fathers key by mistake and the one girl was on the phone for over 10 minutes. She didn’t even acknowledge him or make eye contact. He waited and waited and when she got off the phone there was zero apology for the inconvenience or wait. Just not very pleasant.

Myself and family members who occupied this resort both agree we will likely not return. This place has a ton of potential; therefore it’s a shame when we reflect on our experience. The hospitality significantly decreased from our last visit...

Our family of 4 just had the privilege of staying at Sunrise Ridge in room 421 A. The resort is easy to get to off the main streets of the beautiful, quaint town of Parksville. To access the suite, there is a short talk of about 10 stairs.

The suite boasts a large living and dining space open to the kitchen. A dining table seats 6, extra lounge chairs and coffee tables and a comfortable couch to sit on. Three bar stools on the breakfast bar overlooking the kitchen. The kitchen features everything you could need. The unit also has air conditioning. From pots and pans, to a blender and cheese grater. Bring your own food and drinks and you are ready to go!

The suite features two full bathrooms. One with a walk in shower and the other with a jacuzzi tub. The second bathroom is located inside the primary suite. The bed is comfortable and tranquil. The lines and pillows are perfect. There is a pullout couch in the living room which was perfect for our family. It is spotless from head to toe. We felt extremely comfortable and at home staying in 421 A.

The resort itself is magnificent. From the grand lobby, out to the pool and the newly paved walkways around the resort make it easy to get around. There are fresh towels available for guests to take to the pool. The pool is 3.4-5 ft deep. Perfect for families. There are plenty of lounge chairs around the pool to enjoy, along with tables, chairs and umbrellas. Both the pool and hot tub were clean and well maintained. Off the pool deck, is the fitness room, equipped with machines to get that workout in. There is a lovely fireplace off the main lobby which you are able to book for hour increments. The lovely staff will set up the fire for you while you enjoy a nice evening roasting marshmallows by the warm fire.

A short walk through the resort takes you to the natural path, which leads you down to the water’s edge. Maybe sure to check it out during both low and high tide. Being a comfortable pair of water shoes as the shoreline is a bit rocky.

If you don’t feel like cooking, check out some nearby restaurants. Taco bistro is a short 10 min walk down the street and features fresh, authentic tacos with a variety of delicious homemade sauces. A must try while in Parksville. The Rusted Rake is a lovely brewery 8 min drive away with delicious food and beers. Travelling with kids? Riptide mini putt is steps away as well and features two courses that are thrilling and enjoyable. The community park is a short 5 min drive away from Sunrise ridge. This is a massive park with ample, newly renovated play structures for all abilities, pickleball courts. Beach volleyball, picnic areas and of course stunning views right on the water. There is nothing short of things to do while you enjoy your stay at...