West Point Lighthouse Inn Review – Our Fantastic Stay in a PEI Lighthouse
West Point Lighthouse Inn Review
One of our absolute favourite stays while visiting PEI with the kids, was at the West Point Lighthouse. If you don’t know already, I absolutely LOVE lighthouses! So when I discovered that we could actually spend the night in one, I was over the moon with excitement! We have decided to write an honest review on our stay at the West Point Lighthouse Inn, and it may just convince you to add this place to your own PEI bucket list!
Plan Your Prince Edward Island Getaway Using These Tools!
- ✈️ Book Flights: Skyscanner
- 🏨 Book Hotels: Booking.com | TripAdvisor
- 🏠 Book Rental Properties: VRBO
- 🚍 Prince Edward Island Tours: Viator | GetYourGuide
- 🚗 Book Car Rentals: Rentalcars.com
Where is the West Point Lighthouse Inn Located?
The West Point Lighthouse Inn and Museum is located on the northwestern cape of Prince Edward Island. The lighthouse is about 132 km or 1 hour and 41 minutes drive from Charlottetown, or 58 minutes (78 km) from Summerside.
West Point Lighthouse can be found adjacent to West Point Beach and Cedar Dunes Provincial Park. You do not need to pay to enter the provincial park in order to access the lighthouse area.
Address: 364 Cedar Dunes Park Rd, O’Leary
Website
A Little History of the West Point Lighthouse
Built in 1875, the West Point lighthouse is not only one of the most recognizable lighthouses in PEI, but it is also the tallest at 20.6 metres (69 feet) tall. The unique tapered square shape and black and white striped paint definitely make it my favourite!
When the West Point Lighthouse was built, it consisted of a square, pyramidal tower attached to a one-and-a-half-storey dwelling with a gable roof. This construction was unique, in that the first two floors of the tower served as an extension of the keeper’s quarters.
The bottom floor of the lighthouse was actually used as a parlour, while the second floor was divided into two bedrooms. After having helped build it, Keeper William MacDonald served at West Point Lighthouse for fifty years, living and raising his family inside the lighthouse.
The West Point Lighthouse was manned until 1963 and was used to help navigate ships through the western entrance to the Northumberland Strait. Today, the lantern is fully automated, operating electronically.
Keeper’s Quarters
Unfortunately, the keeper’s dwelling was torn down shortly after the lighthouse was automated. In 1983, the great-granddaughter of Keeper William MacDonald leased the West Point Lighthouse from the Canadian Coast Guard with the sole intention of bringing “New Life to an Old Light.”
In 1984, the keeper’s dwelling was reconstructed using the original cloth blueprints. Then on July 1, 1984, the new facility opened as Canada’s only Inn in a Lighthouse.
In 1987, a large addition was added to the north side of the tower. This extra space was created in order to house a restaurant and seven additional guest rooms.
And finally, in 1988 the second floor, which had been serving as a museum, was converted into a bedroom, with many of the museum artifacts relocated to the third floor.
Fun Fact: Keeper William MacDonald’s wife Mariah owned an organ which she used to entertain guests. Today, her organ once again sits in its rightful place in the parlour of the Inn.
Overview of the West Point Lighthouse Inn
Today, the West Point Lighthouse Inn is rated as a 4-star accommodation. The Inn operates seasonally from early June until the end of September.
The inn features 13 contemporary rooms, 11 of which are located adjacent to the original lighthouse. These rooms are accessible via an internal corridor that links them to the common areas of the inn, including the kitchen, serving area, and parlour.
The Keeper’s Quarters and The Tower Room are located in a private guests-only section of the actual West Point Lighthouse.
Free admission to the Lighthouse Museum is also included with your stay.
Don’t have access to your own vehicle? Find the best deals on car rentals here.
The Rooms at the West Point Lighthouse Inn
The Tower Room
The Tower Room is located on the second floor of the lighthouse and has wonderful views overlooking the Northumberland Strait. The room has a Queen bed, hardwood floors, air conditioning, and a private bathroom with both a tub and shower.
Your stay comes complete with a free continental breakfast each morning, along with high-speed internet and WiFi available in the common areas. Free parking is also available on the grounds.
Maximum Occupancy: 2
Room Rate: $189 + HST
Keeper’s Quarters
The Keeper’s Quarters are also located on the second floor of the lighthouse but only have limited water views. The room comes with 2 Queen beds, hardwood floors, air conditioning, and a private bathroom with both a tub and shower.
Your stay comes complete with a free continental breakfast each morning, along with high-speed internet and WiFi available in the common areas. Free parking is also available on the grounds.
Maximum Occupancy: 4
Room Rate: $189 + HST based on double occupancy. There is a $10 plus HST charge for each additional person per night.
Second Floor Seaside Rooms
All second-floor seaside rooms feature a walk-out deck overlooking the Northumberland Strait, hardwood floors, air conditioning, and a private bathroom with both a tub and shower.
Rooms 25 & 26 each feature 2 queen beds.
Rooms 21, 22, 23, & 24 each feature 1 king bed.
Your stay comes complete with a free continental breakfast each morning, along with high-speed internet and WiFi available in the common areas. Free parking is also available on the grounds.
Maximum Occupancy: 4
Room Rate: $179 + HST based on double occupancy. There is a $10 plus HST charge for each additional person per night
First Floor Seaside Rooms
All rooms feature a walk-out deck overlooking the Northumberland Strait, hardwood floors, air conditioning, and a private bathroom with both a tub and shower. Partially wheelchair-accessible rooms are available.
Rooms 11 & 12 each feature 1 king bed.
Room 13 features 2 queen beds.
Rooms 14 &15 (accessible rooms) each feature 1 queen bed.
Your stay comes complete with a free continental breakfast each morning, along with high-speed internet and WiFi available in the common areas. Free parking is also available on the grounds.
Maximum Occupancy: 4
Room Rate: $169 + HST based on double occupancy. There is a $10 plus HST charge for each additional person per night.
Our Honest Review of the West Point Lighthouse Inn
I want to start out by saying that we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our visit to the West Point Lighthouse. I only wish we could have stayed at this unique accommodation in PEI for more than one night, and that the weather would have co-operated during our visit!
Our family (2 adults and 2 teens) stayed at the West Point Lighthouse on a weeknight in July. We stayed in the Keeper’s Quarters, for the simple reason that we could not fit in the Tower Room!
The room, as well as our entire experience, was AMAZING! From the moment we checked in until we left, our stay was enjoyable. And we would totally recommend staying here if you are travelling with kids!
Pros:
So let’s start with all the positive things!
Location, Location, Location!
As we mentioned, West Point Lighthouse is located adjacent to West Point Beach and Cedar Dunes Provincial Park. As it is a lighthouse, the Inn is right on the beach.
Had the weather been nicer, we would have taken more time to walk on the beach, go for a hike, explore the sand dunes, or take a dip in the sea!
The drive there is pretty easy, as you are on the main road for the most part. There is even a decent restaurant (Sally’s Galley Pub And Grill) just a 2-minute drive from the Lighthouse, where you can grab a bite for lunch or dinner.
Sparkling Clean & Very Comfortable!
Our room was spacious enough for the four of us to spread out, yet felt incredibly cozy. Don’t expect modern furnishings in this century-old lighthouse, however.
The furnishings reflect the era with wooden pieces, gorgeous quilts, and an incredible claw-foot tub! Of course, the bathroom did have modern features as well, and our room came with a flat-screen TV and mini-fridge.
The room was spotless and the beds and pillows were really comfortable. We had full control over the temperature in our room, which was perfect since I like it chilly!
Friendly and Welcoming Staff
We found the staff to be very welcoming and eager to make our stay comfortable. At check-in, we were told that we could find coffee in the parlour, as well as a microwave to warm up any food we had brought with us.
The kids went down to grab Hubby and I some coffee, while we tried to unpack and settle in. The kids were met in the kitchen by the Lighthouse cook, who sent them back loaded with fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies!
What a lovely surprise and absolutely delicious treat! The next morning at breakfast, the kids were once again offered fresh cookies and banana bread, by the lovely cook.
This may seem like a small gesture, but it was representative of every member of the staff we came into contact with. Absolutely lovely!
Awesome Hotel Amenities
From free coffee and tea available in the kitchen, to use of the microwave, and even beach towels available on request, we had everything we could need for our stay at the West Point Lighthouse Inn.
We had plenty of soft towels in our washroom, as well as some pretty nice, locally made soaps to use. There were even some cute little souvenirs available for purchase near the entrance to the Inn.
The kids enjoyed exploring the Lighthouse Museum, as we had access to it whenever we wanted (more about the museum later). They also took advantage of sitting in the parlour to play games and watch TV.
Nearby, there are interpretive trails to explore, a beautiful beach to relax on, dunes to climb, and wooded areas to stroll through. The beach is even supervised by a lifeguard, which is perfect for families travelling with younger kids.
Cedar Dunes Provincial Park, the West Point Craft Shop, and a marina for pleasure craft and fishing boats are also close by and waiting to be explored.
Delicious Breakfast Included
We enjoyed the hot, home-cooked breakfast that was served at the Lighthouse. From delicious french toast and sausages to homemade banana loaf, and a variety of cold options including sliced oranges and kiwi, we definitely enjoyed our meal.
The tables are also set up to encourage guests to mingle. We met a lovely couple from overseas, as well as a local family who enjoyed staying at the Lighthouse yearly.
Super Instagram-Worthy!
You are staying in a Lighthouse! Of course, there will be a ton of Instagram-worthy photos just waiting to be taken. From the exterior beauty to the gorgeous design and decor touches, you are sure to find a plethora of opportunities.
Of course, the rainy weather we had quashed any hopes of taking the perfect sunset photos, but it is definitely something you don’t want to miss!
Cons:
There really aren’t too many negative things we had to say about our stay at the West Point Lighthouse Inn. But if we had to be really picky, here they are:
- There is no elevator. This means you have to carry your luggage up the stairs, which in our case, were quite narrow as we were staying in the Lighthouse. We are able-bodied (though chronic over-packers), so this was not a deal-breaker for us.
- There are not a lot of parking spots available near the entrance. An overflow lot is located just a short distance away but could be very inconvenient if you have a lot of gear to carry in.
- The windows in the Keeper’s Quarters are large but just inches off the floor. And because the room faces the parking lot, we needed to keep the blinds closed the entire time we were in the room. Again, not a deal breaker for actually being able to stay in the lighthouse.
- The air conditioning unit in the room is pretty loud. We actually turned it off for a bit so we could hear the waves. Neither the adults nor the kids had any issues sleeping with the unit on, though.
Don’t think this is the hotel for you? You can check out some of the other accommodations in PEI here.
Visiting the West Point Lighthouse Museum
Of course, no visit to the West Point Lighthouse Inn would be complete without a visit to the museum. Located inside the upper floors of the tower, you will find one of the Island’s most complete collections of Lighthouse information and memorabilia.
Climb the 72 stairs up to the top of the tower, to experience breathtaking 360-degree views from the lantern deck. Just a heads up, the staircase is pretty steep!
Inside this active lighthouse, you will find artifacts, displays and exhibits that tell the story of the community, the lightkeepers, the technology and the history of PEI’s most unique lighthouse.
All guests of the hotel have free access to the museum. And it is definitely well worth the visit! If you are taking an in-depth look at everything in the museum, you would need only about an hour to visit.
Hours: daily from 9:00 am until 9 pm (early June until late September)
Cost: Free for guests of the Inn. Otherwise $6 for adults.
Final Thoughts on Our Stay at the West Point Lighthouse Inn
We truly enjoyed our stay at the West Point Lighthouse Inn and can’t say enough good things about it. If you are a fan of lighthouses, then what could be better than falling asleep in this unique setting while listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach! From the unique accommodations to the wonderful staff, scenic location and fascinating museum, we would totally recommend this inn for families or couples alike. It truly was a one-of-a-kind experience!
Is staying in a lighthouse on your PEI bucketlist? We want to hear all about your experience!
Plan Your Prince Edward Island Getaway Using These Tools!
- ✈️ Book Flights: Skyscanner
- 🏨 Book Hotels: Booking.com | TripAdvisor
- 🏠 Book Rental Properties: VRBO
- 🚍 Prince Edward Island Tours: Viator | GetYourGuide
- 🚗 Book Car Rentals: Rentalcars.com
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