Our Story
Where Ocean Meets Elegance
Look, we're not gonna feed you some polished corporate line about "vision" and "mission statements." The truth? Back in 2008, our founder Maria Tharion was driving along Marine Drive after a particularly brutal week in corporate finance, and she had one of those moments - you know the type. She pulled over, watched the waves crash against the rocks, and thought "why am I not doing this every day?"
Three months later, she'd quit her job and bought this old waterfront property that everyone said was too expensive to renovate. They weren't exactly wrong - it took almost two years and way more money than we'd like to admit. But here's the thing about Maria: once she gets an idea, there's no talking her out of it.
The name comes from her Portuguese grandmother Quinta, who always said the ocean was the best medicine for anything life threw at you. Fifteen years later, we're still proving Grandma right.
We're not trying to be the biggest or the flashiest. Honestly, there are hotels with more rooms and fancier lobbies. What we've got is something you can't really put a price tag on - that feeling when you walk in and immediately your shoulders drop about two inches.
Our team's been with us for years. Like, our head chef Paolo has been here since year two, and our spa director Emma practically runs the place (don't tell her I said that). They care about this spot as much as we do, and you'll feel that the second you arrive.
We've kept things deliberately small - just 47 rooms. Could we expand? Sure. But then we'd lose what makes this place special. You won't get lost in a sea of tourists here. You'll actually remember your server's name.
Emma turned our spa into something that actually works. No weird treatments that nobody wants. Just really good massages, proper facials, and that cedar hot tub that overlooks the water. People come back just for that tub.
Paolo's got this thing about local ingredients - borders on obsessive, honestly. But it works. Everything's sourced within 100 miles when possible. The seafood comes from boats we can literally see from the terrace. It's the real deal.
Look, you didn't come all the way to the coast to stay inside. We've got kayaks, paddleboards, and hiking trails that'll make your Instagram followers jealous. Our concierge team knows every hidden spot worth visiting.
We've got about 60 people working here year-round, and another 20 or so during peak season. Most of them live right here in West Vancouver. Some have been with us since we opened, watching this place grow from that crazy expensive renovation project into what it is today.
There's David at the front desk who knows every guest's coffee order by day two. Marina in housekeeping who leaves those little origami cranes in the rooms (totally her own idea, we love it). And don't even get me started on how many proposals our events team has helped coordinate - last count was somewhere north of 200.
They're the real reason people keep coming back. Not the fancy linens or the ocean views - though those definitely help.
We're sitting on one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in BC, so yeah, we take the environmental stuff seriously. Solar panels on the roof, greywater recycling, composting program that actually works - it's not perfect, but we're trying.
Every year we do a beach cleanup with the local community. Started with maybe 15 people, now we get over 100. We've also partnered with the Marine Conservation Society to support their research programs. Part of every room booking goes to them - it's not much, but it adds up.
The way we see it, if we're gonna make money off this incredible location, we better make sure it stays incredible for the next folks.
We could keep talking about what makes this place special, but honestly? You've gotta experience it. The way the morning light hits the water, how the spa smells like eucalyptus and sea salt, that first sip of coffee on your balcony while watching the boats go by.
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