Best Hot Tub and Sauna Stays in Nanaimo

The Inn on Long Lake is the only one of the three that lists both a hot tub and a dry cedar sauna, and it also has gym equipment. It sits on Long Lake, about 10 minutes from downtown Nanaimo, and its rooms have lake views from a balcony or patio. A daily continental breakfast is served, and shuttle services run to Nanaimo Airport. With a rating of 8.5 across more than a thousand reviews, it is the one I would choose for a calm, wellness-focused stay away from the harbour. The lake setting also suits a slower trip, since you can step outside for a quiet look at the water before or after the sauna.

The Courtyard by Marriott Nanaimo gives you an indoor pool and hot tub with waterfront access near Nanaimo Harbour. Rooms are air-conditioned with city views, private bathrooms, a work desk and a sofa bed, and the hotel adds a fitness centre and a restaurant serving American cuisine for all meals. A casino is on site, which some guests like and others would rather avoid. I would book it for a central stay where walking along the harbour matters as much as the hot tub. The fitness centre and the restaurant mean you can exercise, eat and soak without leaving the building, which is useful after a long day of travel.

The Days Inn by Wyndham Nanaimo has harbour views, a heated indoor pool, a hot tub and an on-site restaurant. It is about 5.5 km from the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal and 10 km from the Duke Point Ferry Terminal, which suits travellers arriving by sea, and it has four designated pet-friendly rooms and a 24-hour front desk. Its rating is lower than the other two, at 7.5, so I would pick it when location and a heated pool matter most. The hotel also has meeting facilities, so it works for a short business trip as well as a leisure stop, with the hot tub ready afterwards.

Before you book, check which facilities are open at the hours you need, because hot tubs and saunas can have set opening times. If a sauna is essential, the Inn on Long Lake is the property that lists one. Pack a swimsuit and sandals, and plan one soak at the end of an active day, perhaps after a lake walk or a harbour stroll. Our editorial advice is to match the setting to the trip: lake for quiet, harbour for access. Because Nanaimo is compact, moving between the lake, the harbour and the ferry terminals takes little time, so you can change plans if the weather turns.