3 bedroom, 2 bath home plus office area with your own private 2-person hot tub. *** Contact us to inquire about longer multi-month stays *** Poet's Retreat is an immaculate, fully updated, oasis with your own private 2-person hot tub/spa, cozy gas fireplace, and an all-season gas barbeque on one of 2 private decks. It is fully furnished and supplied. All of this in an incredibly central location and beautiful neighbourhood - easy access to both highways, less than a 5-minute drive to restaurants and shops of the Old City Quarter, downtown, Nanaimo Harbourfront, VIU. The Aquatic and Ice Centres are under 10 minutes walk away (offering a full gym, great wave pool, and many drop-in fitness programs). Poet's Retreat also now has an EV charger so no need to leave your electric vehicle at home when exploring our beautiful island. Please enquire if you'd like to use this amenity as availability is limited. ✔THE SPACE: The large and light-filled open-concept great room with a gas fireplace is big enough for your group to very comfortably gather (extra large comfy sofa with ample space for everyone to relax) while being intimate enough for a private get-away for a couple. On a cool fall or winter's day, you'll love all of the natural light as you snuggle up in front of the gas fireplace with your favourite book and a steaming cup of tea or a nice glass of wine. In summer, you'll enjoy the ultimate space for relaxing with air conditioning for those heat waves. Through the large windows, you will see Mount Benson and the twinkling lights of Vancouver Island University (VIU) off in the distance. ✔OUTDOOR DECKS: The front deck is the perfect place to enjoy your morning coffee/evening sunsets while the back deck includes your gas barbeque (no propane tanks to deal with!) and 2-person hot tub for the ultimate in relaxation. What better way to end a wonderful day than to soak in the hot tub under the stars...? ✔ROOMS: Poet's Retreat offers 3 bedrooms (large master suite with sumptuous king bed and full en-suite bath, second bedroom with queen bed, 3rd bedroom with 2 twin beds - all well appointed with crisp white beddings, duvets, incredibly comfortable mattresses and plenty of pillows to ensure an amazing night's sleep in this quiet home). All bedrooms are on the upper level and all are equally well-appointed to ensure all our guests enjoy their stay (note black-out blinds/drapes in each room to ensure a great night's sleep). There are 2 full baths (a master full en-suite and a main full bath). We have ensured that the suite very comfortably caters to up to 6 guests, with each having ample space. All can enjoy cooking in the generously-sized and well-equipped kitchen and share a great meal at the beautiful dining table. The living room is spacious while also being cozy with ample space for everyone to gather and plan the day ahead, enjoy that second cup of coffee, or sit and enjoy a movie at the end of a breath-taking day of sightseeing. ✔WORK: The expansive dining table upstairs is a fabulous space to spread out with your laptop and paperwork. High-speed WIFI is provided throughout the suite. Workgroups have found Poet's Retreat to be an awesome space to accommodate everyone's work and relaxation time. ✔CENTRAL LOCATION: Just 2 minutes off the main island highway (Hwy 19), Poet's Retreat is also a great home base while you explore Vancouver Island. Victoria is 1.5 hours away, Tofino - is 2.5 hours, Coombs / Goats on the Roof - is 40 minutes, Parksville - is 30 minutes, ferry to Saltspring - is 45 minutes. And if you are seeking a ski weekend, you'll be skiing the slopes of Mt Washington within less than a 1.5-hour drive from Poet's Retreat. We are close to many of Nanaimo's amenities. Buttertubs Wildlife/Bird Marsh borders the neighbourhood, beautiful Westwood Lake is a short drive up the road, and Bowen Park is a short walk. The Old City Quarter is a 20-minute stroll away (or a 2-minute drive), and Commercial Street (downtown restaurants, shops) is a 5-minute drive away as is the Nanaimo harbour (or a 30-minute stroll). We are also within a 15 to 20-minute drive of Nanaimo's best beaches (Piper's Lagoon, Neck Point, Blue Back Beach). A short 8-minute walk through parkland brings you to the Nanaimo Ice Center and the Aquatic Center and various sports fields. Given its proximity to VIU and its great layout, Poet's Retreat is an ideal place for visiting professors and other professionals to enjoy during their stays in Nanaimo. Or for parents who might be in town visiting their VIU students! We are about a 15-minute walk to the university and can see the twinkling lights of the campus from the living room and front deck at night. Poet's Retreat is also within a 5-minute drive of the Nanaimo Hospital for doctors in residence, families visiting loved ones, etc. The Nanaimo Conference Centre is a 6-minute drive or 30-minute walk away. ✔BABY and CHILD FRIENDLY: Poet's Retreat is baby and child friendly. Upon request, a highchair/booster seat, pack'n'play crib, some baby-proofing essentials (including a properly mounted top-of-stairs gate), toys, and books can be provided along with children's dishware. They will also love the children's playground, which is 3 houses away. Please let us know if there are young children in your group so that we can ensure everything is in place. Note: our maximum occupancy is 6, including children/infants of any age. ✔ALLERGY POLICY: Poet's Retreat does not allow any pets at any time, in order to ensure that our guests enjoy the ultimate in comfort in an immaculately clean and fresh environment. All of our duvets are hypoallergenic for any of our guests with allergies. ✔SEPARATE TENANTED SUITE BELOW: ** Please note there is a separate lower suite on the property that is tenanted with its own entrance to the right of the building. There are no common/shared spaces and no interaction. Fully private. We do ask all of our guests to respect our neighbours and ensure that quiet hours from 10 PM to 8 AM are enforced** Earlier check-in or later check-out is possible, dependent on our bookings. Feel free to ask!