The Spot

2.0 star property

Photo gallery for The Spot

King Studio Suite
Front of property
Interior entrance
Family Kitchenette, 2 Queen bedrooms suite
King Studio Suite | Living area

Reviews

8.4 out of 10
Very good

Popular amenities

  • Air conditioning
  • Housekeeping
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
950 Terminal Avenue N, Nanaimo, BC, V9S 4K4
  • Departure Bay Ferry Terminal
    ‪18 min walk‬
  • Vancouver Island University
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Duke Point Ferry Terminal
    ‪20 min drive‬
  • Nanaimo, BC (YCD)
    ‪19 min drive‬

Room options

2 Queen Room

  • 20 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

Studio Suite, 1 King Bed, Kitchenette

  • 20 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

King Studio Suite

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Similar properties

About the area

Nanaimo

With a stay at The Spot, you'll be centrally located in Nanaimo, within a 5-minute drive of Departure Bay Ferry Terminal and Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park. .This motel is 10.6 mi (17.1 km) from Duke Point Ferry Terminal and 1.1 mi (1.7 km) from Beach Estates Park.

What's nearby

  • Departure Bay Ferry Terminal - 18 min walk - 1.6 km
  • Nanaimo Regional General Hospital - 3 min drive - 2.0 km
  • Nanaimo Aquatic Centre - 4 min drive - 2.6 km
  • Vancouver Island University - 4 min drive - 3.0 km
  • Duke Point Ferry Terminal - 20 min drive - 20.3 km

Getting around

  • Nanaimo, BC (YCD) - 16 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Off the Hook - ‬20 min walk
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Tim Hortons - ‬20 min walk
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪White Sails Brewing - ‬19 min walk

About this property

The Spot

Motel with free parking, near Departure Bay Ferry Terminal
The Spot offers 10 air-conditioned accommodations with coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. Beds feature premium bedding. 50-inch Smart televisions come with cable channels. Refrigerators and microwaves are provided. Bathrooms include showers with rainfall showerheads, and complimentary toiletries.

Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones; free local calls are provided (restrictions may apply). Housekeeping is offered daily and irons/ironing boards can be requested.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 10 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. 50-inch Smart televisions with cable programming provide entertainment, while complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected. Private bathrooms with showers feature rainfall showerheads and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include desks and coffee/tea makers, as well as phones with free local calls.
Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access and a picnic area.
Featured amenities include express check-in, express check-out, and multilingual staff. Free self parking is available onsite.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free uncovered self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Things to do

  • Bicycle tours

Family friendly

  • In-room microwave
  • In-room refrigerator

Conveniences

  • Virtual front desk

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Picnic area

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Hand-held showerhead
  • Handrails in stairways
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk

More

  • 2 floors
  • Designated smoking areas
  • Renovated entire property - April 2022

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 50-inch smart TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Free local calls
  • Iron/ironing board on request
  • Laptop workspace
  • Phone

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Contactless check-in available
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
Guests planning to arrive outside of normal check-in hours will receive an email within 24 hours before arrival with check-in instructions and an access code; access will be through a private entrance
Prior to arrival, you must complete online registration via a secure link
You will be asked to provide the property with a copy of your government-issued photo ID after booking
A virtual front desk provides assistance to guests

Access methods

Access code, private entrance

Pets

Pets allowed for an extra charge of CAD 20 per pet, per night
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs and cats only

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Pet fee: CAD 20 per pet, per night
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit
Property Registration Number 5032890

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

Colonial Motel Nanaimo
Colonial Nanaimo
The Spot Motel
Colonial Motel
The Spot Nanaimo
The Spot Motel Nanaimo

The Spot Reviews

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 290 out of 576 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 163 out of 576 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 68 out of 576 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 27 out of 576 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 28 out of 576 reviews

9.0/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Megan

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Garth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place

Awesome place. Clean and neat 👌 would stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kira

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

2/10 Terrible

Joe

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
I was very disappointed to say the least with my recent stay at The Spot Motel. There was the noise of footsteps coming from the room above me and it was constant from the time I got there around 7pm until about at least 2am in the morning. I needed to wake up at 3am for an early flight at the airport so as you can imagine, I did not have a very good sleep at all at night. This is now the third time that I have had the same experience staying at The Spot. I called the hot line number who said they would talk to the guests above but they did nothing to remedy the situation. It seems clear there was someone living up above on some sort of permanent basis. I had always like The Spot because of its location and that it was nicely appointed with recent renovations. But sadly, I will not be staying at The Spot again and will be sure to also advise friends to avoid this motel. Personally, I believe I should be getting a refund for my recent visit because it was such a very unsatisfactory stay.

8/10 Good

Jennifee

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Natasha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The room was immaculate and the staff were so very friendly and helpful.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Neil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

Christie

Travelled with family, Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The spot was a great location for an overnight stay next to the ferry. Good location for some dining options. We stayed here during a snow storm and the only thing that sucked was their parking lot did not get plowed once while we stayed. Luckily it wasn't busy so it did not matter where we parked but it made getting in and out of the parking lot quite difficult.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

daniel, royston

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

daniel, royston

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I've stayed at this hotel three separate times, and each visit has been consistently great. The rooms are very clean, and the staff is incredibly helpful, responding quickly to any questions or issues. I really appreciate that you can communicate with staff via phone call or text, so there's no need to track someone down in person. The self check in and check out process is super convenient, making arrivals and departures hassle-free. The only minor downside is that some of the box springs are quite squeaky, so an update in that area would be nice. There is some road noise depending on where your room is but that's to be expected given the location. I will definitely be back!

10/10 Excellent

emma

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Meridee

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Well situated lovely rooms
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Xiao Margaret

Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

4/10 Poor

Stephen

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Room code incorrect / TV didn't work / no on-site security or support. Never again.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

Louis

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jacob

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Kelly

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our connecting ferry home was cancelled so we needed last minute accommodations. Our room was only $105 total for two queen beds, so I was happy with the value. There was no staff on site, so hence my rating. The rooms were nice, beds were comfy but our room smelled terrible. It had a very potent noxious odour that gave me a headache. I opened a window and was able to sleep, but if I was staying longer I wouldn’t have been able to spend much time in the room due to the smell. Otherwise I would book again.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Matt

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Zephyira

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jamie

Travelled with family, Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great price for a great place close to the ferry
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mickey

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Camila

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024