RRU Reviews

"A beautiful place, calm & stress-free. We all loved the room, the patio and the location. I specifically loved how close to the cultural center you are.  Thanks for the referral. Wonderful place to enjoy our 50th anniversary!  "

"After many years of working and living in northern Alberta my husband, Garry and I moved to the Shuswap to build our dream home.   When the home was in the planning stage we realized the home was going to be way to large for just the two of us and we began to explore the idea of opening a Bed and Breakfast Resort!  The location and view from our new home would be perfect BUT we knew nothing about running a B&B. I searched on line and found a web site that seemed to be the answer; it was a course taught by a gentleman whom had run a B&B in Victoria since 1997. We knew he would not only have all the answers to our questions but would have years of experience. I contacted Dieter Gerhard by phone and immediately felt at ease with discussing what steps we needed to take before opening our doors. Dieter booked us into his first course  – “How to start a Bed & Breakfast - for Aspiring Inn Keepers.”  We attended the course in February of 2013 while staying in the comfort of his B&B called the” Birds of a Feather”. We were the only ones taking the course so the setting was very informal and we felt privileged to receive “one on one” training.  Within eight hours Dieter covered all aspects of running a B&B from current legislation, financial aspects of running your own business, setting up your home, and marketing your business. Dieter told us at the start of the day that by the end of the day we would know whether this business was for us, or if he had stopped us from making the biggest mistake of our lives.  He was right! Before the day was over we knew we wanted to make this dream a reality. There was a lot to think about and do but with Dieter’s assistance, we laid out a plan of what were the necessary first steps to take and how to move forward. We realized that Marketing was a major obstacle for us and when Dieter offered to develop a Web site for us we knew that this would be money well spent!  Not only did Dieter have many years of experience of running a B&B first hand, but also he had a company called North Studio that developed web sites. Within six weeks and a few e-mails going back and forth our web site was ready. Garry and I travelled back to Victoria to spend two days of training on how to manage the new Web site. Garry and I worked with several staff members of North Studio over the next   two days. Jon who had created our web site worked extensively with us on how to maintain the web site. He was very knowledgeable and even though we are not that computer savvy, he let us learn at our own pace. We had several other staff members work with us to introduce us to Google +, Facebook and Pinterest. Each member walking us through these different sites and explained to us the added benefits of using these sites to market our new business. I am not going to lie to you, after two days of training we were a little overwhelmed with the scope of information we had taken in. But we came away with detailed notes and a team of experts who told us to  call any time. Well we are home now and have registering our B&B with Tourism B.C. and joining the local Chamber of Commerce.  We have been using social media to increase our exposure and drawing attention to potential new clients. The web site has only been up and running for two weeks and already we have started seeing hundreds of hits to our web site and have booked in several guests! Thanks to Dieter and his team we feel better equipped to succeed in this business! "

"What a beautiful setting and a wonderful place to relax and rest. We enjoyed our stay in room #1, the honeymoon suite for our 1 year wedding anniversary. We enjoyed the comfort of the room, the friendly staff @ Birds of a Feather, the scenic views... Kayaking in the lagoon and out to the lighthouse was much fun - even in the rain! Thank-you. Breakfast was wonderful! Matt did an excellent job and was great company. Although a short stay for us, we feel relaxed and rejuvenated from our daily life at home & were blessed to be able to enjoy the beautiful views from this room. Thank you again very much! "

"Hi, I'm Mya & I am 6 years old. I liked it when me & my mom got lost in the canoe. It was cool and when a bird came an inch close to me. And when I found a clam, it was big and dead and I liked it! "

"A year and half has passed since our 1st grandson was born - It was a great celebration too. Thanks for your comfortable accommodation. The sunshine this time made our time even grander. Saw the eagles too. "

"Home away from home while in residency at Royal Roads University! Thank you for fostering a calm quiet retreat for us students. The B&B is lovely and I will be rebooking for next years residency!  "

"Home away from home while in residency; at Royal Roads! Thank you for fostering a calm, quiet retreat for us students. The B&B is lovely and I will be rebooking for next years residency. "

"I had a great off campus experience at RRU, thanks to Birds of a Feather. My first few days downstairs in room 5 were good but room 1 was fabulous. I was here to work rather than be a tourist and it was a much nicer experience with views of the water and frequent visits by a variety of birds. When I graduate I'll be bringing my husband back to stay here. "

"It's a long story, but I'll leave it at the fact that this trip almost didn't happen. It was only overnight, but the lord brought things together so that I was able to make it, even if it was with an unexpected friend. What a delightful place this is! We truly enjoyed our time here! The entire weekend was a joyful blessing! God bless all who enter here. "

"Dieter + Co., I would like to thanks you for a wonderful 25th Wedding Anniversary Vacation. The room and location are so beautiful, both  Hope and I agree that it is more than we ever expected, your B+B we'll recommend to all that as for a good place to visit. Holly, the breakfasts each day were fantastic and we really enjoyed the conversations that went along with them. Good luck to you in the future be it here or back in England. We hope that the future is all that you want it to be. Stephanie and Andrea's Hot Stone Massage really hit the spot, and we thank them and we will be calling again when we return. As a bonus we just got a sendoff by a pair of sea otters, this place is so awesome. Thanks for a great time and we will be back. "

"A wonderful time. Ventured out to Metchosin to MyChosen Cafe for supper - would definitely recommend it. Thanks Dieter & Holly for superb breakfast   "

"Thank you Dieter & Holly for a great week. Our room & breakfasts were superb. We look forward to seeing you again. "

"Great spot here at Birds of a Feather! Loved Holly! Vancouver Island is spectacular & we certainly hope to return   "

"Last page in the guest book and a new beginning for me. I came for the birds & the bath tub, to soak myself out after a stressful time, needing to hear bird voices and silence. Thank you Dieter and Holly! The visit was all I hoped for & more. Loved lying in the bed watching Jupiter rise in the east sky before dawn. This room is as close to sleeping outdoor as one can get & still be inside! Lovely Enjoyed exploring new areas of natural beauty & love BC   "

"Every aspect of this B&B is wonderful!! : )   "

"We thought it would be just a rest from the city & the noise and it was all of that & more. Loved having the quiet spot with the swans, ducks & geese. No sirens to wake us up during the night so we slept well. Holly the breakfast was great & poached eggs for jack, thankyou. Loved the Chat at the breakfast table just like family. Great conversations. This was our 80th wedding anniversary (sept 27, 1952). Thank you again     "

"What a beautiful place for rest & relaxation! Tahnk you! We enjoyed the water, the place to stay, the BBQ etc. We were delighted to have a place that had space for grown kids. Thank you!   "

"This certainly was a nice spot to stay after our bike ride from the ferry! Thank you so much for our stay.   "

"Thanks for Sharing your lovely spot! Enjoyed it all!! Breakfast was lovely, both foor & company. Will be back   "

"Thank you so much for hosting us for the first two nights of our honeymoon. It was wonderful to relax at your B&B and we have not stopped telling friend and family about your wonderful spot. We are grateful to have been blessed by you for our wedding. "