One page, every number
Shawnigan Retreats has three things to rent and three ways to rent them — the 2-bedroom Cottage, the 6-bedroom Lakeside House, and the whole 2-acre property. Vacation nightly rates start at $999 in shoulder season and $1,999 in peak. Whole-property wedding weekends start at $19,000 for Sunday or weekday, $24,000 for Saturday shoulder, $36,000 for Saturday peak. Corporate retreats start at $4,500/night Lakeside House and $5,500/night whole property, three-night minimum. Cleaning fees are charged once per stay. Nothing is per-head. Nothing is a resort fee. Rated 4.96 across 24 verified Airbnb stays.
Nightly rates by property
Shoulder season runs October through May. Peak runs June through September — the four months the lake hits 24°C and the dock is warm by noon.
| Property | Sleeps | Shoulder (Oct–May) | Peak (Jun–Sep) | Cleaning fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage | 4 | $999/night | $1,999/night | +$200 |
| Lakeside House | 14 | $2,999/night | $5,999/night | +$450 |
| Whole property | 18 | $3,500/night | $7,500/night | +$650 |
All rates in CAD. Minimum 2 nights year-round; 3 nights during peak season. GST and PST applied at checkout. Whole-property rentals are exclusive use of the 2-acre estate — no other guests on the grounds.
Wedding weekend pricing
Two nights, whole property, Friday noon to Sunday 11am. The same property, the same two nights — the difference is the day of the week and the month.
Sunday & weekdays
Saturday, shoulder
Saturday, peak
All wedding weekends include both houses (sleeps 18), the grounds, the 60-foot west-facing dock, the sandy private beach, the Finnish sauna, the 6-person hot tub, the regulation pickleball court, and the chef's kitchen for catering. Catering, rentals, officiant, photography, and music are arranged separately through vendors on our preferred list. The rental fee is the same regardless of headcount — up to 50 seated or 70 standing reception. 50 percent deposit confirms the date; balance due 60 days before the event. See the weddings page for ceremony locations, timelines, and vendor logistics.
Corporate retreat pricing
Three-night minimum. Sunday-arrival, Wednesday-departure is the most common booking pattern.
| Option | Sleeps | From | Minimum stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside House | 14 | $4,500/night | 3 nights |
| Whole property | 18 | $5,500/night | 3 nights |
Includes 300 Mbps fibre WiFi, 85-inch presentation screen with HDMI and AirPlay, boardroom seating for 12, theater seating for 16, dedicated lake-view workspace, and team-building activities (pickleball, paddleboards, kayaks, sauna, Cowichan Valley winery tours). See corporate events for room layouts and agenda templates.
What's in every rate
If it's on the property, it's part of the rental. We don't charge extra for amenities you can see from the dock.
- 300 Mbps fibre WiFi — throughout both houses, the dock, the lawn.
- Parking for 12 vehicles — gravel turnaround at the top of the property.
- Linens and towels — every bed made, beach towels stacked at the door.
- Pantry starter kit — coffee, tea, salt, pepper, olive oil, paper towels, dish soap, laundry detergent.
- Firewood — for the fireplaces and the lakeside firepit.
- Amenities — Finnish sauna, 6-person hot tub, regulation pickleball court, paddleboards, kayaks, gym, home theater, games room.
- Dock and beach access — 60-foot west-facing cedar dock and sandy private beach.
- BBQ and outdoor dining — gas BBQ, propane refilled before arrival.
- Air conditioning and heat — both houses, year-round.
- Cleaning between stays — charged once as the cleaning fee, never per night.
- Owner-operator support — Brianna answers within four hours during business hours.
What's not included
Anything that requires a third party we don't run in-house. We'll connect you with someone we trust.
| Add-on | Typical range | Who arranges |
|---|---|---|
| Catering (plated dinner for 50) | $140–$220 per person | Vendor direct (we recommend) |
| Private chef (in-house, per day) | $1,200–$2,400/day plus groceries | Vendor direct |
| Bartender + bar service | $600–$1,200 per event | Vendor direct |
| AV upgrade (corporate, beyond the 85" screen) | $500–$2,500 per event | Vendor direct |
| Photographer | $2,500–$6,500 per wedding | Vendor direct |
| Florals | $2,000–$8,000 per wedding | Vendor direct |
| DJ or live music | $1,500–$4,500 per event | Vendor direct |
| Officiant | $400–$900 per ceremony | Vendor direct |
| Day-of coordinator / planner | $1,500–$4,500 per wedding | Vendor direct |
| Tent / rentals (chairs, linens, glassware) | $3,000–$12,000 per wedding | Vendor direct |
| Trip insurance | 5–10% of total booking | Guest direct |
| GST / PST | Applied to nightly rates and cleaning | Added at checkout |
Ranges are typical Cowichan Valley vendor quotes — we don't mark up vendors, take referral fees, or require you to use anyone on our list. The list exists because most of them have worked the property three or four times already. See vendors.
Booking terms
The short version. Brianna will send the long version when you book.
Deposit
Vacation rentals: 50% at booking, balance due 60 days before arrival. Inside 60 days, paid in full at booking.
Weddings: 50% non-refundable deposit confirms the date. Balance due 60 days before the event.
Corporate: 50% at booking, balance due 30 days before arrival.
Cancellation
Vacation rentals: Full refund 60+ days out, 50% refund 30–59 days, none inside 30 days.
Weddings: Deposit non-refundable. Balance fully refundable 90+ days out, 50% 60–89 days, none inside 60.
Corporate: Same as vacation rentals.
Check-in / check-out
Standard stays: Check-in 4:00 PM, check-out 11:00 AM.
Wedding weekends: Friday noon to Sunday 11am, exclusive use.
Early check-in or late check-out by request, subject to the housekeeping window.
Payment methods
Credit card, Interac e-Transfer, or wire transfer. All amounts in CAD. GST and PST applied at checkout. No booking fees, no resort fees, no service charges.
Minimum stay
Shoulder season: 2 nights minimum.
Peak season (Jun–Sep): 3 nights minimum.
Corporate retreats: 3 nights minimum, year-round.
Weddings: 2-night whole-property weekend, Friday noon to Sunday 11am.
House rules
No pets (service animals welcome with notice). No smoking indoors. Quiet hours 10pm–8am per Cowichan Valley Regional District bylaw. Maximum overnight capacity strictly enforced for insurance reasons.
Pricing questions
The six questions we get most often before someone books.
Why is your peak season pricing higher?
Peak season runs June through September — the four months when Shawnigan Lake hits 24°C, the dock is warm by noon, and every Saturday is a wedding-worthy sunset. Demand for those weeks is roughly four times what it is in November.
Peak rates are higher because availability is genuinely scarce; we book about 70 percent of peak weekends 12 months in advance. Shoulder season (October through May) is the same property, often the same weather mid-week, at roughly half the rate.
Do you charge per person?
No. The nightly rate is the same whether two people stay or fourteen, up to the legal sleeping capacity of each house.
No per-head fees, no extra-guest surcharges, no resort fees, no service fees, no booking fees. The number you see in the table is the number on the invoice, plus the one-time cleaning fee and GST/PST.
Is the cleaning fee mandatory?
Yes. The cleaning fee is a one-time charge per stay (not per night) and covers a full professional turnover — every bed stripped, every bathroom deep-cleaned, every surface wiped, hot tub drained and refilled if used.
$200 for the Cottage, $450 for the Lakeside House, $650 for the whole property. We don't ask guests to do dishes or strip beds on departure; the cleaning fee is what makes that possible.
Can I rent just one house?
Yes — but only when the other house isn't booked. The Cottage (sleeps 4) and the Lakeside House (sleeps 14) are rentable separately at the rates in the table above.
Because we don't run the property as two rentals simultaneously (no shared guests, ever), if one house is booked the other is held off the market unless the same party takes both. In practice this means single-house bookings tend to be easier in shoulder season; peak weekends usually go as the whole property.
What if I cancel?
Vacation rentals: full refund 60+ days before check-in, 50 percent refund 30–59 days out, no refund inside 30 days.
Wedding weekends: the 50 percent deposit is non-refundable once signed; the balance is fully refundable up to 90 days before the event, 50 percent refundable 60–89 days out, non-refundable inside 60 days.
Corporate retreats: same schedule as vacation rentals. We recommend trip insurance for any booking; we'll point you at a couple of providers if helpful.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, for wedding weekends and corporate retreats. A 50 percent deposit confirms the date; the balance is due 60 days before arrival for weddings, 30 days before arrival for corporate stays.
For weddings we'll split the balance into two or three milestone payments if it helps — 25 percent at 6 months out, 25 percent at 3 months, balance 60 days. Vacation rentals are paid in full at booking via credit card, e-transfer, or wire.
Hold the dates
Tell us what you're picturing. Brianna writes back within four hours during business hours with what's open and a soft hold on the calendar for a week while you talk to your people.