This Luxury Hotel on a Remote Canadian Island Is Like Staying at the End of the World

Alex Fradkin

There are no signs that lead to Fogo Island Inn.

Located on a remote island in Newfoundland, Canada, the hotel sits on a cliff that looks over nothing but miles of the North Atlantic Ocean.

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Just getting to the island itself takes some patience. From the closest airport, Gander Airport, visitors must drive one hour to catch a 45-minute ferry ride to Fogo Island. Getting to Gander requires a flight through Halifax or St. John’s.

Once visitors arrive at Fogo Island, they are greeted by the stark architecture of the hotel, designed by Todd Saunders, who grew up nearby. The building was inspired by old fishing shacks, and is perched on wooden stilts along the shore. It’s shaped a bit like a ship — 300 feet long and only 30 feet wide.

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But the brutal architecture is not indicative of the warmth inside the hotel. The furniture was built locally, by hand. In fact, everything about the inn was designed to immerse visitors fully in the area. There’s a “sponsorship” program that matches guests with locals who teach them about local cuisine and how to forage food. In the winter, locals take visitors out on Ski-Doo runs or snowshoeing through trails. All the hotel’s offerings aim to be as authentic as possible — there’s sketching on the coastline with a local artist or catching mackerel with local fishermen.

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Although that doesn’t mean that guests can’t use their time at Fogo Island Inn just relaxing in luxury. There are rooftop hot tubs, a 37-seat cinema, a contemporary art gallery, saunas and a library well-stocked with books about the region. The entire hotel has Wi-Fi, so even though guests may feel like they’re in a different world, they don’t have to drop off the grid.

There are 29 suites in the hotel, with nightly rates starting at $1,277.