Sooke Harbour House History

The original site of the Sooke Harbour House served as the migratory camping ground of the T’sou-ke First Nations. 

The region remained largely unsettled until 1849 when Captain Grant of the British Fleet came ashore.  Other European immigrants followed Captain Grant including Andrew Muir.

Muir, the first Sheriff of Vancouver Island, purchased an 89-acre lot that included the area where the Sooke Harbour House now stands.  The property changed hands in 1925 when a Czechoslovakian by the name of Anthony Kohout purchased the property and established a successful auto camp and teahouse. To provide his guests with hotel style accommodation, Anthony Kohout built the Sooke Harbour House.  Since its completion, the two-storey clapboard farmhouse has operated as an inn and restaurant. It is one of the oldest existing BnBs in British Columbia.

Frederique and Sinclair Philip purchased the Sooke Harbour House in 1979. At that time it consisted of a small dining room and five small guestrooms with shared bath.
Their clientele grew rapidly. In 1986 they built ten additional guestrooms (rooms 6-15) and were the first ones to offer fireplaces and spa tubs in the rooms. In 1988, they finished a renovation that turned the original five guestrooms into three spacious and luxurious rooms (rooms 1-3).
In 1997, the final addition of 16 new guestrooms was completed. Two special event rooms, the Potlatch Room and the Garden Room, were also created at this time. This expansion allowed Frederique to expand on her love of art and provide four floors of local art exhibits. This is what the Inn looks like today. An elegant country auberge on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, a dining room where guests can watch eagles and seals play while they savour seasonal and local cuisine and 28 eclectically and artistically furnished guestrooms.