Fogo Island Inn was designed by Newfoundland-born, Norway-based architect Todd Saunders. The 43,000 square-foot Inn is perched on stilts and hugs the North Atlantic coastline, affording all 29 suites with floor-to-ceiling views of sea and sky.
All suites showcase the richness of their locality and clearly express a modern take on traditional Newfoundland outport design and décor. The Inn’s architecture is bold, optimistic, and distinctly of this place. Though radical in its design, the Inn still speaks to the traditional outport Newfoundland aesthetic. Two floors of guest suites sit atop the Inn’s stilts, a distinct nod to traditional outport fishing stages.
These stilts, or “shores,” underpin many of the buildings on Fogo Island due to the rocky, undulating topography.
They support the Inn while also minimizing the overall building footprint and impact on the adjacent rocks, lichens, and berries.
The Inn’s sharp angles and rough contours feel at home amidst Fogo Island’s jagged and uneven landscape.
The ancestors made their living by fishing for cod on the turbulent North Atlantic. Today, Fogo Island Inn honours and carries forward the history and culture of this singular place.
Fogo Island Inn has 29 guest suites and four suite types that showcase the richness of their locality and clearly express a modern take on traditional Newfoundland outport design and décor.
Rates are per night, based on a two night minimum stay and double occupancy.
Group rates are available upon request.
The Captain’s Quarters: a sublime outport sanctuary and a world unto itself.
The Flat Earth suite is oriented to the east and is a distinctive two-storey corner with commanding views to the north, east, and south. It is a singular space within the Inn and is suited for up to three persons.
This 102 square meters retreat features a lofted sleeping quarters and includes a walk-in shower, soaker tub, wood stove, and extra washroom.
The Fogo Island Suites are ideal for up to two, three, or four persons. Each suite is as spectacular and varied as Fogo Island itself. Among the Fogo Island suites are two large corner suites best suited for two persons.
The first is oriented to the west and offers direct views of Fogo Head and panoramic sunsets from your in-room soaker tub.
The other is cantilevered and hovering over the two-storey stilts and is oriented to the east: a perfect perspective from which to view fishing boats chugging in and out of Joe Batt’s Arm harbour.
Family-sized suites are also available within the Fogo Island suite category. These suites offer possibilities for two or up to three or four persons.
They include two king sized beds that can be reconfigured as twins and are suites with an adjoining feeling and generous and flexible spirits. Family suites can also be configured with a sitting room, a second bedroom, or a workspace.
All have a bath, walk-in shower, and wood stove. Some have an extra washroom.
Intimate nests for up to two persons on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors; all with stunning views of the wildest and most powerful ocean on the planet.
First floor suites benefit from an intimate connection to the 400 million year-old rocks of the rugged and fierce Back Western Shore; a place to feel the echoes of time in the rocks and the timelessness of the sea, yet to be tangled up with “the now” through closeness to the public spaces and the social nature of outport life.
The second floor Labrador Suites are a little removed from the ancient rocks of their first floor cousins.
These suites have a seabird's perspective on the world; a perspective that quickens the imagination and provides solitude to reflect and gather yourself.
Some of the third floors “architect's suites” are places to experience the roof-top rock installations; to see the building from within the building; to experience the architectural magic of this bold, contemporary, handmade gem.
While the others offer a direct line of sight of the Back Western Shore.
These suites are for up to two people and located on the 3rd and 4th floors.
The 3rd floor reverie rooms allow guests to experience the horizon as an unbroken line; to spend long lazy afternoons in Ineke Hans- designed Get Your Feet Up reading chairs; on cool days with a wood fire burning and on warm days with the windows open to the fresh ocean air.
The 3rd floor Newfoundland suites have a bath, shower and wood stove.
The soaring ceilings and drama of the 4th floor “skysuites” give a deep sense of oneness with the sky; these are places for up to two persons to pause and wonder - at the unexpected behaviour of light where this powerful landscape meets an even more powerful seascape -at the very edge of the North Atlantic.
These suites are steps away from the rooftop lounge (a great place for stargazing) and Northern European style rooftop sauna.
The 4th floor Newfoundland suites have a walk-in shower and wood stove.
The Kitchen Collective works around the clock to prepare and serve the bounty of the North Atlantic. Culinary team creates exceptional gastronomic experiences for guests dining over breakfast, dinner (lunch), and supper in the 48-seat vaulted-ceiling dining room and adjacent lounge.
The dining area offers unparalleled vistas through floor-to-ceiling windows of sunsets, storms, and the iceberg-littered Atlantic.
The talented dining team also takes care of on- and off-site catering with exceptional creativity and thoughtfulness.
Fogo Island Inn was awarded a coveted top-three spot as one of enRoute Magazine’s Best New Restaurants in Canada and in 2016 sits among Canada's 100 Best Restaurants.
Fogo Island Inn’s ethos is one of reverence and respect for Fogo Island’s distinctive bounty.
At Fogo Island Inn, the Kitchen Collective riffs on traditional outport cuisine and creates inspired dishes with local ingredients harvested from the island’s peaty soils, foraged from the salt-sprayed shoreline and wild-berry patches, fished from local waters, and raised and hunted regionally.
Everything coming out of the Inn’s kitchen is house made: caribou sausages, pickled quail eggs, grainy mustards, and berry-jewelled breakfast scones.
Daily prep includes a stint at the fire pit on the rocks overlooking the ocean, flame-charring root vegetables and slabs of meat in preparation for evening service.
The menu changes with Fogo Island’s seven seasons and is consistently a celebration of this place.
The lounge is an intimate space where guests can connect or cozy up to a wood-burning fire.
The lounge and bar areas feature a signature line of new Newfoundland cocktails which play off of longstanding traditions and combine them with new techniques.
The Inn’s beverage team are constantly dreaming up new creations using the flavours of the Island: garnishes such as Fogo Island berries, juniper-infused syrup, and dried wildflower petals are often ready at hand.
The bar carries almost any spirit you can imagine, including Newfoundland Screech, and cocktails can often be found shaken or stirred over iceberg ice depending on the season.
The bar stocks a variety of beer and an extensive wine collection from the best Canadian wines to those originating from Fogo Island’s traditional trading partners such as Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal.
The bar features stools for people who don’t like stools: expertly crafted and shaped to provide optimal comfort and stability. Those seeking the softest in seated accommodations can kick back in the plush Eadie chair designed by Donna Wilson.
In the evenings, the lounge and bar area are regularly adorned by local musicians singing traditional folk songs accompanied by gentle guitar or accordion. Guests are welcome to pick up the Inn’s guitar for a quick strum, or take a peek at the stars through the lounge telescope.
Traditional
One of the Inn’s most iconic spaces, the Dining Room features a dramatic vaulted ceiling and looks out over the ocean with views of the community of Barr’d Islands in the distance.
Depending on the season, guests seated in the Dining Room can watch icebergs bobbing in the waves, whales breaching offshore, or enjoy a front-row view of a savage North Atlantic gale.
The dining room’s distinctive chandeliers were conceived by Dutch designer Frank Tjepkema and feature a wildflower motif.
Fogo Island Inn’s kitchen and dining room are always hives of activity.
The Kitchen Collective works around the clock to prepare and serve food and drink that showcases all the Island has to offer.
Culinary team see themselves as innkeepers: always available to satisfy the needs of guests with their distinct and delicious culinary offerings and unparalleled service standards.
The kitchen is located adjacent to the dining room on the first floor of the Inn, with a separate pastry kitchen housed in the outbuilding across the southern courtyard.
Fully equipped and modern fitness room with panoramic ocean views (in case you need a little motivation.)
The fourth floor rooftop deck houses the Inn’s wood-fired saunas and two outdoor hot tubs. Once the decision was made to build the sauna on the rooftop, there was no reason to reinvent a longstanding Northern European tradition.
Seven Seasons consist of warm summers, snowy winters, a spectacular ice season, hopeful spring, June's trap berth season, bountiful wild berry picking in fall's berry season, and a temperamental late fall.
Fogo Island has seven singular seasons. Each provides a different perspective for getting to know Fogo Island, and perhaps yourself.
Walk along the ocean’s edge and collect pebbles, china, and coloured glass that have been worn round and washed ashore.
Get your blood pumping as you view the island’s stunning ocean vistas and rich landscape by bicycle.
At the end of the day, enjoy hot chocolate and marshmallows around a roaring beach bonfire where there’s sure to be a sing-a-long.
Word spreads fast when these tiny fish start rolling onto shore with the waves. Dip in your nets or buckets and scoop them up, or let a community host demonstrate the traditional cast-net method.
Spot caribou as they wander the island grazing and following the paths that are ‘their way’ – which often intersect with ‘our way.’
The 37-seat Fogo Island Inn cinema is a partnership with The National Film Board of Canada. Designed by Nick Herder, Fogo Island Inn’s 37-seat cinema features a state-of-the-art digital projection and sound system.
Glide across an amazing terrain that shifts between a little bit flat a little bit hilly.
From the warmth and safety of the Inn you can marvel at nature’s relentless and unforgiving forces that have shaped the way of life on this island.
Exhibitions at the Fogo Island Gallery feature new work by artists and curators who have participated in the Fogo Island Arts international residency program.
Inside a root cellar, the stone-walled room is dark, cool, and humid. These cellars have stored vegetables for centuries, and they tell the story of how Fogo Islanders the hotel was able to stay here in times of struggle.
The meeting room is located on the second floor of the Inn and represents a rejection of all things routine and ordinary in the realm of meeting spaces. The meeting room is multi-functional and has been employed for every type of event from concerts to corporate retreats.
Hike out to Joe Batt's point to visit the bronze sculpture of the Great Auk, created by artist Todd McGrain. Like too many other creatures, the Auk is now tragically extinct.
With over 200 km of paths, routes, and trails, Fogo Island is a rewarding destination for hikers and walkers alike. Trails can be tackled with or without a guide.
The traditional children’s pastime of jumping from one pan of ice to another in a game of follow-the-leader is thrilling - and dangerous! Opt for a tamer and safer version inside the harbours when the tide is low!
Skate on one of many ponds lit only by the moon and the brightest stars in the world. Or in the crisp morning air on the frozen solid harbour.
Each spring, 10,000 year-old icebergs sail past shores and grow larger each day before moving on to face their ultimate fates in warmer waters.
Located on the first floor of the Inn, the library features an extensive collection of fiction and non-fiction works pertaining to the history and culture of Newfoundland and Canada and is available for use by Inn guests as well as the general public of Fogo Island.
Join local people around a kitchen table or a bonfire as they share the history and culture of this place through story and song.
Islanders’ creative traditions of music and dance come alive during festival season.
Spend some quality time with the Inn’s charming, loyal, and immense Newfoundland dogs, who were named for the make and break engines traditionally used by fishers on the Island.
Fogo Islanders are shaped by the North Atlantic ocean. Swim in waves and let the ocean connect with you to shape and soften your spirit.
A favourite place for visitors and Fogo Islanders alike, the lapping waves and pebbled beach of Oliver’s Cove mingle to create a soothing, musical sound that becomes a wild orchestra when a huge sea rolls in.
Meander through bogs and marshes, picking wild berries that grow thickly and quietly from the ground- at least 20 different varieties grace island.
More than just a little boat, the punt is a reminder of history and culture and a token of the old outport way of life. These workhorses of the inshore fishery can be a handful to row.
Here, a trip to the beach can be as relaxing or adventurous as your heart desires. Sandy Cove is a swath of lovely sand with a fresh water brook finding its way to sea nearby.
A bird watcher’s paradise – spot gannets, eider ducks, cormorants, and murrs steps from the Inn.
As the ice moves into the harbour, so do the seals. Watching them scooch and slide around is entertaining on its own, but these creatures were also vital to the survival of Fogo Islanders.
Feel a hush over your soul as you glide across hills, ponds, and barrens.
Don handmade, bear paw wooden frame snowshoes for a coastal hike.
The Inn’s rooftop deck provides the perfect vantage point for an infinite view of the dizzying, star-filled night sky. Or take a peek through the Inn’s telescope for a more intimate perspective.
Tour the museums of Fogo Island – the Old School House, Experience Fogo, United Church, Bleak House Museum, Marconi Site, Marine Interpretation Centre, Brett House Museum, Dwyer Premises, Lane House Museum, and the Old Post Office.
Paradise for artists, tourists, and photographers, Change Islands is rich in geologic features and historical architecture including salt box houses, tidy gardens, and red ochre fishing stages and stores that hug its charming coves.
A glimpse of these majestic mammals will leave you feeling positively giddy, and you will never tire of watching them jump and play in the water.
FOGO ISLAND INN
210 Main RdJoe Batt's Arm NL A0G 2X0Canada