A hotel is usually built to make money for its owners, wherever they live. Fogo Island Inn was built to keep its surplus on the island. It opened in 2013, designed by Todd Saunders, an architect born in Newfoundland and based in Norway, after an eight-year process with islanders, designers, makers and artisans. It is a social enterprise under Shorefast, a registered Canadian charity, and all operating surpluses are reinvested in the island through Shorefast's programmes.
The stay itself is built to match. There are 29 rooms and suites, each with a view of the North Atlantic. The rate is full board: breakfast, lunch and supper, a welcome snack, a departure lunch pack, an all-hours In-Between menu with room service, and non-alcoholic drinks. Shared spaces and most land-based activities are included too. Alcohol is the exception.
Meals at any restaurant on the island are covered as well, which is a quiet way of sending guests into the community. Back at the inn, the kitchen under executive chef Timothy Charles cooks with what is fished, foraged and farmed locally and regionally.
The setting does the rest. This is Iceberg Alley, where April to June is the season for icebergs, and the dark skies suit stargazing. Northern lights are possible from late September to early April, conditions permitting, but the inn is typically open only from 1 April to 1 November, so any sightings fall at the edges of its season.
Getting there
Getting there is part of the idea. Fly into Gander or St John's, drive about an hour and a half from Gander to the Farewell ferry terminal, then take the ferry, about 45 minutes, to the island. Check the inn's current dates before planning: the minimum stay is three nights, and children aged eight and over are welcome.
Who it suits
People who want to go somewhere and be of some use to it, and who will take weather as part of the programme. It does not suit anyone in a hurry.
