Westin Bear Mountain (Victoria/Langford, BC) [Master Thread]
Jun 6, 2007, 7:28 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: NJ
Programs: UA LTG, AA LTG, Bonvoy LTP, IHG Plat, LHW Sterling
Posts: 2,405
I have decided to stay at the Marriott for my 3 day stay in July. I’m not expecting much charm or a “true BC experience", there… but I’m also a plat at Marriott and my company rate turns out to be to good to pass up (less than 1/2 the Westin rate). I have stayed at the Empress in the past… a beautiful old hotel… but the regular rooms are not so great. Still curious about the Westin, so I might stop by and take a look anyway.
Update: Never did check out the Westin, but the Marriott is a very nice property... one of the best Marriotts in North America.
Update: Never did check out the Westin, but the Marriott is a very nice property... one of the best Marriotts in North America.
Last edited by schriste; Oct 15, 2007 at 8:19 am
Jun 6, 2007, 11:08 am
#17
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: YVR
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Plat (earned as Starwood), Canadian Amex Plat & resulting statuses, WestJet Silver
Posts: 663
Jun 6, 2007, 11:10 am
#18
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: YVR
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Plat (earned as Starwood), Canadian Amex Plat & resulting statuses, WestJet Silver
Posts: 663
The Wick is an amazing facility but it's in Tofino, which is several hours' drive from Victoria. I spent Christmas '06 there and it was a truly memorable experience with breathtaking views (although we got a little bored after day 2). It's well worth checking out at least once in your life.
Last edited by tjk1976; Jun 6, 2007 at 11:15 am
Aug 21, 2007, 9:37 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
It is a very nice hotel, but note it is not really in Victoria, but rather a 20 min-45 min drive depending on traffic from downtown. Other posters have mentioned the Marriott, and Fairmont Empress. Marriott is a solid modern choice. Empress is pure class, but be sure to spring for a Entree Gold level room which is really worth the value here. As for the development at Bear Mountain, this project will continue for a few years. There is nothing in proximity to the area really... excellent hotel, but hardly Victoria Charm.
Aug 21, 2007, 10:30 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Aug 21, 2007, 10:53 am
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
Posts: 7,664
I had a two night stay at this property last weekend 8/17-19 and as far the hotel goes all that has been posted here is quite true.
Got upgraded to a large corner suite in the main building with two fireplaces and a huge sitting and dining area. The hotel service was outstanding and we had an excellent dinner on Friday at their top Panache restaurant.
But I must say I found the amount of construction both adjacent to the hotel and in the general area nearby quite off-puttiing. I have no doubt that when the construction winds down this will be a truly outstanding hotel but we were awakened one morning by loud hammering/drilling at one of the construction sites just to the the right of the front entrance.
Plus I am not sure if its part of the golf course ( new greens?) or new apartments/houses going to be built but most of the lower ground surface area ( one looks down on a part of the golf course and all the above areas are to the right and left of the existing course from a lobby level patio) at the front facing the mountains were scraped bare of all vegetation ... attractive it was not.
mike
Got upgraded to a large corner suite in the main building with two fireplaces and a huge sitting and dining area. The hotel service was outstanding and we had an excellent dinner on Friday at their top Panache restaurant.
But I must say I found the amount of construction both adjacent to the hotel and in the general area nearby quite off-puttiing. I have no doubt that when the construction winds down this will be a truly outstanding hotel but we were awakened one morning by loud hammering/drilling at one of the construction sites just to the the right of the front entrance.
Plus I am not sure if its part of the golf course ( new greens?) or new apartments/houses going to be built but most of the lower ground surface area ( one looks down on a part of the golf course and all the above areas are to the right and left of the existing course from a lobby level patio) at the front facing the mountains were scraped bare of all vegetation ... attractive it was not.
mike
Last edited by MIKESILV; Aug 21, 2007 at 12:47 pm Reason: spelling etc
Aug 21, 2007, 11:17 am
#25
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: YKZ
Programs: AC MM SE, Marriott Titanium - Lifetime Plat 2nd Class, National Executive, Avis PP
Posts: 681
They are adding a secong 18 hole course to the property.
I stayed here in June with 2 clients, and they upgraded all 3 of us to suites ! The food is great, and so was the course. A bit of a drive from Victoria, but worth it IMHO.
I stayed here in June with 2 clients, and they upgraded all 3 of us to suites ! The food is great, and so was the course. A bit of a drive from Victoria, but worth it IMHO.
Jun 5, 2008, 12:40 pm
#27
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Pismo Beach, CA
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite, UA Premier 1K, TAP Silver, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,544
Jun 18, 2008, 11:29 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Pismo Beach, CA
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite, UA Premier 1K, TAP Silver, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,544
Back from Bear Mountain
Finally my report. We stayed for 3 nights. The room was nice with a very nice bathroom. It's about 20 min by car to downtown. The weather was cold and rainy which didn't help. There's a heated pool and hot tub outdoors. They have a great restaurant Panache. Food and service were exquisite!!!
Overall, given how much we paid and the weather and that we're not golfers, I wouldn't stay again. I'd rather stay downtown. But other than a lot of surrounding construction, there's nothing bad to say about the place.
Overall, given how much we paid and the weather and that we're not golfers, I wouldn't stay again. I'd rather stay downtown. But other than a lot of surrounding construction, there's nothing bad to say about the place.
Jun 18, 2008, 2:25 pm
#30
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: MKE
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Plat Pro, MR LTP, others from cards
Posts: 890
I was there for three nights last week, with wife and baby.
The construction is not too bad now -- you can see them working on a timeshare or condo place a little down the hill but the noise wasn't that disturbing even on the terrace.
The general vibe reminded me a lot of the Westin Whistler, but not quite as fancy. We were upgraded to a two room suite in the center of the main building, on the second floor. Being on the second floor facing the golf course means you have a big patio rather than a regular balcony so it is actually good. There was some paneling in the living room and a decorative fireplace. Well furnished with stone-like ceramic tiles giving a touch of character to the generic Westin-ness of the room. The bathroom had a deep tub and a shower.
A big plus was the kitchen in the suite -- very well equipped. I think there are kitchens in regular rooms too. There's a good supermarket on the way in from the highway in the mall you'll pass on the right. Less than two miles from the hotel. It wasn't cheap in general but in Canada the deli items are better value than in the US for some reason and salads, samosas, etc made good snacks. With the baby it was nice to have the option to eat in the room and the flexibility of a fridge and full kitchen. The same mall has a couple of restaurants if you get bored with the hotel.
Weather was, as the other poster noted, mostly raining. Which is a risk in BC at any time of the year. We enjoyed the stay anyway, taking turns in the warm and spacious outdoor heated pool. The gym is set up as a freestanding health club next door, and my fill up with retirees once the development is fully populated. Right now it is well staffed, very well equipped and (with the exception of the hot tub) almost empty.
Service in general was excellent. Eating facilities on site were a bit limited. The "fine dining" restaurant is just an annex of the main restaurant and only operates Wednesday-Sunday. We were there Sunday evening to Wednesday afternoon and so missed it. The Sushi restaurant in a separate building was "closed for rennovation." So that left a sandwich/pizza/pasta/snack menu in the grill or a different sandwich/pizza/snack/pasta menu in the pub next to the Sushi restaurant. On the plus side the food in the grill was very tasty.
Two more plusses: free wireless internet and the $15 resort fee wasn't charged us. I assume this is because of platinum status -- I didn't dare to ask why in case they changed their minds. Also free parking is always welcome.
There's a nice view of the mountains but little is walkable unless you want to go about a mile and a half down the resort drive to the mall. A coffee shop has opened up in the village and a "marketplace" that promises dry cleaning, a salon, etc. is under construction. Walking options are very limited. We followed an unmarked path through the complex that turned out to be the golf cart path around the edge of the course. So when the rain subsided and golfers started the security came to chase us away. There weren't any warning signs where we turned onto the path. That route has great views, but if you don't play golf you won't really see any. You'd have to drive some distance for a public park to walk in the woods. To be honest I think Victoria is way overrated, but it's half an hour away and has many rainy-day tourist traps and one really good museum.
If you want some luxurious SPG mountain resort resting in BC then it really comes down to this or the Westin Whistler. If you golf then I imagine Bear Mountain is wonderful -- a second course is opening soon. If you don't then Whistler has some big advantages. It's in a huge, well planned complex which means easy walking to big shopping village, lots of restaurants and other hotels (we had a great dinner in the Four Seasons Whistler) and lots of trails for hiking, jogging, etc. Whistler has a nice steam room, which Bear Mountain doesn't. Whistler has real mountains, while Bear "Mountain" is more real-estate speak for a hill. In general the mainland has more spectacular scenery than the island. It's also easier to get to Whistler as no ferry is needed. Plus at least one lift runs in Whistler year round, so you can take it up the mountain and hike down.
For June both Whistler and Bear Mountain were available cash and points for some dates. But Whistler is Cat 5 and Bear Mountain is Cat 3. So if you have more time than money/points it's hard to argue with the value. $45 plus 2,800 points a night probably don't buy you a nicer, newer SPG hotel with better upgrade potential anywhere in North America. (You might combine this with a stay at the Starwoods in downtown Vancouver, sadly all now risen from Cat 3 to Cat 4, which offer great upgrades and good value on cash and points stays). Just be ready to make your own entertainment when it rains.
The construction is not too bad now -- you can see them working on a timeshare or condo place a little down the hill but the noise wasn't that disturbing even on the terrace.
The general vibe reminded me a lot of the Westin Whistler, but not quite as fancy. We were upgraded to a two room suite in the center of the main building, on the second floor. Being on the second floor facing the golf course means you have a big patio rather than a regular balcony so it is actually good. There was some paneling in the living room and a decorative fireplace. Well furnished with stone-like ceramic tiles giving a touch of character to the generic Westin-ness of the room. The bathroom had a deep tub and a shower.
A big plus was the kitchen in the suite -- very well equipped. I think there are kitchens in regular rooms too. There's a good supermarket on the way in from the highway in the mall you'll pass on the right. Less than two miles from the hotel. It wasn't cheap in general but in Canada the deli items are better value than in the US for some reason and salads, samosas, etc made good snacks. With the baby it was nice to have the option to eat in the room and the flexibility of a fridge and full kitchen. The same mall has a couple of restaurants if you get bored with the hotel.
Weather was, as the other poster noted, mostly raining. Which is a risk in BC at any time of the year. We enjoyed the stay anyway, taking turns in the warm and spacious outdoor heated pool. The gym is set up as a freestanding health club next door, and my fill up with retirees once the development is fully populated. Right now it is well staffed, very well equipped and (with the exception of the hot tub) almost empty.
Service in general was excellent. Eating facilities on site were a bit limited. The "fine dining" restaurant is just an annex of the main restaurant and only operates Wednesday-Sunday. We were there Sunday evening to Wednesday afternoon and so missed it. The Sushi restaurant in a separate building was "closed for rennovation." So that left a sandwich/pizza/pasta/snack menu in the grill or a different sandwich/pizza/snack/pasta menu in the pub next to the Sushi restaurant. On the plus side the food in the grill was very tasty.
Two more plusses: free wireless internet and the $15 resort fee wasn't charged us. I assume this is because of platinum status -- I didn't dare to ask why in case they changed their minds. Also free parking is always welcome.
There's a nice view of the mountains but little is walkable unless you want to go about a mile and a half down the resort drive to the mall. A coffee shop has opened up in the village and a "marketplace" that promises dry cleaning, a salon, etc. is under construction. Walking options are very limited. We followed an unmarked path through the complex that turned out to be the golf cart path around the edge of the course. So when the rain subsided and golfers started the security came to chase us away. There weren't any warning signs where we turned onto the path. That route has great views, but if you don't play golf you won't really see any. You'd have to drive some distance for a public park to walk in the woods. To be honest I think Victoria is way overrated, but it's half an hour away and has many rainy-day tourist traps and one really good museum.
If you want some luxurious SPG mountain resort resting in BC then it really comes down to this or the Westin Whistler. If you golf then I imagine Bear Mountain is wonderful -- a second course is opening soon. If you don't then Whistler has some big advantages. It's in a huge, well planned complex which means easy walking to big shopping village, lots of restaurants and other hotels (we had a great dinner in the Four Seasons Whistler) and lots of trails for hiking, jogging, etc. Whistler has a nice steam room, which Bear Mountain doesn't. Whistler has real mountains, while Bear "Mountain" is more real-estate speak for a hill. In general the mainland has more spectacular scenery than the island. It's also easier to get to Whistler as no ferry is needed. Plus at least one lift runs in Whistler year round, so you can take it up the mountain and hike down.
For June both Whistler and Bear Mountain were available cash and points for some dates. But Whistler is Cat 5 and Bear Mountain is Cat 3. So if you have more time than money/points it's hard to argue with the value. $45 plus 2,800 points a night probably don't buy you a nicer, newer SPG hotel with better upgrade potential anywhere in North America. (You might combine this with a stay at the Starwoods in downtown Vancouver, sadly all now risen from Cat 3 to Cat 4, which offer great upgrades and good value on cash and points stays). Just be ready to make your own entertainment when it rains.