OverviewThis mountainside hotel is nestled in a resort "village", adjacent to two Jack Nicklaus designed golf courses. This hotel is popular with golfers, guests that are seeking resort accommodations and amenities and with families that are seeking spacious rooms with fully stocked kitchens. Other on-site amenities include a heated outdoor pool (open seasonally), a covered hot tub (open year-round), a spa and a fitness centre.
There are 156 rooms in this non-smoking hotel. Guests can choose from Traditional rooms with kitchenettes or from more spacious Suites, that have a separate bedroom and a fully stocked chef's kitchen. There is a 1200sq ft Penthouse available as well, that has two floors. Included with all rooms is free WI FI, a deep soaker tub, village or mountain views, a hair dryer, and an iron and an ironing board. Free parking is available on site and pets (small dogs up to 40lbs only) are allowed at a charge of $20/night. There is a resort fee of $15/day which covers access to the athletic facilities and golf bag storage.
There are a few restuaurants located nearby the hotel, but guests can opt to dine on site at Bella Montagna, open Monday-Saturday from 7:30am-10:00pm. Guests can also dine at the Tapas at the Masters Lounge, open daily 11:30am-10:00pm.
This resort draws guests that are mostly interested in the activities that are immediately surrounding the hotel, like the golf courses and the mountain. Guests wanting to visit Victoria's major tourist attractions will need access to a vehicle. The Inner Harbour, BC Whale Tours, BC Maritime Museum and Butchart Gardens are all just under a 30 minute drive away. Guests travelling by air will need to budget roughly 50 minutes to travel the 36.5km between the hotel and Victoria International Airport (YYJ) (distances and driving time estimates: Google Maps)
Check-in is at 3:00pm, while check-out is at 12:00pm.
Confirmed with a front desk agent: WI FI, parking and resort fee (call date: June 25, 2012).
The GoodFor guests that had a positive experience at this hotel, much of it could be attributed to good customer service and to the size and configuration of the rooms.
Of the positive reviews used for this analysis, guests indicated that they received good service from staff, and made particular mention of staff at check-in and staff at the valet. They used words like "fast" and "friendly" to describe their impressions.
Guests were largely impressed with both the size and the layout of the rooms. Many guests commented on the comfort afforded to them because of the size (particularly in the eating areas and kitchens of the suites). Some guests travelling with children or with several people in their party said that there was ample room for everyone. One guest described their suite as having "every comfort you could possibly think of".
Several guests commented as well on the serenity of the location, and indicated that the surroundings were scenic and peaceful.
There were some additional comments from guests who enjoyed the pool, the hot tub and the spa services.
The Bad
Guests, according to the reviews used for this analysis, were generally pleased with their stay at this hotel, but there were a few common areas among complaints, including the remoteness of the location and what some guests considered hidden fees.
While many of the guests staying at the hotel liked the resort setting, and being removed from the downtown area, some felt that it was too isolated, and that the 24-minute drive to get to the downtown area was inconvenient.
Guests at this hotel are levied an additional resort fee, which some guests objected to. One guest felt that this fee was "hidden", and therefore unfair. Another guest felt that the fee was unreasonable, given that they did not participate in any of the resort activities.
A few guests felt that the walls were thin, and complained of noise from guests in neighbouring rooms. One guest said that "noise from rooms next door carries very easily".
There were some peripheral complaints that centred on lack of parking spots and difficulty in getting housekeeping in to clean the room.
Confirmed with a front desk agent: WI FI, parking and resort fee (call date: June 25, 2012).
TripAdvisor.com guest reviewers ranked this hotel #11 out of 69 Victoria hotels, based on 166 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviewers rated this hotel 9.2 out of 10, or "superb", based on 9 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviewers rated this hotel 4.6 out of 5, based on 34 reviews. 97% of guests would recommend this hotel.
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Analyzed by Heather W.
Driven by the sense that every person, place or thing has a story to tell and a skill for being in the wrong place at the right time, Heather is a well-traveled writer.
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