The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Victoria

Just stayed here for a 5 day seminar. The food was fantastic and plentiful. The spa was great and the morning yoga class was nice, not to stressful for a first timer. The hot tub and pool were outside with spectacular views of the area even at night. Good staff and very attentive, helpful without being intrusive. The room was in the building away from the clubhouse, had good view of the golf course and mountain trail. Even in the fog and mist it was relaxing to sit on the balcony. For Feb. In Canada it was a wonderful surprise!

Outstanding experience as always. They recognize my SPG platinum status and always go the extra mile to make sure I am comfortable and cared for. Excellent views and beautiful property — this is the best kept secret in the Victoria area (it is about 30 mins from town, but worth the drive!)

Arranged pick up shuttle from the hotel, $ 15 per person. Our driver Bob was super nice, very informative and kind. Arrived at the hotel and checked in, we booked our shuttle to get to and from Bushchart garden, and shuttle to get back to the Inner harbor. since we are using their shuttle services often, we are given a discount price $ 20 per person to the BC garden and $ 30 to the harbor. Good deal because taxi will be double the price. The report is huge! Great get away place to relax and destress! Swimming pool and hot tub, big gym with tons of equipments. Spa and lounge is in the main building! And a restaurant is located diagonal from the main building called Jacks and Kumi Sushi. The only sucky thing is u have eat the food here at the resort or use a type of transportation to get down to Langford for better food. Their hotel food is decent but over priced and the restaurant across is bar food, those are options. Can’t complain much though, the hotel is surrounded by beautiful mountains and lush of greens! I love Canada!

I went to this hotel since we were traveling with my girlfriend to Victoria, BC, Vancouver Island, and I wanted to spend some of my SPG (Starwood Preffered Guest) points which I accumulated during my consulting job (too much travel).
The first surprise was that the mapping software showed it as near downtown Victoria, but it turned out that it is waaay out! Took $ 40 cab ride from downtown Victoria to get there!
I was pretty pissed as it was because of the cab ride, but then the clerk at the reception would not give us the Queen-​bed room we reserved, but a room with two double beds! The hotel was almost empty, so availability was not the issue.
Now comes the most infuriating moment:
When I told the clerk that I am SPG Gold Preffered Member and should get some consideration, he replied arrogantly that: ‘most their guests get the SPG membership, so it is not that big of a deal; ???
I tried to explain to this guy that I am GOLD member, which means I stayed at Starwood properties OVER 10 TIMES the previous year, but the guy would not listen and just kept in his condescending tone, even mentioning that I reserved with points, so I would not be paying anyway! THE ATTITUDE!!!
This attitude absolutely ruined my stay there, although the property was really nice and the hotel almost new; rooms are well-​furnished and bathrooms and tubs are amazing.
The most mind-​blowing thing was that I wrote to the Starwood customer service email complaining about the experience and they actually took the clerk’s side!!! That was the last drop in the cup!
When I got back I talked to my Consulting Practice Manager that I would not stay in Starwood properties anymore, which was tricky, since Starwood is (was) our preferred accommodations provider, but now that’s settled too. Thanks for nothing Starwood!

My wife and I loved it here! The staff was super friendly, the grounds were beautiful and the rooms were clean, large and comfortable. The bed was amazing and the fireplace was a great plus. We will come back next year! Thanks Westin!

The Mountain course is very challenging even for good golfer and the view from the 14^th is spectacular. Lots of blind shots and lots of walking, even w/​cart. Very tough course but the view is worth the admission.
Valley course is not worth the money. Tough, tough undulating greens.

We played two rounds of golf and ate lunch. The consensus among our group of eight was this: beautiful golf course, less than friendly staff, over priced drinks and wretched food. Who ever heard of a smoking ban outdoors? They claim this is for fire safety, last I checked we were adults and the golf course is watered so I’m not buying it. The staff takes every opportunity to remind you of their numerous rules and acts like they are doing you a favor in the process. The carts have GPS, but you will need to tap through an ad after every shot, and cuts the speed in half on every minor hill. After all, it’s not like we have drivers licenses for real cars or anything. Also when the marshal tells you to speed up, even though there is no one behind you, that usually goes over poorly. And the food; fish and chips with a ¼ inch thick breading (6mm for the metric readers) screaming ass microwave hot in the center but with raw batter inside… And the waitress thought it would be cute to make a smart ass comment while I am trying to add up golf scores. Maybe I’m just too much of a blue collar caveman to see how lucky I am to be allowed the privilege of rubbing shoulders with the «almost country club» crowd.
Only play here if you can get the golf for half price and do not buy the food under any circumstance.

I had a comfortable stay at the Westin Bear Mountain in Victoria, BC. This property is not the easiest to get to; however, it is worth the drive. We were given a room with two queen beds and a balcony to boot! Looking at the map of our floor, it seems like we were given the smallest room on our floor. But the room was huge — there was ample space, with a little kitchenette (without a stove). I can only imagine what the other rooms were like.
Things that need to be improved:
— No verbal recognition of SPG status upon checkin (i.e. we were not prompted to select our welcome amenity).
— Linens had stains on them! Coffeemaker had not been cleaned from previous use. Housekeeping definitely needs to pay more attention to detail.
I’d come back again if I were in the Victoria area; however, I would really check the cleanliness of the room before I «settled in.»

I have worked for a Westin Hotel for five years — and I’ve worked in the hospitality/​tourism industry for basically my entire working life. You would think I’ve stayed at a lot of hotels — but I haven’t. I always say «I work in them, I don’t stay in them». During my recent visit to Victoria I asked my friend (who lives there) if she would like to have a ‘girls night getaway’ in Bear Mountain. I was really excited to stay at another Westin hotel.
This resort looks much better in person than it does online, and it looks damn good online. From the elegantly rustic lobby to the breath taking golf course views, it makes me wish I had stayed in more hotels/​resorts in my life. This was what I was missing out on?
We had a traditional room, with two queen size heavenly beds, located in the Clubhouse building. I had originally booked in the Fairways building — but I’m super glad they moved us. Our guest room had a large washroom with a soaker bathtub and stand-​up shower. The shower head was amazing — it was not the typical Westin shower head you would have in most hotels, it was large, square and made you feel like you were showering in a tropical rain forest.
Our room had a pretty decent sized balcony overlooking the gorgeous golf course — we spent quite a bit of time sitting out drinking wine in our bath robes watching the golfers. The calming music you could hear outside coming from Santé Spa (located in the same building) was very relaxing.
There is also a ‘kitchenette’ type area in the room. The cupboard is stocked with wine glasses, plates, bowls etc — and the drawers with cutlery. There is a coffee machine with Starbucks coffee and some milk/​creamers keeping fresh in the mini-​fridge.
My favourite place was the Athletics building. Each person I encountered at their front desk was very friendly, cheerful and helping. The building itself is very nice. When you first walk in there is a small store set up — a selection of bathing suits etc. To your right is the first fitness area, upstairs there are two more. The fitness rooms were filled with windows offering panoramic views of the property. They also have a Cross Fit room located on the ground level. The purpose of my visit to this building was for their heated outdoor pool and hot tub.
When we arrived, around 4pm-​5pm the pool area was very, very busy! Between people tanning on the loungers to children making waves in the pool it was a popular top. We waited until after 5 to go back, hoping it would have settled down — and it did. It is such a beautiful pool area I could have stayed there all night. We returned the next morning around 8am and had the entire pool and hot tub to ourselves for an hour! It was pure bliss.
For dinner we ate at Jack’s Place. It is located on the Bear Mountain Resort property but not owned or operated by the Westin. Their menu is very extensive offering almost everything from pub food to sushi; great service and great prices.
The only issue I had during my stay wasn’t much of an issue at all. At check-​in I requested to pay for the guest room up front. The guest services agent told me that they do not accept payment prior to check-​out. That seems very strange to me as this hasn’t been a problem anywhere else — including my own hotel. You would think if someone wants to give them money that they would take it. I just paid at check-​out anyway; the GSA at that time was much friendlier overall.
I had such a great stay at the Westin Bear Mountain I didn’t want to leave. I envy each guest who are regulars at their property.

A fantastic stay in all ways, and truly exceeded my expectations.
— Customer Service: Wow! With no exaggeration the best service I’ve had in my life. All of the hotel staff is very willing to help. It would take a whole review to share all the stories of exceptional care and attention. If you want something just ask, they will surprise you.
— Hotel Rooms: The rooms are a steal at twice the price. We paid roughly 120 a night during our stay and got a full suite that’s nearly as big as our town home. The kitchen is complete and full. The bed is so comfortable we’re seriously considering purchasing one for home. My only complaint is the internet is spotty. I will note that I’m a software developer so I have pretty high expectations for connectivity. Many people won’t notice.
— Food: The food in the hotel is serviceable if a bit overpriced for what you’re getting. We had a great breakfast, and mixed dinner during our stay. Those 2 meals were 120 dollars. I highly suggest going to a nearby grocery store and stocking up the ample fridge and cabinate space if you plan an extended stay.
— Events: During our stay we went to two events. A family skate where they took us into Langford in a luxury bus. It was a great deal of fun and the even coordinator Heather was exceptionally pleasant. The other was a flight of wines tasting that was an exceptional value. High quality wine for a very affordable price.
— Convience: Getting into town off season is a challenge. However, the manager Colin went out of his way to make sure we got a ride into town. During the season the city of Langford has a trolley to take you into town. Taxi rides to Langford cost about 10 – 12 Canadian. A taxi ride to the airport is around 70. Look into renting a car as needed in Langford. For us it was affordable and they were willing to come pick us up from the resort.
— Workout facilities: Very serviceable. The staff was agreeable and friendly, the yoga classes quite high quality and up there with a quality Yoga studio, I’d rate the classes as intermediate plus. The pool and hot tub are outdoors but heated and quite comfortable even in winter. The facilities are a bit cramped as the locals spend a fair amount of time there.
— Hiking: The local hiking is really intense. My wife and I have hiked quite a bit in the Hill Country in Texas, so we felt pretty confident we could handle the ⁵⁄₅ difficulty trail. We were wrong. the ³⁄₅ was hard but comparable to the hardest hiking we’d done previously. The locals are used to it so be prepared to be embarrassed. That said the natural beauty is exceptional with very tall pines, lush greenery, and rising mountain mists.
My wife and I have had a great time here and expect to make the trip as often as possible. This feels like our second home now.

Excellent. I live in Victoria and when it’s time for some R&R — this is where I head.

We really enjoyed staying at Bear Mountain Resort. It is a beautiful hotel in a beautiful setting. Far enough away from the city, and yet we could get to downtown Victoria in minutes. We aren’t golfers, just wanted a suite away from the city. We will be back!

In a SPG promotion, I «earned» two nights at any SPG resort that needed to be used by December 21^st. By the time I realized it, my first resort 5 choices were sold out… Serves me right for waiting until last minute.
The Westin Bear Mountain was available… Short of walking around downtown Victoria one afternoon on a cruise, I had never been to Vancouver Island… So I booked it.
I know this is a golf resort, but going in mid December it felt like this was a ski resort… They did a great job of decorating for the holidays.
I checked in and the front lobby staff was very friendly. They took the time to tell me all about the resort, provided me with maps and suggestions of things to do and places to eat while I was visiting.
They also offered me 500 SPG points in exchange for forgoing housekeeping services. I haven’t had that offered before but did think it was a good idea.
As an SPG Plat, I was upgraded to a very nice suite. It was essentially a one bedroom condo… (See Photos)
The kitchen area was nice, but for some reason they cut costs here… standard to low end appliances and fake granite counter tops… It was fine. but felt out of place because everything else in the hotel was so nice.
The living room was great… Fake fireplace was nice and a 50 inch flat screen was nice… I’m not electronics expert, but half the channels were not only non HD, they were fuzzy…
On the first night we noticed that there was no wifi at all… Then, the second morning I saw an employee who was pushing a desktop computer on a cart and asked him why they didn’t put in Wifi… he said there was wifi and would look into it… and sure enough. when we returned, there was wifi in the building.
The property has alot going for it. It appears it is part of a larger «planned community» that is still a work in progress.
I would go back in the future and really enjoyed my weekend getaway!

I have been to this place couple of year a go, we stay thier for 3 night and 4 days with golf and spa package. I enjoyed the view, food is OK on that time, not sure now.
Golf course is beautiful but I feel so rushing all the time because the guy alway come to tell us to go faster because people behide us. We play their for 2 day then We went to other golf crouse that near by, it’s so much beter, I feel more relax and have a good game.
Spa just OK, my massage is was so so, only thing I didn’t like at that spa is big blanket and sheet is not clean, I am was very suprize to see that in a big beatiful spa.
It’s too bad I wish I have better experiance here but I am not !

Quite beautiful and scenic. The rooms are huge and on the hole, really nicely done up. Fridges, microwaves, huge bathroom, balconies overlooking the mountains. It’s really spectacular and relaxing. Food is really good throughout the four restaurants as well. A bit out of the way with the windy road to get up the hill, but it is such a welcome respite a few minutes from downtown Victoria.

I stayed here for new Years eve with my gf and 3 other couples. We had took part in a special dinner which was an amazing 5 courses of different items that no one had any complaints of and was set up in a nice area. The room itself was great, big and spacious a full kitchen, two bathrooms a living room area and a great king bed with a nice modern look and a fire place (strictly for aesthetics). The room was a great rate i’ve stayed at far worse for much more. I’m a golf fan and this place does have a great course I was sad i didn’t have time to partake. I’d recommend this place to all, its down only downfall is the distance to downtown victoria, but if that is not an issue i believe this would be one of the best places to stay in the city

Great place. We’re booking an extra day just to stay longer. We arrived and the guy at the front desk upgraded our room to one with a huge balcony and a view of the Valley. INSANE. We have a kitchenette in our room and despite that still ordered room service because it wasn’t ridiculously expensive. The gym is great and included as well as the tennis courts and racquets. Yoga and other fitness classes are $ 5/​each, which is reasonable and the pool is a great outdoor salt walter oasis – however the music outside is a bit loud and that’s saying a lot coming from me. Gorgeous, clean resort.

Stayed here in Aug 2008, just discovered I can review hotels. We were upgraded to a suite. It was fantastic, we had practically a full kitchen and a balcony view of the golf course. We ate in the Copper Rock Grill where I had the most delicious smoked salmon pasta. It’s a great getaway type of place, but we were tourists, so we really wanted to be closer to downtown.
Downside, it is nestled in a created community, far from any civilization outside of the planned community. I also don’t play golf, and it rained the entire stay so I’m not sure anyone played golf.

Jack & I stayed here in June 2008. It was raining. The property is very nice but far out from dowtown Victoria. There is still a lot of contruction in the area. Rooms are very nice and spacious. If the weather had been nice or we were golfers, it would have been great. But all in all I would stay at the Empress next time.