The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Victoria

Jacks handled our group of 30 for dinner, and it worked out well. We were only there one night for a sports tournament, but the room was clean and quiet, with comfortable beds. The staff were very pleasant when we checked in. At checkout I mentioned both ice machines were out of service, and someone brought me a bag of ice from the kitchen. 10/10 stay. Thanks, Westin!

We arrived at 2 after calling on the way, and were told we’d get a text when the room was ready. By 3, there was still no word. When I called, they said 3:45. I explained I was waiting with my child and dogs in the car, plus a cooler full of food, and that the room was now an hour and a half late. The employee said there was nothing I could do about it. That morning, I’d called to ask about getting in early and was assured the room could be ready by 1:30. We were coming from the lower mainland, so I wanted to plan the trip properly. This was one more reason I don’t plan to book here again. I expected better from the Westin brand, and the prices feel far too high for a mediocre room and awful service. I’m only staying this week because I have no real choice. The one person who’s been consistently lovely is the longtime bellman. The hotel has already sold off its fitness center and golf portion, and I can imagine it may eventually go out of business. My family has been coming to Bear Mountain for more than five years, but in the last two we’ve found the staff and management rude and unhelpful. During our previous stay the room was dirty, lots of things were broken, and the service was terrible. We swore we wouldn’t return, but gave it one last try when booking a few nights for New Year’s. While booking through Expedia, I forgot to use my points, which was my mistake. I called the hotel about waiving the cancellation fee so I could cancel and rebook, since I was only 30 minutes past the free cancellation cutoff. The manager wouldn’t speak with me. An employee called back 20 minutes later and said the manager couldn’t talk, and that Expedia should contact them. Expedia then told me Bear Mountain would not waive the fee and would charge one night plus tax. This was after I’d been told to cancel and rebook, and that they’d talk to me then. If I’d followed that advice, I’d have lost the cost of a whole night.

The Valley course is a real highlight, with challenging holes and plenty of elevation changes that make the round a great experience. If you get a room overlooking the course, the views are lovely too. The rooms are comfortable, updated, and very quiet. From check-in through checkout, the staff make you feel at home. I can’t think of anything negative about Bear Mountain, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

The room was the best part for us: spacious, cozy, and opening onto a big balcony facing the golf course. It was easy to relax there, and we liked this Marriott much more than the downtown one where we’d stayed Friday night. We came from Vancouver for the weekend and spent Saturday night here. A few things didn’t go as expected. When we left downtown, we messaged to ask about checking in at noon. The reply said “see you later,” and the screen showed us as checked in, but at the desk we were told the opposite: they were very understaffed and the room wouldn’t be ready for a few hours. We also couldn’t get a late checkout, even with Marriott member status, because everyone had to leave on time. Breakfast would have been nice to have. We still enjoyed the visit and would stay again if we’re back in the area. Wish we knew how to golf and make more of the setting.