My Oak Bay Beach Hotel Experience: Is it Worth it?

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I had been dying to stay at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria for years. It took me longer than I wanted to finally get there because, let’s face it, it’s not exactly the cheapest hotel in the world, but a couple of months ago, I finally got the chance to stay there with my parents during our quick trip to Victoria.

I wasn’t sure the Oak Bay Beach Hotel would be worth it for the amount of money that it costs to stay there per night,

however,

the reason I’m writing this blog post is because I genuinely was blown away by this hotel and am already so so desperate to go back with Dave.

This guide has everything you need to know about the Oak Bay Beach Hotel to help you decide whether or not it is the right place for you to stay when visiting Victoria.

As much as I loved staying here, there are also some reasons I would choose to stay somewhere else instead depending on what I wanted to get out of my trip.

My Experience at Oak Bay Beach Hotel

The Mineral Pools: My Experience

The mineral pools are obviously the crown jewel of this hotel and if you’re not interested in using them, then I’d say it’s not really worth staying here.

You can actually visit and use the pools if you are not a hotel guest but the passes are CAD129 for only 4 hours of pool use and the session times are 8am – 12pm and 6pm – 10pm so the best time of the day isn’t even available to non-hotel guests.

I think it’s much more worth it to book a night or 2 for the price of the 4 hour passes.

Robes are provided in the rooms to wear down to the mineral pools area. Once you get to the gate at the pools, there will be some staff who take down your room number and give you a fresh towel and then you can go off and find yourself a spot by the pools.

There are a few firepits which are really nice to snag a spot by in the late afternoon when it gets a little colder. Then there are lots of lounges and umbrellas which you can use to get some shade if you want it.

There is a free water station for hydrating and the staff come around every now and then to check whether you need anything. You can order food and drinks by the pools. The menu is pretty pricey so we only did this once but oh my gosh was it worth!

I ordered the Tuna Poke Bowl which was probably the best poke I’ve ever had and I also had an aperol spritz. Honestly, the perfect combination which I’ll be dreaming about for a while until I get to revisit.

I had such a shock when I first entered the large pool because I was bracing myself for cold water. The pool is gloriously warm and then when you start getting used to it and feeling like you need a bit more, you can migrate over to one of the 2 hot tubs which are even hotter.

There is also an indoor sauna which is located in the spa area. You just need to walk out of the pool area past the pool desk and turn left into the spa area. The sauna will be on your left.

Opposite the sauna is a swimsuit drier which was very useful and then a bit further into the hallway are the bathrooms which include full showers and soaps, lockers and moisturiser.

Our Check in Experience

For the sake of keeping this article 100% real, I’m going to admit that I wasn’t all that impressed by the check in experience that we received for such a luxury hotel. We arrived at around 12pm or so and check in wasn’t technically until 4pm so we left our bags and went off to explore Victoria.

We didn’t return to the hotel until after dinner and when we collected our keys we got literally no instructions or information about the hotel. I was just handed the keys. I even had to ask the receptionist where we were supposed to go which is super awkward in my opinion, having worked at hotels myself.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but not getting the information we needed about the hotel actually made our stay not as good as it could have been for a couple of reasons.

1. When we tried to find the mineral pools, we ended up getting very lost because there wasn’t a lot of signage. We found them in the end but we definitely took a wrong turn the first time and ended up in the spa instead of the pool area.
2. Now that I’m back home researching more on the Oak Bay Beach Hotel for this very blog post, I have found out that there should have been a sauna with a view looking out onto the ocean which should be somewhere in the pool area. We had absolutely no idea about this and I’m still questioning whether or not this sauna exists. It is included on their website still though and also in their social media posts so you’d think that it does. Again, if there had been better signage and information on check in, then maybe we would have been able to enjoy this sauna.

Okay so I don’t want to go on a complete rant which I definitely feel like I am. There is a reason I chose to write a review about this hotel and that reason is that I loved it so so much and really do want to return. I’m just in a bit of shock that there is apparently an entire sauna that we didn’t even know about during our 2 nights there. How insane!

Our Room and Ocean Views

We had the cheapest room which was the Guest Room, Residential View. The views looked out over a pathway on the side of hotel so there were no ocean or pool views.

There were 2 king beds in the room so I was able to share with my parents. We did noticed that the price on the rooms goes up slightly when you add more than people but it still worked out to be more affordable than getting 2 separate rooms.

Now a moment of appreciation for the beds. This was the most comfortable bed (no joke) that I have ever slept in. So much so, that I even asked the receptionist what pillows they use. I plan on buying some for Dave and I at home. It wasn’t just the pillows though. The sheets were so soft, the mattress was the perfect mix of soft but supportive and the the duvet was super snuggly.

Okay now the bathroom. The bathroom was massive, with a beautiful bathtub with windows that opened into the room, making it the perfect stay for a romantic getaway. Less perfect when you’re staying with your parents. haha

They provided bath salts for the bath, the bathroom floor was heated and there were also robes and slippers for each of us.

There was also a mini fridge in the room, along with tea and coffee.

Dining at Oak Bay Beach Hotel

To tell you the absolute truth, I didn’t have time to try any of the other restaurants at the hotel apart from the poolside food, but if the other food is anything like the Poke Bowl that I had, it is probably incredible.

The Oak Bay Beach Hotel has 4 eateries (including the poolside bar).

• The Snug Pub – casual coastal comfort food, local brews on tap, and an oceanfront patio
• Faro Pizza – wood-fired pizzas, small plates, craft cocktails, and local wines
• Lobby Lounge & Tea by the Sea – cozy fireside seating, seasonal craft cocktails, and Victoria’s oceanfront afternoon tea service
• Boathouse Kitchen & Bar – casual poolside spot serving coastal favourites like crab cakes, tacos, and signature drinks

What I Loved (and What I Didn’t)

I’ve already said it but I’ll say it again, I LOVED my stay at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel! I loved the snuggly robes that they give you to go down to the pools in, I LOVED the pools. I love the public bathrooms connected to the pools.

I loved that the hotel is right on the ocean. While we were chilling by the pool, my mum and I spotted about 5 otters in the water!

There were a few annoying things that I didn’t love like the fact that there wasn’t much signage around the hotel for finding things like which way to go to find the pools and where the mystery stargazing sauna is which I still have no idea about.

The hotel is also not in Victoria itself. It’s in a place called Oak Bay (hence the name). The hotel is around a 15-20 minute drive from Victoria or a 30-50 minute public transit commute. My parents and I definitely spent a lot of money on Ubers while we were there because we didn’t have a car. Would I go back in time to stay somewhere else because of this? Hell no!

There was nice little café at the Oak Bay Marina that we walked to each morning to get breakfast but apart from this, there isn’t much else within walking distance.

Things to Know Before Staying at Oak Bay Beach Hotel

Where Is Oak Bay Beach Hotel?

The Oak Bay Beach Hotel is located in Oak Bay on Vancouver Island which is a 15-20 minute drive from Victoria.

Room Types and Amenities

Guest Rooms – normal hotel rooms with a mini fridge, kettle and tea and coffee

Boutique Suites – a little bigger with a small dining table and a kitchenette

1 Bedroom Suites – have a full kitchen, 1 king bed and a separate living and bedroom

Penthouse Suites – top floor, two-level accommodation complete with two bathrooms, a loft bedroom, and a full-kitchen. A girl can dream…

Parking and Getting Around

If you don’t have a car, to get into Victoria from the hotel, you need to walk around 15 minute to the bus stop and then get on the #2 James Bay – Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s then around a 15 minute bus ride into Victoria.

Otherwise, you could get an Uber but the cost depends on the time of the day and the demand.

If you do have a car, there is a cost to park it at the hotel per day. I believe right now it is CAD35 per day.

How Much Does Oak Bay Beach Hotel Cost?

The cheapest rooms start at around CAD329 a night and some rooms can be over CAD1,000 per night.

Things to Do Near Oak Bay Beach Hotel

I’m not gonna lie, the Oak Bay Beach Hotel is kind of in the middle of nowhere so you do need to travel a little to see and do things nearby.

The Butchart Gardens are definitely worth a visit if you like gardens and pretty flowers. They are easy to get to if you have a car otherwise you could join a tour or get an uber which is what we did.

Make sure you explore Victoria! Fisherman’s Wharf is really cool and worth a visit and Fan Tan Alley in China Town reminds me of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter.

Is Oak Bay Beach Hotel Worth It?

I’m going to put my answer with a little caveat being that it really depends what you want to get out of your trip to Victoria and how much time you actually have to spend at your hotel.

For those looking to explore the city a little and then spend a decent about of time relaxing at your hotel then I would say this stay is absolutely worth it.

For those who have just been on a huge road trip or backpacking trip and are desperate for some down time, then this is absolutely the hotel for you.

For my parents and I, it was absolutely worth staying at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and we even made time to explore the streets of Victoria and visit Butchart Gardens during our 2 day stay.

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