Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa Hotel

Location was perfect, on the bay and next to the ferry terminal from Mill Bay. We were welcomed at an early check in with a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne - nice start. We used their Zodiac boat transport to and from Butchart Gardens - a terrific way to visit Butchart. Staff was terrific, view from room patio deck at sunset was wonderful! Highly recommend this hotel!

I would have given BBR 5 stars except for a few hiccups. Let me get the hiccups out of the way: a fire alarm for the entire resort went off around 1:00 a.m. on a Friday night. We all had to exit our rooms and wait in parking lot. Until around 1:45 p.m. The incident was caused by spontaneous combustion of cleaning rags in the kitchen area. The second hiccup was the air conditioning system did not function properly one evening following a very warm day. Made for a sleepless night. Otherwise, the resort was spectacular. The key: beautiful location, very friendly staff and great food and drinks! The pool area was very nice and got very crowded one day (we stayed four days). We are already making plans to return at the same time next year!

I was pleasantly surprised with a number of things. First and foremost, the rooms have nice views! The location is good for exploring, as you have a bus stop steps away from the hotel, which will take you downtown Victoria, Butchart Gardens and other attractions along the way. The Gardens are even a 30 minute walk away, though you will need to be able to walk hilly roads. By the end of the stay I figured out the path of least resistance to get up to West Saanich Road, which is also where you can catch other bus routes. This street is about one kilometre straight up Verdier if you choose to do the hill. Along W. Saanich you'll find some plazas with cafes, groceries, liquor etc. The rooms were nicely appointed. My only complaint is the HVAC system is really loud. We had a warm spell that week, and you needed the AC. I did find if i put on on very cold while I was out, I could turn it off while sleeping and not be too uncomfortable. While I could have opened a window, I was unsure of the evening bug situation and didn't want something flying in. You do have shampoo and bodywash in the bath. You also have a Nespresso machine and a small fridge to store your personal waters etc. My other issue was the pool area. For some reason I assumed it was for spa guests to use before and after treatments, however, over the weekend it was really busy and rowdy! I would have liked to wander down, but all the lounge chairs were taken by towels, but no one sat on them. It would have been good if one of the staff would make a round every 30 minutes and pick up towels so someone else could lay down. The restaurants are quite good. You have a more quiet dining experience at the Arbutus Room and more spirited dining at the Lodge, where many locals come and eat. Once I was warned jokingly, not to take a table by a local coming in. You need reservations at the Lodge as it's pretty busy through lunch and evening. Perhaps, if you were a hotel guest and couldn't get a seat, it would be nice to have a complimentary dessert offered to you, if you chose to take room service instead.