Which hotel would ou recommend in Victoria?
Mar 23rd, 2003, 10:18 AM
#1
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Which hotel would ou recommend in Victoria?
Hi,<BR><BR>I found the following hotels in my price range which also have a swimming pool (which is must with the kids) and need help deciding which one is the best:<BR><BR>Traveller's Inn Oceanfront Grand Resort(1681 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay, BC) <BR>Sandman Hotel (2852 Douglas St.)<BR>Comfort Inn (101 Island Hwy)<BR>Days Inn (123 Gorge Rd East)<BR>Travelodge Victoria (229 Gorge Rd East)<BR><BR>Some of these also have a kitchen which could be useful...<BR><BR>Thanks for our help
Mar 23rd, 2003, 09:54 PM
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Since no one here has answered you, I will give you my off-the-cuff impressions based on no personal experience with any of the above mentioned. <BR><BR>The Comfort Inn might not be too bad if you don't mind being some distance out of town. It should be a fairly quiet location. The picture on their website shows the rooms by the water but all of them aren't. <BR><BR>I've never heard of that particular Traveller's Inn. Some people must have ok experiences with that chain, but the feedback here is generally not good. The buildings usually look well cared for on the outside but I think the problems mentioned here often seem to be with reservations and the staff. If you planned on spending much time in Victoria you'd have to drive over the mountainous Malahat (unless you took the ferry, if running, to Brentwood Bay) so it wouldn't be the best choice for that. It may be perfectly lovely, or not worth the savings - I just don't know.<BR><BR>The Sandman Hotel is relatively new and may be nice inside. It is at a very busy, unattractive intersection though and the city's notorious drug addicts' motel is or was around the corner so I wouldn't walk around there at night. <BR><BR>Likewise the Gorge Road area isn't the greatest in town for walking but either place would probably be fine. <BR><BR>So, I can't really recommend any of them but if was my choice, unless a firsthand opinion swayed me otherwise, I'd go for the Comfort Inn or perhaps one of the Gorge motels.
Mar 24th, 2003, 11:41 AM
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Thanks April,<BR><BR>hopefully someone has had personnal experience with them...The Traveller's Inn is "new" since they recently purchased it (here is their website address: http://www.oceanfrontgrandresort.com/<BR><BR>
Mar 27th, 2003, 09:09 PM
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Sorry Mist I did not see this post before.<BR><BR>Cowichan Bay is not even near Victoria. There are Travellers Inns in Victoria but that is not one of them(unless of course you consider New Jersey to be part of New York).<BR><BR>The Sandman is the closest to town, but you would still be in a taxi or bus to get near to what you want to see.<BR><BR>I would suggest you skip the pool idea and look into (is it Scotts motor Inn)? with the apartments with kitchenette. Right in town. <BR><BR>Plan on walking them tired as opposed to swiming them tired.
Mar 31st, 2003, 12:04 AM
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http://www.royalscot.com/<BR><BR>A few other places in the Inner Harbour area that have outdoor pools are: the Days Inn on the Harbour, Best Western Inner Harbour, and Embassy Inn. The Queen Victoria Inn and Quality Inn Downtown (a bit more in town, but still convenient) have indoor pools.<BR><BR>Out of town, the Howard Johnson Hotel & Suites (off the highway that runs between Victoria and Sidney in Royal Oak) has an outdoor pool and is close to Beaver and Elk Lakes, plus shopping centres. I don't know how the Howard Johnson is, but the area is much more pleasant than where the Sandman is located.
Mar 31st, 2003, 07:23 PM
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Thanks all. It is the 'Royal Scot' I was thinking of.<BR><BR>I gather that budget is of concern, and this place is cheaper than some, while still being respectable.<BR><BR>A major grocery store with a deli and bakery is a couple of blocks away and the kitchens can be a budget stretcher.<BR><BR>Also there are a couple of fish and chips takeouts within striking range.
Apr 6th, 2003, 06:45 AM
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Thanks April, <BR><BR>I checked out the Royal Scot but they are over our budget even at their cheapest room (they charge $189/night)<BR><BR>I also checked out the others that you suggested:<BR><BR>Days Inn on the Harbour (Hwy 17 & Belleville st)= $182.70/day<BR>Best Western = $203/day<BR>Embassy Inn = $119USD/night x 2 rooms since they only have one bed in rooms<BR>Queen Victoria Inn = $175/night<BR>Quality Inn Downtown = $157.50/night<BR>Howard Johnson = $143.10/night<BR><BR>All to expensive for our budget so we must stay out of town.<BR><BR>But, I also found the Paul's Motor Inn at $99/night. Whould that be a better choice? I'm not sure that they have a pool though<BR><BR><BR><BR>
Apr 6th, 2003, 01:03 PM
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Mist,<BR><BR>Paul's Motor Inn has been around a long time and while nothing fancy it appears to be well maintained (from the outside anyway). It is across the street from a Traveller's Inn, but from what I've read on this site, I think I would choose Paul's over the Traveller's. It has its own restaurant and a White Spot restaurant is right across the street. Again, this is an area I would not be comfortable being out in at night. At the edge of the downtown core, Chinatown is nearby but it is a fair walk to the Inner Harbour sights.<BR><BR>If being able to walk around at night is important to you I would stick with the Inner Harbour area where most of the tourists are. There you can take evening strolls along the waterfront path past Laurel Point, see the legislative buildings lit up at night, have a choice of restaurants and shop into the evening. You could check prices at the Helm's Inn and Crystal Court Motel. Both are older and well located, Helm's being closer to Beacon Hill Park. The Crystal Court is the most 'rustic' of all, bare bones basic, but in a great spot.<BR><BR>A far as I know none of these three establishments have pools. There are plans for some sort of spray fountains at a very shallow pool in Beacon Hill Park, but if a pool is important and you don't mind driving into town, you might be best off with one of your original choices.
Apr 6th, 2003, 03:56 PM
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We've stayed at the Sandman Hotel, nice clean hotel, nice pool. They have a restaurant on the main floor. Although I wouldn't walk to the waterfront from that location, a taxi or bus ride is not that far. We've also stayed at the Traveler's Lodge on Gorge Road, pay a little bit more and stay at the Sandman.
Apr 8th, 2003, 08:37 PM
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The area around the Sandman is car lots.<BR><BR>The numbering starts at zero at the waterfront, so you are 28 blocks from ideal.<BR><BR>There is good bus service straight up Douglas street though, so $15 for a strip of 10 bus tickets might be a good investment.<BR><BR>See bctransit.ca<BR><BR>This is not an area to wander around at 2:00 am.<BR><BR>Would a PC description be 'low rent'?
Apr 9th, 2003, 12:05 AM
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I forgot to mention the Shamrock Motel, another less expensive one right across the street from Beacon Hill Park. It appears to have been fixed up recently so prices may have increased. It's a typical motel style with outside entrances. Again, no pool though. <BR><BR>By the way, I don't know what time of year you plan to visit, but herons nest on that side of the park and they can be entertaining to watch. It's not uncommon to see bald eagles in the area too. Beacon Hill Park extends to the ocean where Mile 0 is that icithecat mentions. The Olympic Mountains are across the strait. You can walk along the coastline, look at the cruiseships at Odgen Point, stop for an ice cream cone, watch kites and (sometimes) hang gliders, etc.
Apr 9th, 2003, 09:28 AM
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We are going to be in Victoria August 18th to 20th. <BR><BR>The Shamrock Motel look very nice on their website and I called them to get the rate. It would be $195 per night since they charge $15 per extra child over 11 yrs old. Too expensive for us... I'm still looking but I think we will be staying out of town to get affordable accomodation and take our car to go into Victoria.
Apr 9th, 2003, 10:51 AM
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Sorry April,<BR>I forgot to mention that I also took a look at your previous suggestions:<BR><BR>Helm's Inn is regretfully too expensive (total of $160/night since they charge extra for the kids & parking).<BR><BR>Also thaks to icithecat, I will skip the Sandman<BR><BR>The Crystal Court Motel is in our budget ($95/night) but I could not find any pictures of the rooms and there does not seem to be a pool...
Apr 9th, 2003, 05:12 PM
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Mist, <BR>I am shocked at those prices. Ok then, you'd probably be better off with either the Comfort Inn on the Island Hwy or the Days Inn on the Gorge. You might as well have a pool, and either location should be fine.<BR><BR>Jet29, <BR>the Helm's Inn is quite old but there is something charming about the place. Maybe it's their neon lighthouse sign. Two of the buildings face a side street - I don't know if the rooms there are different than those of the main building. Some years ago they invited residents to have a look around, which I thought was nice, and I assumed then it couldn't be too bad. I'd be interested to hear your opinion after your stay. The location is super - close to the park, waterfront, the inner harbour, and downtown.<BR>
