Fodor's Expert Review Oak Bay Beach Hotel

This lavish waterfront hotel, complete with a seaside spa, ocean-view restaurant, and even an on-site theater for live shows and movies nights, offers a resort ambience within a few miles of Downtown Victoria. Built on the site of a historic landmark hotel, the new Oak Bay Beach Hotel retains much of the original's old-world charm, from the leather sofas by the zinc-framed fireplace to the cozy British-style pub. Modern amenities, including a 24-hour fitness studio and steam sauna, are all here, too. Rooms mix English country manor decor with such 21st-century treats as flat-screen TVs, rain-forest showers, ocean-view soaker tubs, and heated bathroom floors. The prime feature? Step outside, where seaside gardens lead to warm mineral pools (for adults only) set on a small peninsula.