Easily accessible from both Seattle and Vancouver, the hotel is only a 10-minute drive from downtown Victoria, leaving guests feeling as if they’re at a remote oceanside resort.
I recently sneaked away for an afternoon at the Boathouse Spa & Baths at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. It was a perfect blustery day with the ocean providing quite a show while I soaked in an oceanfront outdoor hot tub. This unique pre-treatment ritual should not be skipped. The ritual itself starts the journey to relaxation and involves soaking in a mineral pool kept at about 90 F or two mineral hot tubs that are kept much hotter. All are outdoors with spectacular ocean views.
It does not take long to understand the vision of the Boathouse Spa & Baths. Among other popular beauty lines, the spa uses the best natural beauty products British Columbia has to offer and combines them with the grandeur of its setting. I signed up for the Seaweed and Glacial Clay Wrap. All the products used are from BC, right down to the gorgeous fresh piece of seaweed used during the treatment. My very experienced therapist shared many interesting tidbits about the products and how the treatment was developed as she scrubbed and massaged away my toxins and tensions. The healing and detoxifying benefits of seaweed are quite something, and I’ll definitely show more respect for it on the beach!
Upon completion of a treatment, the Boathouse Spa has limited facilities for post-treatment beautification, but it has enough supplies available to make a person comfortable. I popped up to the “Snug” after my treatment for their famous chicken wings. The Snug is exactly what it sounds like: a cozy pub to hang out in after a day on the water. In fact, the whole hotel is like that. The lobby and lounge have a traditional feel as though you are someplace with a history, but not a gloomy one. The guest rooms are classically designed to be warm and cozy, but also spacious with modern amenities.
I look forward to my next visit to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. I’ll give myself more time, and plan for more ocean gazing. It may be the most relaxing whale-watching trip that Vancouver Island has to offer.
Boathouse Spa & Baths, Oak Bay Beach Hotel
“The Oak Bay Beach Hotel is a two-hour ferry ride and drive from Port Angeles, Washington, or a one-and-a-half-hour ride and drive from Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal in Delta, BC. Victoria is also serviced by seaplane from Vancouver and Seattle to downtown Victoria’s inner harbor, followed by a short drive to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. The hotel is also serviced by the Victoria International Airport and is a special drop-off location for the Victoria Airport Shuttle.”
