Delta Hotel - Victoria, BC. Canada

Beautiful and Vibrant!

My husband Donien and I were very eager and keen to explore this beautiful and vibrant city during our Canadian holiday. On Vancouver Island, City of Victoria we headed to our hotel, the Delta Ocean Pointe Victoria.

We quickly realised it was the best spot to be, as it overlooked the harbour and faced downtown Victoria, Parliament House along with the magnificent and opulent Empress Hotel. For those who appreciate the finest of high tea services, for CAD$55 the Empress hotel is the place to go.

A bridge separates downtown Victoria and the Delta Hotel; it is an easy walk but if you do not fancy the exercise, the hotel’s valet is more than happy to drive you in their complimentary shuttle. Of course tipping is always appreciated!

After a pleasant and efficient check-in we were promptly shown to our room. Looking more like a suite with a large sitting area, we were instantly captivated by the amazing view of the inner harbour which always seems to be on the move with the water taxis, ferries or even the seaplanes coming and going all day.

We hastily unpacked for our 2 night stay and as we put away our clothes in the draws we discovered a little baby’s t-shirt which had obviously been forgotten by the previous occupant of the room. This bought back memories of our own two little ones who were not that little anymore; we both tried to remember just how small they were. We put it aside, finished unpacking and headed out to take in some fresh air. On our way out, we dropped off the little t-shirt at the front desk.

After an invigorating walk in the city we returned to the hotel. As we were expecting our Canadian friends’ imminent arrival we checked at the reception to see if they had checked in and the receptionist thought we were coming in regards to the message left in our room.

No we have not gone back to the room yet, so she explained the message and that they were extending the 1st night complementary. The receptionist informed us that due to the very high standards and expectations of the DELTA HOTELS if a detail in the room has been overlooked (in our case a piece of clothing was left behind) their policy is to offer the 1st night accommodation free; yes free of charge! We were absolutely blown away and very thankful. Back in the room we check the message on the phone and the front office staff was deeply apologetic about this matter, which confirmed the conversation we had at the desk.

We were really impressed by the service offered by DELTA - It is called “Blue Ribbon Guarantee”.
We then realised that in the bathroom there was a note displaying the following message:

We are so confident that your room will be in perfect order when you check in that we back it up with our famous Blue Ribbon Guarantee!

Delta’s Blue Ribbon Guarantee ensures that your room has been carefully cleaned and prepared for your comfort and enjoyment. We have confidence in our team – so much so that if any item is overlooked, we will offer you a complimentary night during your stay.

Like other hotels the Delta Victoria also offer CAD$10 food and beverage voucher if you decline the housekeeping service; so if you are planning to stay only 1 night or 2 it is worth considering doing your part in helping the environment.

Another standout on arrival in the room was this comment card:

We have never came across a message like this offered by any other hotel. Again the attention to detail in insuring the client satisfaction was well above expectation. Even if we would not have received the complimentary night, we do recommend the Delta Ocean Pointe Victoria for his location and service.

Delta Ocean Points major facilities:

• Indoor lap pool, jacuzzi and gym free of charge
• Bar with plasma TV to follow a hockey game
• Fine dining restaurant
• Beauty and hair salon
• Valet service (including free downtown shuttle)
• Conference room on a ground level with the harbour view (wedding took place during our stay)

For your reference APT tours, Scenic Tours use DELTA properties in their Alaska & Canada program.

For more information on any of the areas featured in this blog, contact World Travel Professionals to speak with one of our consultants. We encourage and welcome all user comments and aim to use our blog to interact with our interested readers!  

Ski Canada

Ski Canada – Big White

Big White is situated in British Columbia, Canada and is open from Mid November until mid April . Primarily accessible from Kelowna which is a regional centre approximately 1 ½ hours away.

A snap shot of Big White:

• 56 km from Kelowna, BC
• Average snowfall of 7.5m per season
• Base elevation of 1508 M and the summit at 2318m, Village at 1755
• 118 runs, serviced by 16 lifts over an area of 3052 hectares
• Novice runs to Black runs
• Restaurants, cafés and bars to suit all tastes
• Approx 17,000 rooms on sale every night! Youth Hostels, Chalets and Condo’s
• Most accommodations have excellent lift access
• Plenty of off ski activities, especially for Après skiers

The resort area offers child care, full ski instructors teaching kids, beginners and experienced alike. Locals offer a FREE guided your of the mountain several times a day to orientate new comers. The fact that most of the staff on the mountain is not coincident… the resort is owned by Australians.

All in all a perfect destination for Australians!

Let’s hear from our very own client Peter Kent of Brisbane.

"I first experienced Big White in 2004/05, it was mine and my family’s first skiing experience and we had such a good time we have planned to return ever since. When we decided to go on holidays this Christmas there was no contention, we easily settled on returning to Big White.

Our holiday was coordinated with a group of over 50 Adults and kids, all friends from Brisbane. The kids were always busy. There were so many Après ski activities that after the first few days we needed to have a day off to recharge! Most did pre and post Ski arrangements, some at the Californian Theme parks and some at other ski resorts and some a warm up in Hawaii.

Both times we have been to Big White the local “Kelowna Rockets” Ice Hockey team had a home game. If you want to see a “blood sport” then Ice Hockey is for you. The locals don’t seem to be happy until they see a fight! They are in the palyoff’s this year so they all seemed to go away happy.

Overall Big White is a definite on the list for skiers. It always has great snow. The only down side is access. Kelowna can be pron to closure due to fog. When we were due to return to Australia the airport was closed for 3 days. We ended up hiring a car and driving to Vancouver (approx 4 hours) to catch the following day’s flight. All car hire, last minute Vancouver hotel and the change in flight was done with minimal hassle (to us) by our friend Ros Bulat at World Travel Professionals. Wouldn’t go travelling without her! 

We had a great time. Happy Skiing"  

For more information on any of the areas featured in this blog, contact World Travel Professionals to speak with one of our consultants. We encourage and welcome all user comments and aim to use our blog to interact with our interested readers!