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WorldMark Victoria - Resort Review |
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WorldMark Victoria |
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submit your review of WorldMark Victoria
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| Author: |
webprinter |
| Visited on: |
05/17/2003 |
| Average Rating: |
3.75 |
| Staff professionalism: |
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| Resort grounds: |
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| Room quality: |
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| Submitted on: |
10/17/2004 |
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Pros:
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It overlooks the harbor |
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Cons:
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The rooms are very small |
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Review:
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We checked into our 2 bedroom condo early. The ferry arrived late morning, so they allowed us to store our luggage in a storage room and were very nice about our early arrival. After storing our luggage, we hiked into Victoria. The staff is very knowledgable, and what they don't know, they find out for you. They have brochures and notebooks with information on what to see and do and restaurant information.
The walk to a main grocery store is long. If you are getting a lot of groceries, I don't recommend walking the entire way unless you are in good shape. There are convenience stores, close to the resort. The walk to the stores and main area of Victoria, is fairly long, but very doable if you don't have any physical problems. The walk from the ferry to WM is easy. I think it was only about 6 blocks. You don't really need a car. Bus transportation is available. We purchased an entertainment book when they went on clearance and used quite a few coupons. There is a lot to see and do in Victoria.
The condo is nice, but very small. 4 people in a 2 bedroom is about right. Unfortunately ours was on the ground floor directly in front of the pool, which gave us absolutely no privacy. We didn't feel comfortable sitting there. The patio was extremely narrow. The furnishings are nice and the decor was attractive. The master bath only has a shower. No tub, and we felt, was quite small. There were crumbs on the counter, which made me wonder how well it had been cleaned. The condos sit close to the water so it is nice to sit and watch the boats and seaplanes. |
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| Author: |
kathi, WA |
| Visited on: |
11/26/2003 |
| Average Rating: |
5.00 |
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| Submitted on: |
11/26/2004 |
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Pros:
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The staff was very professional. The manager was very nice and made sure that we owners were taken care of and told us where the interesting places were and what discount tickets were worth using. The resort grounds are (although somewhat smaller than most WM resorts) is nicely laid out. It is right on the river walk that can be taken to the downtown area. It is a very nice walk. The room quality is very nice. We had a 2brm that faced east and you could see the seaplanes fly in and begin their takeoff from the living rm and the deck. The real drawback is the very narrow deck. There is a BBQ on the deck but no more than 2 people can really relax there but the scenery is very nice. We weren't reallythat displeased with the deck. As far as noise from the planes taking off and landing -- it wasn't a real issue with us at all. It didn't keep us awake or wake us up at all. The unit was very clean and had all of the things that we expect from WorldMark. The hottub and swimming pool were clean and comfortable. We met some very nice people there. |
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Cons:
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As I said, the only drawback we saw was the small, narrow deck. It may be more of an imposition to other owners but not with us. |
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Review:
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We really liked the Victoria resort. The close proximaty to the downtown area was very convient and a nice walk. The downtown is beautiful. We were there when they were starting to put up the Christmas decorations and I just wish we could have seen the end results as I am sure it ended up just beautiful.
Buchart Gardens was also getting ready for Christmas and just the decorations that were up and lit were very impressive.
The weather while we were there was in the 60's and sunny but since this is the Northwest, it is usually rainy at this time of the year. |
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| Author: |
normbailey |
| Visited on: |
12/27/2004 |
| Average Rating: |
4.25 |
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| Submitted on: |
01/01/2005 |
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Pros:
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GREAT location. Easy access to almost all of Victoria. Very nice resort. Excellent staff, and TONS of great coupons for area businesses. |
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Cons:
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Bed in MBR is too small. There's room for a larger one. Why not have one that's big enough? |
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Review:
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Got a terrific arrival briefing by our resort staff. Picked up lots of coupons and used most of them. We enjoyed going to Laurel Point for dinner one night, since it's within very close walking distance and an easy reach even for a late arrival. We also ate dinner at Nautical Nellie's over by the Empress one night. Chicken quesadilla was "to die for". Great view, too. For daytime munches we stopped into the West Coast Wraps, just two blocks north of the Empress, and had a chicken caesar wrap. It was so good that we went back on our last night in town and bought a couple of extra ones for the ferry ride back the next day.
Victoria is a wonderful place to visit and it doesn't seem to matter what time of year you visit, there is plenty to see and do. We plan to go back on a regular basis. The resort is located away from the traffic and noise, but quite convenient to the heart of town. It's particularly convenient to those who arrive by either the Victoria Clipper (from Seattle) or the Coho (the car ferry from Port Angeles).
We chose to drive up to Tsawwassen and take the BC Ferry ride into Swartz Bay and then down into Victoria. Not much to see during an evening ferry ride, but during the day it feels like sailing through Alaska's Inside Passage. Beautiful scenery and nice roads on the island, too.
We've placed an album on this website, and the first four pictures are of some of the area holiday decorations. The other three are tongue-in-cheek photos where we uploaded photos from the Craigdarroch Castle and implied they were photos from our unit.
Just a little humor on our part. Happy vacations and smooth sailing.
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| Author: |
sue1947 |
| Visited on: |
04/02/2005 |
| Average Rating: |
Not Rated |
| Staff professionalism: |
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| Submitted on: |
02/02/2006 |
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Review:
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Victoria is a great town with lots to do. There is nice walking along the water from the resort and through the parks. The local paper was sponsoring a marathon and it was a lot of fun; they had musical groups of different genres at various spots along the route to encourage the participants along. My main focus for the trip, though, was to hike part of the Juan de Fuca Trail so we drove west out to the end and did a couple of short pieces. The drive is much slower than I thought with lots of slow curves, so there really isn't time to do much, but it was a beautiful area. The Anthropology Museum downtown is very good and the Empress is always fun. |
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| Author: |
Matt |
| Visited on: |
05/25/2007 |
| Average Rating: |
4.75 |
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| Submitted on: |
06/22/2007 |
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Pros:
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Location, PH Hot tubs, Easy Access |
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Cons:
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A little smaller untis than other WM's |
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Review:
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This was a "get-away" trip where both couples left the kids behind with the Grandmas. We had a 2 bedroom Penthouse Unit - Various Floors at the Worldmark Victoria. We were on the 6th floor overlooking the Inner Harbour. The units were not as large as most Worldmarks, but not cramped either. The bedrooms were not large and had only Queen sized beds. The balconies are nicer in the PH units and do have a hot tub making it very relaxing after a long day of sight seeing. There was enough space on the balcony to have the dinner that we brought back from Barb's nearby at Fisherman's Warf. The kitchen is fine and stocked with most everything you would need.
The location is great. We planned a very uncharacteristic public transportation only trip and arrived via Amtrak to Seattle, and the Victoria Clipper to Victoria which docks only a short walk away. You could also take a Water Taxi to the stop right at the resort. From this Water Taxi stop, you have easy access to many points around the Inner Harbour for a very reasonable fee. It is also very easy walking distance to the center of town. We had no trouble walking to and from the resort with our suitcases on wheels. You may hear some complaints about the float planes landing and taking off, but it is not really that bad. You pretty much hear them from just about anywhere in the city.
The particular trip we took was excellent for the fine dining and romantic strolls. There are many restaurants, spas, etc. in town. There are also ample benches along the path to town, etc. This made for a very leisurely and relaxing vacation. While a little spendy, I would highly recommend High Tea at the Butchart Gardens sitting on the veranda if possible. Another great meal we had was at the Blue Crab right next door.
While this was a perfect romantic get-away, we have already made the plans to go back with the kids. We will go with public transportation again and opt for arriving via the Victoria Clipper and leaving via float plane - all easily accessible. We will take in the exhibit at the BC Royal Museum which at the current time is Titantic. This will also include the IMAX theatre. There are also other museums we are interested in seeing, along with a possible whale watching excursion and general hanging out along the docks watching the entertainment. There is easy access in town to the tours that will bus you to the Gardens and back etc. The resort and location is good for couples and families alike.
Check in was smooth and friendly. The staff had good suggestions about restaurants, activities, etc. We did not run into any problems with the unit at all. |
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| Author: |
Cheryl |
| Visited on: |
06/04/2007 |
| Average Rating: |
5.00 |
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| Submitted on: |
07/05/2007 |
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Pros:
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Loved the upgraded furnishings, and balconies with hot tub of the penthouse unit! |
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Cons:
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Both "cons" we already expected because of reading on this site:
Units are smaller than some WorldMark locations
Noisy planes take off in the morning |
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Review:
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We had a family gathering to celebrate my parents 50th anniversary, so reserved as far in advance as possible. We had 2 2-bedroom units and one 2-bedroom penthouse. Our penthouse (twins, various floors) was located on the 5th floor and staff told us it was the "best one they had" -- it was very nice. We were able to check in early, and it appeared that was not unusual -- though of course, can't be guaranteed. It's certainly worth checking to see when you get in. The staff were very professional and we enjoyed our stay. I guess the only thing that could have made it better would have been for us to be able to stay longer!
For those that wonder if the extra money for the penthouse is worth it, I would say, "Yes, if you have the points!" The furnishings are clearly higher quality and the balcony with hot tub is so much better than the postage stamp balconies of the two bedroom units. I suspect that most penthouse units also have better views. Ours sure did. We were there in early June, and there was quite a bit of wind some times, making it a bit cold getting to and from the hot tub sometimes.
They had two computers in the lobby for owner's use.
The workout room is right behind the front desk -- a semi-circular room with glass walls facing the water. It was beautiful and made for a great view (if you weren't working out on one of the machines that had your back to the water), but I must admit that I generally prefer a little more privacy when I work out!
Be sure to check out the discount coupons they have on the wall near check-in. They can save you quite a bit of money on local attractions and meals.
One of the things I noticed here was a small collection of books available for owners to read -- with a sign saying you could trade one of your own books for one of theirs. Though they were pretty light reading, I think this is a really nice service if you're like me and like to wind-down from your day with a book.
There is so much to do here! I'd love to bring our bikes and spend longer. I could see this resort being one I'd like to visit over and over -- though it is a bit more expensive to get to with needing to take the ferry or fly. Many attractions are within walking distance, and one could easily get by without a car here. Public transportation is readily available should you wish to use it.
Some of the places we went included: Butchart Gardens, Pacific Undersea Gardens, Miniature World, Craigdarroch Castle, and BeaconHill Park. We particularly enjoyed Butchart Gardens. (It was raining lightly when we first arrived, and were pleasantly surprised to see that they furnished umbrellas for us to use. They had stands all over the park where we could pick up an umbrella, or return one -- free. That was so handy! One interesting thing about Beacon Hill Park is the children's petting zoo area. They have an albino peacock that is quite unique. He was very cooperative so we got a full-feather display.
We spent some time at Discovery Bay before taking the Coho Ferry across to Victoria -- then returned via Washington State Ferries so we could go through the San Juans. That was great. |
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| Author: |
worldmark fan |
| Visited on: |
07/04/2008 |
| Average Rating: |
5.00 |
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| Submitted on: |
07/13/2008 |
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Pros:
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The location to downtown is really nice. |
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Cons:
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The grocery store is around one mile away. |
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Review:
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I just spent several nights at WorldMark Victoria. I took the Victoria Clipper from Seattle to Victoria. It took around 2 1/2 hours each way. The ride was nice. The boat docks about a 10 minute walk from the resort.
The nice thing about the WorldMark Victoria resort is how close it is to everything. Most of the attractions are 10 to 12 minutes to walk to. The resort has a nice outdoor pool and hot tub with plenty of outdoor seating around it. The staff are very friendly and helpful. There is no air conditioning but when I opened the condo door and patio door a sea breeze quickly cooled the unit down to where things were just fine. The place sits near a little fisherman's wharf. At the wharf there is a little seal or some sort of sea creature that is named Sammy. People buy little fish and feed him. He will even do stunts for a fish.
The grocery store is around a one mile walk. It is nice to see the homes as you walk there. If someone needs to you could take a cab. I walked to the store and back with the food I bought.
There is no end to fun things to do in downtown Victoria. The city is really clean and you have a feeling of being safe when you walk around the downtown area. All of the businesses in town took American money. Some did an exchange which cost more but it was nice that they all took the American dollar.
In the downtown area is the Empress Hotel. On that very same block is a bus service that for a low price will offer you round trip transportation to and from Butchard Gardens. I spent my birthday there and had a great time. The lights come on at night and it creates a different look in the gardens. The night I was there they had Saturday night fire works. They lasted 30 minutes. I was told they do this each Saturday but I don't know for sure.
The most beautiful mansion house I have ever toured in my life is Craigdarroch Castle. I walked to it in 45 minutes. If you like mansion houses this one is really great and you can take flash pictures in it. I will plan to go here again if I get back to Victoria.
All in all I was very happy with WorldMark Victoria, the many things to do in town, and the really friendly people.
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| Author: |
edwardo9876 |
| Visited on: |
05/06/2007 |
| Average Rating: |
4.50 |
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| Submitted on: |
07/17/2008 |
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Pros:
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Very convenient to Victoria you can walk anywhere. Great knowledgeable staff. Clean and well maintained. Decent views of the Harbor. |
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Cons:
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Smaller unit but we had 5 in a 2 bedroom and got by. Didn't spend much time there. |
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Review:
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We took an early ferry from Seattle and hauled our luggage around Victoria all day with not realizing that THEY WILL STORE YOUR LUGGAGE UNTIL CHECK IN. Guess we should ahve asked. |
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| Author: |
dennisnchrissy |
| Visited on: |
07/13/2008 |
| Average Rating: |
5.00 |
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| Submitted on: |
07/21/2008 |
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Pros:
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Loved the location! |
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Review:
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We had a 2 bedroom unit. We lucked out and actually reserved this room 3 weeks before!!! We booked for 5 nights. When we checked in we were told we were on the ground floor. I was not too crazy about that, however it actually turned out to be very nice.
We took the Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to Sidney, B.C. which left at 2pm. We arrived in Victoria around 5pm and the drive to the condo was really quick. We stayed for 5 nights then took the BC Ferry to Vancouver, B.C. where we treated ourselves (or so we thought) to two nights at the Fairmont Vancouver (sister hotel for the Fairmont Empress). What a joke! We typically stay in a Marriott hotel if we can't find availability for our condos, but we thought we would splurge and stay here instead. The room rate was $369 a night for the Fairmont room (which I booked on Expedia for $161 per night. It was gross, dirty, noisy, the toilet didn't flush and to top it off, the next morning at 7am they started construction in the next room. We couldn't even hear the TV it was so loud. I called and complained to they upgraded us to a nicer room which was $529 per night, it was bigger and on the top floor, however it also was dirty, out dated, wallpaper peeling off the wall, dirty carpet. Internet charges were $14 for 24 hours. Then after shopping and hurrying through dinner to use the pool that evening, we went down to the pool and it was closed for maintenance. Bottom line, never stay in this hotel!
After that experience, I will never stay in a Fairmont Hotel! They did compensate us with free parking (which was $30 per night) and gave us a $150 gift certificate which thank goodness is good for dining or drinks because we would not even attempt to use it for a room!
After that experience we were sold once again that buying into Worldmark and staying in the condos was a very wise decision. We love being able to have the extra room and the convenience of cooking our meals.
The condo in Victoria, although smaller than some, was very comfortable and clean. The location was great. We loved the seaplanes, in fact I missed them greatly when we were in Vancouver.
We did go whale watching, which I highly recommend. We took the Zodiak boat out and it was incredible seeing the whales. We saw about 20-25 of them.
The weather was absolutely beautiful for our entire stay. Nice and sunny, yet a cool breeze to cool you off!
Great condo, only wish I was able to have reserved Worldmark in Vancouver instead of staying at the Fairmont!
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1 June 2005:
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