Whenever I travel, I use Priceline first. I find that Priceline works best when you do not really care about the hotel you get other than the hotel class and vicinity. However, if you are picky about your hotel, here are three Vancouver Island hotels not on Priceline. It’s a little unfortunate because these are arguably some of the best hotels on the Island. (By the way, you won’t find them on Hotwire either).
1. Oak Bay Beach Hotel: Victoria’s newest hotel and only a couple blocks away from my house, the Oak Bay Beach Hotel is not available on Priceline, and according to hotel management, it won’t be appearing on Priceline anytime soon. I have a hunch, however, that the hotel will eventually make its way on to Priceline in a year or so after the novelty of this hotel wares off and occupancy drops. Why you should stay here: The hotel is, in a word, awesome. In the summer, the pool area will be fantastic. What could be better than hanging out on the edge of Victoria’s coast line overlooking the Pacific Ocean from the pool? Try hanging out at the Snug patio with a martini or ice cold beer in your hand.
2. Westin Bear Mountain: Situated just outside Victoria in Langford’s Bear Mountain golf resort, the Westin Bear Mountain is what you’d expect from the name. First class, high end, rugged mountain-ish in only a way that Westin can pull off. But despite the fact that many other Westin properties are on Priceline, this one is not to be found. Why you should stay here: For the golf, of course. But even non-golfers (such as me and my family) will love the pool area in the summer. Despite the fact that the hotel is only 30 minutes away from my home, my family has stayed here as a “staycation” and loved it. Othertimes, we will simply pay the $35 day pass to hang out at the pool. It’s that good.
3. Parksville Beach Club: A timeshare / hotel in the heart of Parksville BC, this hotel is the best you can get in the scenic town of Parksville. Why you should stay here: There are so many reasons. Centrally located, this hotel is the best of the best on east coast of Vancouver Island. The beach is superb, stretch out nearly a full mile during low tide, it makes for a fun time beach combing and splashing in the tide pools. But what we really love about this place is the hotel itself. The developer was smart to build a glassed in swimming pool that is only a few meters from the beach. Perfect — you’re sheltered from the often inclement weather but can enjoy a mostly unobstructed view of the beach and ocean.
It should be mentioned that I don’t know for sure these hotels are not on Priceline (with maybe the exception of the OakBay Beach Hotel). However, I know that they have never been reported in the Priceline Forum as being on Priceline, despite several thousand winning bid reports by travellers. So if you’re looking for a particular hotel, such as these, unfortunately, you won’t get them on Priceline and you’re better off booking directly with the hotel or other sites such as Expedia or others.
Want to see which Victoria or Vancouver Island hotels are on Priceline?