We Finished Up With A Relaxing Stay In Vancouver
We finished our road trip around BC (British Columbia) with a relaxing stay in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver. After more than 4 weeks on the road, we were ready for a break. And we could not have picked a better spot.
We enjoyed all the hotel had to offer. And ventured out a few times. It was the perfect way to finish a busy 5 weeks in BC.
Back To Vancouver
After two weeks enjoying the natural beauty of Vancouver Island, it was great to head back to the mainland. We took the ferry from Nanaimo’s terminal at Duke Point to Tsawwassen. This landed us south of Vancouver.
On our ferry trip to Vancouver Island, the weather was grey. We upgraded to the SeaWest Lounge and worked in the lounge for much of the trip. On this return from the island, we spent much of the time on deck or at a window seat.
As we neared the shore in Tsawwassen, we had the most amazing view of Mount Baker. When we landed, we continued to catch views of the mountain as we headed towards White Rock.
It was a great way to be welcomed back on the mainland!
A Few Days In White Rock
During our visit to BC for 5 weeks, we stayed in a wide variety of accommodations. But our two days at the “Inn” in White Rock was not a memorable one. It was a reminder that there may be no truth in advertising. A noisy room in the basement of a house was not really what we expected.
It was a good thing we found lots of fun street art in White Rock. And more great mountain views! But we were glad we planned only a short stop before we headed into Vancouver.
Vancouver was like a second home for us. We spent the entire fall there one year. When our cruise ship to Alaska left from Seattle, we made a quick trip to visit Vancouver. And we went back for the Christmas season for a different view of this great city.
So when we planned our trip to BC, we chose Vancouver as the final stop. We knew we would be ready for a break. So we were happy we booked a relaxing stay at Westin Bayshore.
A Resort On The Water In Vancouver
There are so many hotel options in Vancouver. And we stayed in some good ones. For this trip to Vancouver, we looked for a new hotel. We loved our stay on Vancouver Island at the Westin Bear Mountain Resort. So we were delighted when we were able to book the Westin Bayshore Vancouver on Marriott Bonvoy points. We always loved when we could use our points for a wonderful splurge (see our stay for 16 days at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman).
The Westin Bayshore was located in the Coal Harbour area of Vancouver on the waterfront at the edge of Stanley Park. It was a healthy walk from the Skytrain stations. But a bus ran close by if we didn’t want to walk or take a taxi.
We were delighted when we found that all of our efforts to build our points and status resulted in an upgraded room with an amazing view over the harbour. There was a small french patio so we opened the doors for fresh air. And looked out on views to the west and north. Was it any wonder that we never wanted to leave the hotel?
And at the end of the day, we knew we could catch the best sunset. Without ever leaving our room!
Westin Bayshore Had Lots To Offer
The hotel had a resort feel to it. A large green space at the back had a heated outdoor pool. And lots of outdoor space. There was a second indoor pool with a hot tub and large exercise room.
The Vida Spa was a wonderful surprise. From the outside it did not look impressive. But once we crossed the threshold, we were swept up into a pampering haven. My spa pedicure relaxed me in the morning. And then David and I had deep tissue massages. Before we spent time relaxing by the fire in the quiet room.
There were no end to the temptations for a relaxing stay in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore.
We Ate And Drank Well
There were times when we were tempted to just enjoy a hotel and not wander far. When it was frigid cold in Montreal, we enjoyed several days being pampered at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal. So when we found great food options at the Westin Bayshore, we knew we did not have to wander far in Vancouver either.
Breakfast every day was in the large, sunny H2 Rotisserie and Bar. Our Marriott status gave us access to a large cold buffet. For a small amount we upgraded to a full hot buffet which included made to order omelettes and eggs. On our first night, we had a chance to sample the “old” menu. And later in the visit, we tried the “new” menu. Everything we ate was delicious.
When we wanted to try something a little different, we went to the H Tasting Lounge. We had drinks and a meal one night while we sat in front of the fire.
Both the H2 Rotisserie and Bar and the H Tasting Lounge underwent renovations prior to our visit. I don’t know what they were like before. But we found the food and environments to be a great way to enjoy our relaxing stay in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore.
We were delighted with the amazing attention to customer service and satisfaction. The restaurant leaders kept a watchful eye on all details. And they were never too busy to help out. Or stop to chat with the guests. That was hallmark we looked for in world class organizations.
Afternoon Tea At The Westin Bayshore Was A Treat
You know that we love to do Afternoon Tea when we travel. On this trip, we had our first Afternoon Tea experience at the iconic Fairmont Empress in Victoria. When we read about the Afternoon Tea at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver, we knew we had to add it to our list.
Afternoon Tea was served at the Westin Bayshore in the H Tasting Lounge. We reserved the table by the fireplace. But still had a great view out to the patio. The table was set with an elegant gold touched tea set. There was a good selection of teas. David and I chose different ones as usual. And a glass of bubbly added to our Afternoon Tea enjoyment.
We loved when an Afternoon Tea provided a new twist on traditional tea services. At the Westin Bayshore, the Afternoon Tea had a carnival theme. The awesome selection of tasty treats were served on a rotating ferris wheel. The treats even came with a cone of cotton candy!
We had a slow and leisurely Afternoon Tea at the Westin Bayshore. The large sweet selection defeated us and we took a box back to our room to enjoy later. Such a great way to enjoy a relaxing stay in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore.
Biking Stanley Park
Our room with a view overlooked Stanley Park. On the corner of Stanley Park was a big cannon. At 9pm every night, we heard the gun go off.
We stayed close to the hotel for our lazy last stop. But one day David enjoyed a bike ride around Stanley Park with our daughter Erika. They stopped on a regular basis and enjoyed the nature and artworks.
When we planned a relaxing stay in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore, we made sure to take out the free bikes and rode around Stanley Park. Walking paths also went around the 10km route. And there were even buses that went into the park if we needed a ride back.
A Return Visit To Port Moody
One of our day trips took us back to Port Moody. Our son Nick lived in that suburb area. Earlier in our trip we enjoyed beer tasting in Port Moody. This time we headed out for seafood.
We were pleased to learn at the Vancouver Skytrain ran right to Port Moody with only one transfer. We returned our rental car. And a cab would have been very expensive. The Skytrain dropped us right in downtown Port Moody. And it was a short walk to the waterfront and the Boathouse Restaurant.
After our meal, we walked out along the shore. It seemed that everywhere we went in Vancouver, the tide was out. In Port Moody, there was a vast muddy area with the tide receded. But the birds loved the chance to walk around on the mud flats.
When we stayed in downtown Vancouver, we knew we could travel quite a distance on the Skytrain. We loved that we were able to visit Port Moody for one last time before we left.
We Enjoyed Our Relaxing Stay In Vancouver
It was a very busy 5 weeks in BC. When we finished “at home” in Vancouver, we wanted nothing more than to relax and spend some time with our kids. We certainly ate well for our last stop!
We loved the resort feel of the hotel. The hotel offered so many options for a relaxing stay in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore.
Did you have a relaxing stay in Vancouver at Westin Bayshore Vancouver? Was it a great pampering stop?
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Oh wow, this looks like an amazing property! Th views are incredible and while it might have been a walk to the skytrain, the location is actually really good. And I imagine the hop on hop off bus has a convenient stop at Coal Harbour. Afternoon tea is so much fun. I love the ferris wheel presentation and being served a glass of champagne. Having access to bikes to take a ride around Stanley Park is a bonus. This sounds like the perfect place to stay in Vancouver
Sherianne, We were so glad we finished our BC trip up at the Westin Bayshore. It was a tasty and relaxing way to end our trip. Great access to Stanley Beach and the harbour! Linda
I really tried to zoom in on the tea options. lol I love that there was a carnival theme! How fun!
Cherrod, The Carnival theme was a lot of fun for this Afternoon Tea treat. Linda
I live in Vancouver and love doing afternoon tea so that is great to know that the Westin offers that! Looks lovely and I will have to try it one day 🙂 Glad you had a wonderful time in BC!
Kelly, We do love Afternoon Tea as a treat. So are definitely missing this treat right now. Check out the hotel site before you visit to make sure it is on. We had a great stay and would definitely return. Linda
Vancouver is an amazing city. Seems like to found the perfect place. Weston Bayshore looks like a great property. The sunset looks so dreamy. Loved the idea of carnival themed afternoon tea served on a ferris wheel. With a glass of champagne too! I would love to try it!
Pooja, We were happy we chose the Westin Bayshore for this stay. It was a great location with awesome views. And so many great tasty food options too. Linda
Ive always dreamed to visit Vancouver ! And if I will one day i would definitely stay at Westin Bayshore! The view is incredible! During the day and also during the sunset! So beautiful ! I love staying in resorts as theres always something to do! I love that afternoon tea option at Westin Bayshore! it looks so relaxing.
Ada, I hope you get to Vancouver. We are there regularly (in normal years) and loved the chance to stay at the Westin Bayshore. It was definitely a relaxing and tasty finish to our visit to BC. Linda
I have always loved your photographs. The way you click the photos, it makes me crave to visit the place. I would like to know the weather condition, is it too hot or too cold?
Ramya, Vancouver has some of the nicer weather in Canada. Temperate temperatures in the summer and usually little snow in the winter. A great spot to visit at any time of year. Linda
Oh, I love Vancouver! I’ve only been once, but I would return in a heartbeat. This looks like a great resort. I love the idea of an afternoon tea experience and with a view of the water from your room, how can you not love it. Thanks for sharing all the details and amenities.
Nancy, We loved to head back to Vancouver when we can. It was great to stay at the Westin Bayshore on this trip. It offered a great relaxing stay at the end of a long road trip around BC. We would definitely go back! Linda
Dear lord, I will have to bring some serious stretchy pants if I stay or even visit to eat at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver. I mean it has a ferris wheel of sweets! Darcee Loves Ferris Wheels and I love Sweets! She can have all the cotton candy if I can eat all the pastries. But how do I fit it all in after the main courses?
We really want to explore Vancouver more too. Love all the street art and the chill outdoor vibe in that whole area.
Eric, We loved this visit to Vancouver. And yes, we did enjoy a relaxing break with lots of great food options! Linda
Look at that ferris wheel treats! It makes me want to try every one of the treats. The cotton candy looks playful, too. You had the best Afternoon Teatime at the Westin. The views are gorgeous, I guess it pays off for your stay at the “Inn” in White Rock.
Umiko, We love when Afternoon Tea has a fun theme like a carnival. Indeed a great treat after our White Rock stay. Linda
Oh my! The afternoon tea looks so amazing. I love how the little bites were placed on a ferris wheel of sorts. I too recently used my points to stay at a Westin and they are fabulous hotels to stay at 🙂
Candy, The Westin Bayshore was an awesome spot to use our Marriott points. So much to do in a short distance. And some great food options too. Linda
Wow what a dream holiday you had in Vancouver. The stay on the water with beautiful views and yummy delicious food makes the stay so relaxing. I always love Westin stay and I am totally sold out for this Westin Bayshore as it has splendid views of Bay. Afternoon tea with carnival theme is also lovely here and being a tea lover, I would really go for this.
Yukti, We do love when we find a great spot on the water in Vancouver. Those views all day make it hard to leave the hotel. Especially with such tasty and fun treats. Linda
What an amazing stay! I miss all the years I spent amassing & enjoying the benefits of earning points through business travel ;). Now I mainly stay in small independent hotels but reading this certainly made me keen to dip my toe back in again! The spa looks amazing, the views sensational & the afternoon tea just made me hungry. Overall I felt relaxed just reading this post.
Sue, We are missing our pampering hotel stays in this time of staying at home. We do love when we find a hotel that has a great offering. Especially in a city spot. Glad this post gave you a relaxing feeling. It was certainly a great way to finish a very busy visit to BC. Linda
I have wanted to get to Canada and in particular Vancouer for many years – still not happened so this was a great post to read. I love Westin Hotels and Resorts they really look after you and that afternoon tea reminded me of London; one of the hotels here has the same ferris wheel afternoon tea going on! Yum
Angela, I hope you do make it to Vancouver one day. It is like a second home for us. But we do love to splurge with a treat like the Westin Bayshore when we visit. Linda
I got stuck at the resort on the water and that was sufficient for me to add this property to my list of stays bucketlist. I would love to stay at Westin Bayshore and have those stunning views. The snow capped mountains look straight out of a dream.
Raksha, Vancouver has such amazing views that we were delighted to have a hotel with a great view of the water and mountains. The Westin Bayshore exceeded all of our expectations. Hope you get to visit one day. Linda
The Westin Bayshore looks like a marvelous place to stay! I love the look of all of your food, especially the afternoon tea. I’ve a sweet tooth but I think I’d also be defeated by the amount of treats! I’d like to explore more of Canada one day, so I really appreciate this review.
Lisa, I hope you get to visit Vancouver one day. And we would definitely recommend the Westin Bayshore to stay. Especially if you want a tasty, relaxing break. Linda
I love this Vancouver, spent there a few weeks. It has beautiful architecture, great food, pleasant atmosphere. I like Stanley Park. But I haven’t been to Westin Bayshore and Boathouse Restaurant. Meals look delicious. I do beer tasting next time 🙂
Agnes, We love Vancouver and like to try new spots on each visit. Our stay at the Westin Bayshore was a great success. Linda
What a wonderful hotel! I love teas and this afternoon teas looks amazing. The ferris wheel serving treats is so fun! With views over the harbour and such amazing service, I wouldn’t want to leave the hotel either!
Smita, We too love our Afternoon Tea treats. This was definitely a fun one! Hope you get to try it one day. Linda
This place is right up our alley! We hope to visit Vancouver some day and you’ve taken the guess work out of where we should stay!
I do hope you get to visit Vancouver one day. This would be a great hotel for you to try. Linda
You had me at champagne, and then you threw in the indoor and outdoor pools and I´m IN! I´ve always wanted to visit Vancouver, somehow I´ve yet to explor western Canada even though it´s been a dream of mine for a long time. Now along with the views, I can add a stay at the Westin Bayshore to my bucket list!
Erica, I do hope you get to visit the west coast. There are so many things to see and do. We loved this spot to finish up a long stay in BC. Linda
Western Bayshore in Vancouver does look like a treat! Love the hearty meals that you enjoyed, particularly the afternoon tea by the fireside. How cool that you had treats served in a rotating ferris, the pic with the candy floss is adorable!! Would grab at the opportunity to take back the goodies to the room and savour them at leisure haha great decision!!
Aradhana, We certainly did eat well on our visit to the Westin Bayshore. Loved the inside and outside spots to enjoy a view with the treats. A great visit for sure. Linda
I would love to visit Vancouver. I had visited many places in Canada, but havent made it to this area yet. Mount Baker is stunning, beautiful images! This looks like a great place to stay, I love the carnival afternoon tea theme, so unique. If i ever make it there I will definetly check this out.
Melissa, I hope you get to Vancouver one day. There is so much to see and do. And we loved our hotel stay on this trip. Linda
That upgraded room looks fabulous! What a great place to stay. I love Vancouver – we try to visit at least once a year. It has so much to offer and is just so beautiful!
Dani, We too are in Vancouver on a regular basis – in normal years. The Westin Bayshore was a great choice for this visit. Linda
What a beautiful place to stay in Vancouver! We were in the early stages of planning a trip out here for later this year, but had to cancel those plans. Definitely going to be coming back to this post and maybe booking a stay at this great hotel if we can go next year!
Zach, So sorry you missed your trip to Vancouver this year. I sure hope you get it re-scheduled. One of our favourite spots to visit. Linda
I’m so jealous you got to spend 4 weeks on the road in BC! I’m from Seattle but have decided to spend all of 2020 in Brazil (where I happened to be when lockdowns started) and although it is beautiful here, I’m really missing those amazing PNW summers. This hotel looks like a perfect end to your trip and I absolutely love that little ferris wheel of snacks at the afternoon tea!
Kevin, We love our visits to the west coast in Canada and the USA. And visit regularly. This was a great way to finish our last long trip. Linda
Oh gosh! That chocolate cake looks so so mouth-wateringly delicious! What a delight it must have been to have dinner by the fire place! Indoor and outdoor pools? – You’ve got me! Vans is high up on my list. Pinning this so I can refer to it nearer the time.
Georgina, I do hope you get to visit Vancouver when things open back up. It is a great city to visit. And we loved our stay at the Westin Bayshore. Would definitely recommend it! Linda
The food at Westin Bayshore looks awesome and that totally sells the place to me because I really do care about the food when I visit/ stay at a place. Also, I would love to try their afternoon tea. I’m sold on Vancouver, especially with those gorgeous views of Mount Baker from the shore.
Medha, We do love our visits to Vancouver. Certainly missing them these days. And the Westin Bayshore was definitely a great spot to stay. Linda
Love your Vancouver trip! We are great Marriott fans. And I want those teacups – elegant but not too dainty. Chloe
Chloe, We did love our stay at the Westin Bayshore. A great spot to use our points. And get a treat. Linda
It was such a fun post to read.The street art at White rock looked awesome and the view of Mount Baker from hotel was heavenly one for sure! And my my I just couldn’t stop looking at the tasty treats on ferris wheel! :-)It was such an exciting way to serve food.
I would definitely love to visit Westin Bayshore! Thank you so much for sharing ?
We sure did enjoy our visit to the Westin Bayshore on that visit to Vancouver. We like to mix up our Vancouver stays and try something new. This was a tasty stop for sure.
wow, its just look amazing relaxing trip of Bayshore Vancouver. food looks so yummy and appetizing. most favorite of mine is chocolate cake. i love chocolate. i hope in future i will b visit these places.
We sure did love that visit to Vancouver. There was so much great food to enjoy.
Having just returned from London, I’m hooked on afternoon tea! This one looks to be fun, I love the whimsy of the tasty treats on ferris wheel! What a creative way to serve food. Well done Westin Bayshore for doing something a bit unique.
We loved the circus theme for the Afternoon Tea at the Westin Bayshore. We do love to try new ones on our travels.