Rupert visits the Ocean Pointe Resort
We visited the lovely, pet friendly Delta Hotels by Marriott Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, situated overlooking Victoria's Inner Harbour. The resort is located along the waterfront Songhees Walkway, a scenic 5km path, perfect for taking your dog for a walk. There are also two off-leash dog parks within a 5 minute walk from the hotel.
We stopped by and were greeted with a lot of dog loving from the staff and visitors. Rupert thoroughly enjoyed our visit!
We chatted with Nicole and she told us:
"We understand that your pet is a member of your family, and we want to provide a pet-friendly environment which allows your whole family to enjoy a vacation together."
I asked them about their pet friendly amenities:
"The lobby and guest rooms are pet friendly. In the lobby, dogs are welcomed by the front desk staff with dog treats. When staying overnight, the guest rooms for our four-legged guests are prepared with a dog dish, small towel to wipe paws, pick-up bags, and a bag of treats."
When asked about travelling tips they said:
"Pack a favorite comfort toy for your dog when travelling. When traveling by car, never leave your pet alone in the car. Ask our front desk staff for a map outlining the best nearby walking paths and dog-friendly parks."
Danielle at the front desk even provided a memorable pet story for us! (Thanks Danielle!)
"Last summer, I had a couple check in with the sweetest beagle named Muddy. I fell in love with him over their stay, giving him pets and treats every time they came through the lobby. Funny enough, 3 month later when I was traveling through Quebec with a friend, I bumped into the same couple at a train station and only recognized them because of Muddy!
We all laughed how even at a busy station across the country, I was able to recognize Muddy like he was an old friend. Dogs are my favorite kind of guest!"
They sent along this quote from an email of a guest:
"we always appreciate a pet-friendly hotel. Again, our expectations are exceeded as all staff are genuinely happy to see our dog and make us feel welcome. In some "pet-friendly" hotels you can tell that you are tolerated. Here, even our dog is made to feel special."
In the spring, Delta Hotels Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort hosts an annual fundraising event for the SPCA, called Best in Show. Best in Show is a fun, casual dog show where families can have their dog participate in a number of contests including Best Dressed, Most Endearing Rescue Dog, Best Trick, Cutest Puppy, Cutest Male Dog, Cutest Female Dog, Most Original Hair. All proceeds are donated to the BC SPCA Victoria Branch, and prizes are awarded to the top 3 in each category. This year’s Best in Show is on Saturday, June 2nd.
We really appreciated the time they took to talk with us and show us around, as well as all the information they provided! Below are our photos from our Ocean Pointe Adventure (as well as Rupert's commentary!)
Be sure to check out the links below for more information!
Rupert visits Butchart Gardens
Beautiful Butchart Gardens is one of Victoria's top tourist destinations. The 55 acres of gardens and meandering paths are lovely every season and it's dog friendly !! When we arrived, Rupert was given biscuits and ear rubs by the staff at the information desk and they mentioned that are dog water dishes with filtered water throughout the park. They also have biodegradable refuse bags available. We started our walk at 9:30am, it was still quiet and the sun was peaking through the trees. It was a wonderful way to start the day.
Here are some tips they provide visitors to the garden who are bringing their pets!
Use a short leash
Stop by the visitor centre when you first arrive and get your four-legged friend a complimentary treat
In the warmer summer months, it’s best to come in the morning or after 4pm once it has cooled down a bit. (Avoid high heat/high foot traffic time)
we highly recommend keeping pets at home for Firework Saturdays, as the noise can be distressing. If your pet is travelling with you, you can take them to your vehicle before the show. Always leave windows open enough for air to circulate and closed enough to keep them safely in the vehicle.
I also asked why they think being a pet friendly place is important.
"Because we have so many visitors who are travelling to The Gardens in their own vehicles, it quite often they bring their pet. It’s important to us that pets are not left in vehicles and so we encourage them to enjoy The Gardens with their family."
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the gardens and Mr.Roops had fun exploring and checking everything out!
Be sure to click on the links to the Butchart Garden's social media pages for more information and photos of beautiful flowers and plants:
http://www.butchartgardens.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thebutchartgardens/
https://www.facebook.com/pg/butchartgardens/
Below is our photo slideshow (with commentary by Mr.Roops of course!) from our garden adventure! Enjoy!
The wonderful adventures of two scruffy pups.
Meet Walter & Rupert. Our two terrier mixes. Walter is 9, gives the best cuddles and runs like the wind. Rupert is 8, is full of mischief, sings loudly and is a mouth kisser (Seriously, that's how he wakes us up every morning. lol) They're our little adventuresome scamps and this new project is perfect for them. Last year we had great fun with our Shop Dog series so we are doing something new for 2018. We are compiling a list of pet friendly businesses, patios, tourist attractions and hotels around Victoria (and eventually Vancouver Island). We'll stop by these places, take a few photos of them checking them out and then do a blog post (and share on social media). Walter sometimes gets anxious in new situations so he'll be staying home during visits to busy places (he'll be getting snuggles and toast crusts with his nanna and grampy so he'll be very happy!)
We love supporting local and sharing this kind of information to other pet lovers! So please follow along and if you have any suggestions of places to include in our list, please send me a message!!!
Cheers
Sarah, Walter & Rupert