Reviewing Staff and management at Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort
Review is written by Staff @ The Ring and is based on • Interviews with this vendor • Our experiences
Having just celebrated its Grand Opening in June of 2011, The Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort is already a sought-after location for the high style weddings of both local and destination couples. The Prestige offers everything a bride could want in her wedding experience; gorgeous ocean and mountain views, seaside ceremonies, fabulous ballrooms, upscale accommodations for guests, and a spa that everyone should have a chance to experience at least once. The team at The Ring had the opportunity to tour the spaces, be treated in the spa, and stay overnight in the gorgeous guest rooms. Here’s just a few of the reasons why so many brides are adding Prestige to their must-see lists…
Weddings at Prestige
If you’ve ever taken a tour of the Prestige, you’ll see why it’s a hot spot for both local and destination weddings. To begin with, the wedding ceremony and reception options at Prestige are breathtaking.
For indoor receptions, you have convention centre facility spaces to choose from… The French Beach Salon, Otter Point Salon or Orca Spirit Salon are each available on their own, or for larger galas, can be opened up to make one, large, gorgeous space - the Grand Ballroom. Between the four options, Prestige can accommodate anywhere from sixteen to five hundred guests. The black, browns, tans and ivories colour palette makes it easy for any wedding style to fit in perfectly here.
For indoor ceremonies, Prestige couples often choose the Grand Foyer which overlooks the Palm Terrace.
Outdoors, your options include the Palm Terrace, the Palm Terrace 2 or the Veranda, the seaside Pavilion and the Pavilion grounds. The Prestige team says that their seaside Pavilion is probably their most popular request for island wedding ceremonies. Convention & Catering Manager, Krista Clarke adds, “And because the Prestige is nestled into the Sooke Basin and Sooke Harbour, brides don't have to worry about the fury of Pacific storms.”
Krista explains, “Our brides come from all across the globe with different customs and desires. Our venue is a beautiful yet muted pallet which allows brides the opportunity to really put their personal touch on things.”
The Prestige, in person
The key players at Prestige are General Manager, Benjamin Leversedge, Assistant GM, Jacob Cramp, Food and Beverage Department head, Valerie Lessard, and of course, Krista.
Krista has been planning weddings and events for over 10 years and told The Ring, "I knew when they broke ground to build the resort that I wanted to part of this team." For Krista, working with weddings at Prestige is about taking a bride’s vision and helping to make it a reality. She knows better than anyone that for many brides, their wedding is the most important day in their lives. “I feel like a fairy Godmother making all their dreams come true!"
Krista says that aside from the on-site coordination services she brings to the table, couples come to Prestige for several reasons… “Initially brides choose the Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort for the gorgeous facility, but I like to think that the personal service and attention to detail provided by our outstanding staff are also key reasons… Our amazing venue comes complete with a seaside ceremony pavilion, themed guest room floors and an island colonial destination-style setting without the expense of traveling. We offer outstanding ocean and mountain views, and of course, you can’t forget our full-service spa and outstanding eateries.”
Space for guests and the honeymoon
Prestige hosts guests in 122 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites ranging from deluxe to premium. Their range of style and size are designed to suit all of your guests needs – perfect for destination weddings.
Each of the four floors of guest rooms are decorated in a different theme, which are carried through to the hallways and into every decorative aspect of the suite. Themes include Island Colonial, Tropical, Metropolitan and Opulent.
Incredibly, rooms present stunning views of the property, Sooke Harbour, Sooke Basin, and right across to the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains.
A luxury spa
No luxury resort would be complete without a luxury spa. The Prestige delivers on this front as well. Located on the ground level, near the Convention Centre, the Ocean Palm Spa offers every spa service a bride could ask for. You can even enjoy your spa experience outside on the terrace (weather permitting). The state of the art Athletic Club is located right beside the spa. There is also an indoor pool and hot tub available for use.
Adding taste to your wedding
Prestige offers multiple menu options, with the Mix Platinum Buffet topping the list as the favourite for many brides and grooms. “It’s amazing with an assortment of fresh local seafood and Sterling Silver Alberta Prime Rib beef,” says Krista. Whenever possible, Prestige will provide organic, sustainable and locally sourced menu items.
Prestige brides
Krista says that Prestige appeals to brides of many tastes and budgets because of their multitude of options and their flexibility to work with almost any wedding day needs. “Because we offer destination style weddings, we can even cater to out of town brides as well as local brides. We can do as little as simply providing a venue or we can offer a complete destination wedding with cake, photographer, flowers, decorations and full guest accommodations.”
Krista says that at Prestige, she’s seen many different styles of weddings, from traditional to themed. “I once had an Alice in Wonderland themed wedding complete with a Mad Hatter Wedding Cake! I have had money-no-object weddings and extremely tight budget weddings. Really, the possibilities are endless at the Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort.”
Walking you through it
Your first contact is with Krista, and she’s also (alongside Valerie Lessard) the one who will be present on your wedding day. Most first contacts come into Krista via email. “Once we have established contact, I send them our catering package complete with venue information.”
The first consultation is all about vision. You wouldn’t be getting into minute details at this point, it’s really more about the big picture. “We tour the facility and talk about available dates and possible budgets for catering…” If it’s love at first sight, a deposit confirms your date and venues at Prestige.
As time passes between the initial meeting and the wedding day, you meet an average of six times to go over details. “When the date is drawing near, we have one final meeting to wrap up all the details including drawing a map of the venue to ensure that everything is exactly to the bride’s expectations.”
On the wedding day, Krista arrives hours before the bridal party and guests to ensure that all last minute details are attended to. “I am on hand to help out for the entire event, from assisting with pinning boutonnieres and corsages, to serving out the first celebratory glass of champagne.
Details, details, details
• The average bride spends approximately $80-$100 per person plus 16% gratuity and 12% HST
• Prestige recommends booking twelve to eighteen months in advance if at all possible, however Krista says, “We can host a wedding in as little as three months in advance…” if space is available.
• A $1000.00 non-refundable deposit books your wedding date and venue.
• Event rooms are available for full day, half day or evening rental.
• Room rental includes all tables, chairs and tableware (chinaware, glassware, silverware and basic linens) required for your function. If required, supplementary tables will be available for cake, guest signing, DJ and gifts. Set up fees may apply.
• Food allergies: In the event that any of the guests in your group have food allergies or dietary restrictions, Prestige requires that you inform them in writing at the time of menu selection. “We undertake to provide, upon request, full information on the ingredients of any items served to your group.”
• All food and beverage served at the hotel is to be provided by the Prestige Oceanfront Resort and Convention Centre with the exception of wedding cakes (service charges may apply).
• SOCAN fees apply (usually a small fee to cover music licensing for live and/or recorded music)
* See Prestige for more details on any applicable rules or restrictions surrounding services
Contacting Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort...
Visit Prestige online at http://www.prestigeinn.com/sooke-prestige-hotel.php or contact Krista Clarke directly. Reserve at 1-250-642-0805 or Toll Free at 1-877-737-8443.
Having just celebrated its Grand Opening in June of 2011, The Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort is already a sought-after location for the high style weddings of both local and destination couples. The Prestige offers everything a bride could want in her wedding experience; gorgeous ocean and mountain views, seaside ceremonies, fabulous ballrooms, upscale accommodations for guests, and a spa that everyone should have a chance to experience at least once. The team at The Ring had the opportunity to tour the spaces, be treated in the spa, and stay overnight in the gorgeous guest rooms. Here’s just a few of the reasons why so many brides are adding Prestige to their must-see lists…
Weddings at Prestige
If you’ve ever taken a tour of the Prestige, you’ll see why it’s a hot spot for both local and destination weddings. To begin with, the wedding ceremony and reception options at Prestige are breathtaking.
For indoor receptions, you have convention centre facility spaces to choose from… The French Beach Salon, Otter Point Salon or Orca Spirit Salon are each available on their own, or for larger galas, can be opened up to make one, large, gorgeous space - the Grand Ballroom. Between the four options, Prestige can accommodate anywhere from sixteen to five hundred guests. The black, browns, tans and ivories colour palette makes it easy for any wedding style to fit in perfectly here.
For indoor ceremonies, Prestige couples often choose the Grand Foyer which overlooks the Palm Terrace.
Outdoors, your options include the Palm Terrace, the Palm Terrace 2 or the Veranda, the seaside Pavilion and the Pavilion grounds. The Prestige team says that their seaside Pavilion is probably their most popular request for island wedding ceremonies. Convention & Catering Manager, Krista Clarke adds, “And because the Prestige is nestled into the Sooke Basin and Sooke Harbour, brides don't have to worry about the fury of Pacific storms.”
Krista explains, “Our brides come from all across the globe with different customs and desires. Our venue is a beautiful yet muted pallet which allows brides the opportunity to really put their personal touch on things.”
The Prestige, in person
The key players at Prestige are General Manager, Benjamin Leversedge, Assistant GM, Jacob Cramp, Food and Beverage Department head, Valerie Lessard, and of course, Krista.
Krista has been planning weddings and events for over 10 years and told The Ring, "I knew when they broke ground to build the resort that I wanted to part of this team." For Krista, working with weddings at Prestige is about taking a bride’s vision and helping to make it a reality. She knows better than anyone that for many brides, their wedding is the most important day in their lives. “I feel like a fairy Godmother making all their dreams come true!"
Krista says that aside from the on-site coordination services she brings to the table, couples come to Prestige for several reasons… “Initially brides choose the Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort for the gorgeous facility, but I like to think that the personal service and attention to detail provided by our outstanding staff are also key reasons… Our amazing venue comes complete with a seaside ceremony pavilion, themed guest room floors and an island colonial destination-style setting without the expense of traveling. We offer outstanding ocean and mountain views, and of course, you can’t forget our full-service spa and outstanding eateries.”
Space for guests and the honeymoon
Prestige hosts guests in 122 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites ranging from deluxe to premium. Their range of style and size are designed to suit all of your guests needs – perfect for destination weddings.
Each of the four floors of guest rooms are decorated in a different theme, which are carried through to the hallways and into every decorative aspect of the suite. Themes include Island Colonial, Tropical, Metropolitan and Opulent.
Incredibly, rooms present stunning views of the property, Sooke Harbour, Sooke Basin, and right across to the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains.
A luxury spa
No luxury resort would be complete without a luxury spa. The Prestige delivers on this front as well. Located on the ground level, near the Convention Centre, the Ocean Palm Spa offers every spa service a bride could ask for. You can even enjoy your spa experience outside on the terrace (weather permitting). The state of the art Athletic Club is located right beside the spa. There is also an indoor pool and hot tub available for use.
Adding taste to your wedding
Prestige offers multiple menu options, with the Mix Platinum Buffet topping the list as the favourite for many brides and grooms. “It’s amazing with an assortment of fresh local seafood and Sterling Silver Alberta Prime Rib beef,” says Krista. Whenever possible, Prestige will provide organic, sustainable and locally sourced menu items.
Prestige brides
Krista says that Prestige appeals to brides of many tastes and budgets because of their multitude of options and their flexibility to work with almost any wedding day needs. “Because we offer destination style weddings, we can even cater to out of town brides as well as local brides. We can do as little as simply providing a venue or we can offer a complete destination wedding with cake, photographer, flowers, decorations and full guest accommodations.”
Krista says that at Prestige, she’s seen many different styles of weddings, from traditional to themed. “I once had an Alice in Wonderland themed wedding complete with a Mad Hatter Wedding Cake! I have had money-no-object weddings and extremely tight budget weddings. Really, the possibilities are endless at the Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort.”
Walking you through it
Your first contact is with Krista, and she’s also (alongside Valerie Lessard) the one who will be present on your wedding day. Most first contacts come into Krista via email. “Once we have established contact, I send them our catering package complete with venue information.”
The first consultation is all about vision. You wouldn’t be getting into minute details at this point, it’s really more about the big picture. “We tour the facility and talk about available dates and possible budgets for catering…” If it’s love at first sight, a deposit confirms your date and venues at Prestige.
As time passes between the initial meeting and the wedding day, you meet an average of six times to go over details. “When the date is drawing near, we have one final meeting to wrap up all the details including drawing a map of the venue to ensure that everything is exactly to the bride’s expectations.”
On the wedding day, Krista arrives hours before the bridal party and guests to ensure that all last minute details are attended to. “I am on hand to help out for the entire event, from assisting with pinning boutonnieres and corsages, to serving out the first celebratory glass of champagne.
Details, details, details
• The average bride spends approximately $80-$100 per person plus 16% gratuity and 12% HST
• Prestige recommends booking twelve to eighteen months in advance if at all possible, however Krista says, “We can host a wedding in as little as three months in advance…” if space is available.
• A $1000.00 non-refundable deposit books your wedding date and venue.
• Event rooms are available for full day, half day or evening rental.
• Room rental includes all tables, chairs and tableware (chinaware, glassware, silverware and basic linens) required for your function. If required, supplementary tables will be available for cake, guest signing, DJ and gifts. Set up fees may apply.
• Food allergies: In the event that any of the guests in your group have food allergies or dietary restrictions, Prestige requires that you inform them in writing at the time of menu selection. “We undertake to provide, upon request, full information on the ingredients of any items served to your group.”
• All food and beverage served at the hotel is to be provided by the Prestige Oceanfront Resort and Convention Centre with the exception of wedding cakes (service charges may apply).
• SOCAN fees apply (usually a small fee to cover music licensing for live and/or recorded music)
* See Prestige for more details on any applicable rules or restrictions surrounding services
Contacting Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort...
Visit Prestige online at http://www.prestigeinn.com/sooke-prestige-hotel.php or contact Krista Clarke directly. Reserve at 1-250-642-0805 or Toll Free at 1-877-737-8443.
