Brentwood Bay Resort and Spa鈥檚 "adults only" (16+) policy at its Arbutus Room & Bar has ignited a debate within the local community.
A member of the Brentwood Bay Facebook community group expressed her annoyance in a since-deleted post after discovering the new limitation prevented her from booking a table for her daughter's upcoming 16th birthday celebration. She wanted to bring her other 13-year-old daughter, too.
The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her July 18 post on Facebook was meant to let the community know of the restriction. She expressed shock at the policy, questioning whether other local restaurants have similar age restrictions.
Most of the comments agreed it was indeed frustrating.
The adults-only dining restriction took effect in January 2025, following the resort's move to become a fully adult-focused property. The hotel's spa, pool deck, hot tub and their 33 rooms were previously designed with adults in mind.
Christopher Judge, director of guest experiences, explained that the decision was made to align the restaurant with the resort's overall adult-oriented branding.
He emphasized the importance of the Arbutus Room & Bar's location, as it serves as the main entrance and common area for the resort's adult guests. He also highlighted the fine dining experience, including the focus on wine pairings, as more geared toward adults.
"The restaurant and bar are very closely tied to the lobby," said Judge. "When we've made the decision to transition to an adult-only property, it was essential that this space be part of it."
While acknowledging the concerns, Judge clarified that the resort's commitment to the community remains strong through The Pub, a separate restaurant with its own entrance and parking on Verdier Avenue, which welcomes families and patrons of all ages.
"To anyone who's been less than thrilled with this (16+ age restriction), we are not anti-children," Judge stated. "We just understand the value of this resort being able to cater specifically to adults and to couples, and we're leaning into that in a big way."
Brentwood Bay Resort and Spa is one of two 鈥渁dults-only鈥� five-star boutique hotels in Greater Victoria (Abigail鈥檚 Hotel in Victoria is the other one), catering to couples and parents who are looking to spend quality time together without their children.
CEO and general manager Natasha Richardson said many parents come to the hotel for a weekend escape to relax and recharge, hoping to return fresh for their families.
鈥淚t's really just creating the space for the people who are joining us, staying with us and coming back, and we don鈥檛 intend to seek discrimination of any kind,鈥� she added.
Since fully committing to the adult-only brand in January, the hotel has made sure it is reflected in its branding.
"When you research us or you pull us up on a listing, it says Brentwood Bay Resort and the tagline of adult only 16+ is right there, so there's no question," Richardson explained.
There are certain days in the year when they lift the 16+ age restriction at the Arbutus, she added. These are family seasonal experiences like Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"Those are traditional holidays 鈥� we want to embrace that and that's when we want to welcome kids, so, it's a bit of a balancing act that way,鈥� Richardson said.
Judge admits prior to the Facebook post, they鈥檝e had at least four people from the Brentwood Bay community reach out to them echoing the same frustrations with the age restriction.
鈥淲e've done our best to communicate and help them to understand,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e understand that not everyone will agree.鈥�
As for the community member who shared her frustration on Facebook, she says she鈥檚 not trying to hurt the hotel.
鈥淚 just want them to know that it鈥檚 a part of our community and these policies impact the community.鈥�
