Need a Father’s Day Gift? Wrap Up a Men’s Facial at Westin Bear Mountain Resort

Facials are feminine. Like make-up and hair curlers. High heels and eyelash extensions. For men, indulgences in self-care, stereotypically, involve the purchase of motor tools and computerized gadgets, footwear that eases pain, and sports gear. We don’t do facials. When we get a massage it involves a ritual of gritting our teeth and bracing for the moment when an elbow carves into a shoulder blade or knuckles twist into the neck until we grunt. Such brutish treatment is an ageless remedy for tension and sore muscles, a practice meant to get us back to sedulous play, and, perhaps most importantly, it is characterized as a form of maintenance, not pampering. We’ll eschew any option that might connote softness and instead habitually choose the “sports massage” because men latch onto the word “sports” like a golden retriever does a ball.

So, the idea of going for a facial? C’mon, dude.

Well, here’s some candid locker-room talk: It is beyond time to normalize the exfoliating of men’s pores and the application of creams and gels to the chin point and cheekbones, around the eyes and across the temples; customs women have kept for themselves for all of recorded history (or at least since luxury travel was popularized).

What has made me an advocate is the absolute bliss I experienced during a visit to Amatista, the on-site spa at the Westin Bear Mountain Resort in Langford, a suburb just north of Victoria. Dubbed the Amethyst Facial Journey (in a translation of the spa’s namesake gem), the 90-minute pleasure trip includes 14 steps, beginning with a 30-minute back massage featuring aromatherapy oils and lasting until the “closing ritual with body compressions.” In between attention is given to the scalp, hands, and feet, which can also be a trait of a typical sports massage.

So, from the outset, I was already at ease, knowing I hadn’t enlisted for a completely foreign experience. That reality removed the what-am-I-in-for anxiety that preceded the treatment, when I wondered about the potential of poking or squeezing around my cheeks and eyes, thinking such invasiveness might become tiresome or unpleasant. As it turned out, when the therapist did shift her attention to my face it was with “Velvet Cleansing Cream”, “Rosée Visage”, “a small amount of Enzymatic Exfoliant”, and “facial rolling with amethyst wands using pressure points and lymph drainage techniques.” Sound lavish and hypnotic? It felt that way, too.

Midway through, I fell asleep — not something I had ever done during my previous massages, when I needed to remain alert to counteract the force applied by the treatment. And when I awoke on the Amatista massage bed, I had also forgotten about all the items that were next on my to-do work list and hoped for the moment to extend beyond the treatment’s hour-and-a-half time limit. The Amatista facial was a cloud of painlessness — coddling few men, but millions of women, experience at a spa.

According to the spa, only 5% of its customers who book facials are men. Maybe not surprisingly, some women want to keep it that way. As a travelling companion told me after I recounted my joy: “We don’t want men to know about this. Then they’ll start booking facials too and it will be harder for us to get an appointment.”

The battle of the sexes may have a new front. As Father’s Day approaches, men, or their children, should use the holiday to turn the balance of facials toward the less-primped gender and give a gift that heals and replenishes the skin, bones, and brain.

Golf at Westin Bear Mountain Resort

If the idea of a facial gets men out of their comfort zone, the golf experiences at Bear Mountain will put them back into the mindset of facing familiar challenges. The destination has two courses — the Mountain and the friendlier Valley, both designed by golf great Jack Nicklaus and his son, Steve. I played the Mountain Course and it was as daunting as it was beautiful. Rising to 335 metres (1,100 feet) above sea level, the views from the 13th and 14th show holes provide panoramic ocean views of Victoria and the forest around the course. To the west is Washington’s Mount Baker, which on a clear day can be viewed in its white-capped mightiness, even though it is about 290 kilometres (180 miles) away.

The course is tough because of tight fairways, an abundance of bunkers, and strategically placed fescue and tall grass. Mercifully, the greens are well-manicured and readable, making putting a respite from the gruelling play.

Wine and Dine Near Victoria

The resort has a stellar wine program that includes its Friday Night Flights ($50) where Bipin Bhatt, who holds a WSET Level 4 sommelier certification, runs guests through a tasting of four to five wines from a specific region and executive chef Nathan Taylor pairs two or three bites. Held in the hotel’s Wine Den, each event is a showcase of viticulture and terroir, served in a private space ideal for a culinary educational seminar. Bhatt has 5,000 bottles in the wine cellar to choose from, with interesting selections such as a Negro Amaro rosé.

The hotel’s Serip bar, named after the Portugal company that created the stunning overhead light fixture, delivers tasty fare that includes a happy hour noted for several $7 items, one of the best dining deals in British Columbia. The primary restaurant, Callisto, has a retractable roof for pleasant al-fresco dining when the weather cooperates.

Attractions to Explore on Vancouver Island

Among the leading activities in the vicinity of the resort is Malahat SkyWalk, which opened in 2021 and has steadily added to its programming. The main attraction is the tower that visitors ascend through a circular ramp that provides 360-degree mountain and sea views. The rooftop will make you want to linger with its stunning vistas of Victoria’s harbour in the distance, Finlayson Arm, the Olympic mountains of Washington state, and eagles gliding above the Pacific Northwest scenery. Once you’ve taken it all in, guests can either walk back down or opt for the novel approach, descending the spiral slide that takes a giddy 10 seconds to ride. It’s such a fun thrill that kids may want to insist they and Dad climb back up the SkyWalk to go again.

The tower is 30 metres (98.4 feet) tall and takes about 10 minutes to climb from base to top. A 600-metre (1,970-foot) elevated walkway leads to the tower. On the way are stunning wooden sculptures by local artist Tanya Bub. Her newest addition is a glorious rendition of an eagle depicted with its talons extended and about to land on the railing of the SkyWalk roof.

Elsewhere, hiking and cycling can be enjoyed throughout Victoria and Langford. Thetis Lake Regional Park and Goldstream Provincial Park offer noteworthy hikes, through forests of cedar and pine, that lead to lake views. The Galloping Goose Rail Trail is one of Canada’s great recreational cycling paths. It wanders through municipalities in the Greater Victoria Area and connects westward to Sooke and northward to Nanaimo.

MORE ABOUT WESTIN BEAR MOUNTAIN RESORT

Location: 1999 Country Club Way, Victoria, British Columbia (see map below)
Room Rates: Based on a recent search of the hotel’s booking engine, a weekend night in June starts at $279. The property has 91 guest rooms and one exceptional 1,800-square-foot Presidential suite that costs just $750 per night in the offseason.
Father’s Day 2024: Callisto features a $79 three-course holiday menu (June 14-16) that includes a glass of Prosecco or mimosa upon arrival and special whiskey-based cocktail pairings for an additional $35 per person (or $35 for wine or $19 for craft-beer pairings).