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Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on May 4, 2012
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""Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on May 3, 2012
This is the third time I have stayed at the Royal Scot in the past. year. Found it to be an ideal place to stay and the convenience to all amenities very handy. On my next visit to Victoria I will definitely stay here.
Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on May 2, 2012
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Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on Apr 26, 2012
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"good service and affordable rate"Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on Apr 24, 2012
PROS - Great service, the front desk was very helpful. Room was better than expected from exterior appearance, direct bus route to downtown at front of hotel and taxi rates were only about twice the rate of the bus.CONS - the cafe food was very poor and the only blemish on an otherwise decent establishment. A 3.5 / 5 overall
Location.
Rising regally on the banks of Victoria's Inner Harbour and representing the center of British Columbia's capital city, The Fairmont Empress has been completely restored to her turn-of-the-century beauty. The hotel is minutes to fine dining, popular shopping and entertainment.
Hotel Features.
The Fairmont Empress displays the grandeur of a bygone era. Guests can experience a British tradition with the Afternoon Tea or hold a meeting in the conference facilities.
Guestrooms.
The classic Fairmont Rooms are furnished in traditional elegant décor. Each guestroom has a cozy sitting area with two armchairs, some with ample space to accommodate a crib or rollaway.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
**These amenities may be available only in some rooms or units. Some amenities may incur additional fees.
Willow Stream Spa has been ranked within the top 5 spas in Canada by Conde Nast and was the reader's choice for Black Press' Best of the City.
Willow Stream Spa has 11 treatment rooms, including couples treatment rooms. Offerings include massage, aromatherapy, body scrubs, body wraps, and hydrotherapy. Manicures and pedicures are also available.
A Green / Sustainable Property - Third Party Certified
This property participates in Green Key, a third-party certification program that has been independently certified. Third-party certification measures the property's impact on one or more of the following: environment, community, cultural-heritage, the local economy. An objective assessment of a company's sustainable tourism practices has been performed at this property by an auditor who is independent of the third-party certification program.
The Empress Dining Room - Ornate tapestries, landscape art, a carved mahogany ceiling, and live harp music set an elegant mood in this fine-dining restaurant offering breakfast and dinner daily. Signature dishes include wild British Columbia sockeye salmon paired with root vegetable gratin, and garlic-rubbed rack of lamb with kalamata olive gnocchi. A spa menu with lighter fare is also featured. The wine list has 500 entries, and wine pairing is a specialty. Reservations required.
Bengal Lounge - Leather furnishings and a tiger skin set the mood in this colonial-style lounge famous for its curry buffet lunches and dinners, and its longtime status as one of the city's premier meeting spots. Live jazz on the weekends. Extensive martini list.
Afternoon Tea in the Lobby - A tradition in Victoria for almost a century, the Fairmont Empress's tea service features tea, pastries, sandwiches, strawberries, and clotted cream served in the hotel's original lobby complete with palm fronds, carved ceilings, antique furnishings, and views of the picturesque Inner Harbour.
Guests at the Empress work out in a fitness center equipped with three treadmills, two elliptical trainers, two exercise bikes, strength-training machine, and free weights. The gym overlooks a 60-foot atrium pool located next to a children's wading pool and a hot tub. Fitness center changing rooms have showers, toiletries, towels, lockers, and saunas.
Bicycle and watercraft rentals are available across the street at Victoria's scenic Inner Harbour. Hotel staff can provide guests with running maps, water bottles, and towels. Flightseeing tours and whale-watching excursions depart from docks in the harbor.
The hotel is two blocks from Beacon Hill Park, an expansive facility with walking and running trails, a petting zoo, tennis courts, and magnificent views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the distant mountains of the Olympic Peninsula.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on-site or near this downtown Victoria hotel; fees may apply.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
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"Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria BC -"
My wife and I spent a wonderful weekend at the Empress. We visited the Bengal Lounge ( twice ) the food and drink -outstanding. We enjoyed the historic High Tea with wonderful service and food. We also had dinner in the main dining room where the service and food were again excellent. Location of the hotel is central to visiting a variety of sites […] in Victoria. We spent a wonderful afternoon at the Natural History Museum just across the street from the hotel. We saw an outstanding exhibit on Natural photograph and heard a very informative lecture on "Life Among the Birds" and saw an IMAX presentation called "Adventure in Africa". We had only one minor disappointment and that had to do with the thinness of the walls and the noise early in the morning of "neighbors" showering!! We certainly intend on returning soon and hope to bring our grandsons back to the Empress for BC "adventure" !! Read more
"Amazing Hotel ... Dream Vacation"
This was our honeymoon trip which I booked on Hotels.com. One tip, if you are booking for a special occasion on Hotel.com, make sure you call and tell them to notate in your file the occasion. If you don't then the hotel will not know about it and will not be able to upgrade you. We got to the Empress and they knew exactly who we were and what the […] occasion was. They upgraded us to the 1908 side of the hotel on the 6th floor overlooking the bay. Amazing room and an even better view. The staff at the hotel were super nice. Top notch customer service all around. They took us on a tour of the hotel that most people wont see. We had Hight Tea and it was magical. Read more
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"Not kid friendly - Not good"
This hotel is not kid friendly at all. We arrived and did not want to do the 'high tea' as my kids (ages 10 and 9) don't eat that food or drink tea and we didn't want to spend $50/person. So we went to the Bengal Room, the only other restaurant open on the premises, and was told it was considered a bar and kids were not allowed. This is completely unreasonable. […] Several times during the stay we asked the concierge, bell hops and front desk personnel for other dining options in the city and no one knew any other restaurants besides the hotel options. Come on? They just wanted us to stay at the hotel with limited dining options. The hotel is old and so are the rooms. The mini bars are not stocked. There is nowhere to sit in the lobby or any open area for drinks or gatherings. We had to go to a bar, pay for the drinks and have them delivered to the room. Everything was inconvenient about this place and I do not recommend it. We will not be going back to Victoria or the Empress. I felt like we wasted our money. Read more
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"Empress Hotel , Victoria , BC"
Great place for an intimate getaway, while exploring pedestrian friendly Victoria , its inner harbour, and Legislature . Ambiance like nowhere else. Great facilities, Lunch in the Bengal Room a most memorable event. Even have High Tea if you fancy it. Our view onto the harbour was the best!
"Getaway Trip"
I love old hotels, and this one fits that bill big time, wished we could have stayed in the old old part but its all old. The beds are very comfy! i think $30 for parking in the hotel when you are staying there is outrageous but we were able to leave the car there till 4 the day we checked out. Room was spacious and clean. The room has robes and coffee […] and tea and a fridge. The dining in the hotel isnt much to speak of, expensive and limited, but the location of the hotel makes it such that you can walk anywhere and eat any kind of food. Over all a very good experience. Read more
"Good experiance"
The best period.
"Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria"
The staff was absolutely amazing, warm and friendly. They went out of their way to make our stay wonderful. Without even asking the front desk person immediately starting looking to see if she could give us a complimentary upgrade. I would absolutely recommend them. The tea was fabulous and once again the serving staff went far beyond the call of duty […] to make our experience great. Read more
"Victoria, B.C."
Beautiful hotel! Great location and excellent service. Highly recommended.
"Empress Hotel - Made Me Feel Like One!!"
The staff in every department of the hotel is exemplary!We were offered a reasonably priced upgraded roomwith a harbor view - the room was beautifully renovated keeping the old style and comfort intact -the beds were comfortable - excellent coffeemaker - do splurge on the afternoon tea - a traditional and divine treat - the shopkeepers in the hotel […] stores are most helpful - front desk staff go above and beyond to accommodate and make you feel welcome - the hotel is the heart and soul of Victoria and it is hard to imagine a better place to stay - explore for yourself- no regrets - guaranteed Read more
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"Great Hotel"
Really enjoyed my 1 night stay at this hotel
"classic victoria"
The Empress is in a great location; near all of the downtown attractions. It is even next to the Victoria bus terminal and only a couple of blocks from one of the main ferry landings. The rooms are great and well insulated from any sounds. The housekeeping staff does a great job and are willing to always help. We truly enjoyed our stay.
"Fairytale Experience"
Bring your pocket-book. Nothing is cheap about this experience. You'll feel like royalty, and there is no air-conditioning in these old buildings, just the cool ocean breeze. Handicap, signs are well marked and small lifts provided throughout the Royal Museum of BC and right across the street. We were very impressed with the Fairmont's recycling policies. […] They seem far more progressive there in maintaining the beautiful surroundings. Read more
"amazing hotel"
This hotel stay was the highlight of our honeymoon. It's such an amazing and historical hotel in a absolute perfect location right on the harbor and a walk away from downtown. It's a breathtakingly beautiful hotel and area. We enjoyed our stay so much. And to top it off, we got a wonderful deal on hotels.com! Even for a busy labor day weekend, we found […] the best deal here! I even heard someone checking in for the same type of room and their rate for one night was the same rate as our 3 night stay!! Unbelievable! I loved using hotels.com and loved dealing with the hotel personnel, they are all so nice and helpful. It was unforgettable, the way a honeymoon should be. They even upgraded our room because it was our honeymoon! I just can't say enough wonderful things about the overall experience. Read more
"Hotel Not Air Conditioned"
None of the rooms are air conditioned and Victoria was warm when we were there. There are no screens on the windows so if you leave the windows open, you have insects flying in. They have beautiful gardens but for those who are allergic to pollen or strong scents, you are going to have problems.
"Girl's Trip"
We had been very excited to be able to stay at the Empress while visiting Victoria, and we were not disappointed. We were given a corner room which gave us wonderful cross ventilation; two queen beds and comfy chairs to use while enjoying a glass of wine and reading a book. One of the bell captains helped us decide where to go for one of our dinners […] and a breakfast away from the hotel. They were both excellent choices and within walking distance. What a beautiful city and a fabulous place to stay!! Read more
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"fishing winter harbour"
we picked empresss because of location of ferry and highway 1, 19 to start our trip. our family wanted to check out local events at wharf and shopping downtown,but when we arrived it was more amazing than we could of amagined,view spectacular,Hotel beautiful and very accomadating.A must experience ken,tina thank you.
Overrated. Location great but not worth price. Restaurant offered poor service and quality, yet very pricey. Desk staff who checked us in not knowledgeable about local restaurants within a block of hotel. No soap in bathroom upon arrival. Shower handle broken and bathroom very small. Hotel's public areas, ie. lobby, need some freshening. Would stay […] elsewhere next time. Read more
"Fairmont Empress Victoria - clueless front desk"
Almost everything about the Empress was beyond perfect, but check in was very weak. Rooms were supposed to be available at 4 PM, but we weren't given ours until after 5 PM. Much worse than that was that I walked in unsteadily seriously using a cane, asked if the room would be handicap friendly, was told it had not been requested (which was true)but […] perhaps they could provide one. I volunteered to try a regular room with the proviso that I could switch if needed. The front desk was most agreeable, but they then assigned me to a room as distant as possible from an elevator, the dining rooms, exits, etc. within the mammoth property that I had to rest at length during my trek just to get from my room to anywhere within the hotel - lt alone an exit. It seriously reduced my ability to enjoy the beautiful hotel and city. Read more
You are paying dearly for the name and the location of this hotel. It is the only hotel of the five we stayed at recently that charged for parking and wireless internet. The service was great but not exceptional given the price. Our room was quite small and had a view of the delivery docks.
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"The Empress is still a Grand Lady"
Its' beem 25 years since my last visit, and if anything the experiance was even better. The location is both suburb in the view and in the proxcimity to the shopping area and many fine restaurants and pubs. The Canadian hospitality and the people themselves are second to none and all the staff greeted us as if we were returning home each day.. High […] Tea was a spectacular experiance and a definate must. We will be back much sooner. Read more
"Great Historic hotel but guest rooms need help"
Wonderful staff, great location, beautiful lobby and common areas. The guest rooms, while spacious, had inadequate lighting and air conditioning. This made the room very depressing and stuffy. Thank goodness there was a box fan in the closet or we would not have survived.
Thank you for your posting and I do regret that the lack of adequate lighting and air conditioning detracted from your visit. I have forwarded your comments to our Chief Engineer for his information. With regards to the room temperature, we are faced with the challenge of retrofitting the hotel with air conditioning due to the age of the hotel. This is something that is an ongoing project for us as we continually look for alternative solutions. I do hope that we have an opportunity to welcome you back to The Fairmont Empress in the near future.
1 response by The Fairmont Empress"Wonderful!"
The hotel is one of the best in the world. The excellent service and overall ambiance of the hotel make it worth the extra splurge of staying at this property. Be sure and have the High Tea as well. It is an experience you will never forget!
"Fairmont Empress, Victoria"
This is a delightful location and charming building however the small appointments that one would expect to find in a fine hotel of this type were sadly absent. The mini bar which many guests rely upon for a quick snack or drink upon arrival or in the random hours of the stay, was disappointingly barren save for a few creamers for the coffee/tea that […] was offered. No fruit or vegetable beverages, no carbonated water, no nuts, chips or chocolate bars and no bottled water. I do understand that Victoria has lovely public water however not everyone can do a water analysis of the public system and many are comfortable with what is now familiar. I am sure it is true that Room service can provide all these things but one doesn't always want to have to call room service for such minor items. The other issue that was unexpected was that the internet was charged for with a daily rate, unless one went down and immediately signed up for a preferred guest status. Again, upon arrival and completion of check-in, one is looking forward to relaxing - not bustling about to get paperwork done for a service that is freely offered in many establishments such as Starbucks. As I was staying with a group of friends I will also mention that the rooms were not all well laid out. Two of the 4 rooms we booked, including a junior suite, had very odd and awkward furniture arrangements, so that the TV could not be reasonably viewed from the chairs but only from the bed. These small issues could easily be addressed for a much more comfortable stay. That said the location and the character of the hotel are delightful so if you can work around the inconveniences the stay is lovely. Read more
"Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C."
Fabulous hotel, outstanding staff. Rooms cleaned perfectly each day. When checking in, our room was not quite ready-I was called on cell phone when it was ready so I could shop and not have to wait in the lobby-great service. High tea was wonderful-Servers were outstanding-highlight of trip. Have recommended the Empress to many people and stay there […] as often as possible. Read more
Thank you for your comments and special mention of our outstanding housekeeping and Food & Beverage teams. The pride they take in serving our guests is apparent in the quality of their work and it will be my pleasure to share your post with them. We look forward to welcoming you again soon!
1 response by The Fairmont EmpressThis guest did not leave a comment.
"Not worth - too expensive"
Room condition not great ! Location is good.
"Just OK"
The hallways were very dim but luckily our room felt fresh and had lots of natural light. The bathroom was dated but it was clean. I was told by the front desk that the room had a view of the harbor (it did not). They did let us check in early (at around noon) and check out late (around noon) again. The hotel was not as grand as I imagined it would […] be and I would have preferred to stay in a nicer, less expensive hotel. Read more
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"exceeded expectations"
my husband wanted to stay in the Empress, and I agreed somewhat reluctantly, thinking we'd get a decent room in a fantastic location. Our room was gorgeous, and much larger than I expected. The service was so gracious. We loved it.
Thank you for your post, it is always our goal to exceed our guest expectations and it is clear from you comments that we did! I am so pleased that you enjoyed your spacious room and service. We look forward to your return in the near future.
1 response by The Fairmont EmpressLovely old dowager of a hotel. Classic design, rooms are dated, but well maintained.
"Good for a night, but Magnolia is better"
The history and location of this hotel are amazing, but the rooms could use some touching up and the walls are really thin. I had trouble sleeping because any noise in the hallways sounded like it was inside the room. I would recommend staying in the Magnolia Hotel and Spa, which is a three-minute walk away. The service there is much better, the rooms […] are more comfortable, and wi-fi and breakfast are included. If you've never been to Victoria and want to be in the same hotel as the historic (see: overpriced) afternoon tea, then the Empress is your place. If you want to save a few dollars and stay at a much nicer place, go to Magnolia. Read more
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"Exemplary"
The service from curb to check in to room service and meals were exemplary. The building is stately and beautiful, the food wonderful, the beds the most comfortable. Decorated for Christmas, it was all glorious, warm and inviting.
This guest did not leave a comment.
"Fun to stay, polite staff, clean and comfortable"
Staying at the Empress has always been a dream of my mothers so I took her for her birthday. It was excelent! I wanted to take the whole bed home with me, it was so comfortable. The pool was great, with locker rooms where you can change so you don't have to wander around in a wet swimming suit. The best part was having tea there. The waitress was amazing! […] Everyone was helpful and polite. Only problem we had was the hot water tap wouldn't stay on unless it was fully on or barely trickling. We were only there one night so we didn't say anything to the management. I am sure if we had, something would have been done to fix it. That said the water was HOT so that was nice. Read more
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This guest did not leave a comment.
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"Simply Amazing! Must stay Fairmont Gold!"
Simply amazing. Amazing hotel, amazing staff, amazing views and amazing quality. We took our motorcycle up from Seattle to Victoria and arrived earlier than expected, and definitely earlier than check-in. However, the concierges at the Gold lobby were so helpful, providing us with a room to change out of our riding clothes, storage for our gear and […] gave us a call when our room was ready, two hour earlier than normal check in. They then went on to provide us with great dining recommendations, provided us with a non-tourist list of items to see in the area and remembered us by name when we came and went through the halls. The personalized stationary for any written interchange, the chocolates in the room with our good-night poem tied with a Fairmont ribbon just added to the lusciousness that is Fairmont Gold. Won't ever stay again unless it's Gold! Read more
"Great location. great service"
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This guest did not leave a comment.
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