I first stayed at this stately hotel many years ago, when my youngest kid was a baby (so....24-25…read moreyears ago. Wow!). I remember having to order a crib for our hotel room, and how accommodating the staff were at that time. Our family had a wonderful stay here, so long ago. And since then, whenever I've visited Victoria, it's been impossible NOT to pass this gorgeous hotel by, as it sits on a huge chunk of prime real estate, on Government Street, overlooking the inner harbor and across the street (kitty corner) from the majestic Parliament Building. And the hotel itself is quite majestic, reminiscent of a castle, really. I think it is one of the most famous and most beautiful hotels in all of Canada. The hotel is known for its high tea service on the weekends, and for its posh hospitality and service. Of course, one must expect to pay top dollar for all this, plus this prime location, but to many, it is worth it. I recently returned to this hotel for a wedding and boy, I was impressed. The ceremony was held on the south lawn and it was gorgeous. What a fabulous venue, with a view of the harbor and the Parliament Building, with all the flowers and chairs on the impeccable green grass, surrounded by all the well-kept bushes and trees, with the stunning hotel as our backdrop. After we were all ushered through the gorgeous main floor and by the stunning lobby to a ballroom for cocktails and dinner. The room was large enough to accommodate all the tables for us diners as well as a large dance floor, plus room for the live musicians and the dj too. Yet despite the open and spacious configuration of the space, it felt intimate, thanks to the lighting and lay-out of tables. And the hotel staff were unbelievable. Seriously, if you plan on hosting an important and/or formal event in Victoria, you should definitely consider this venue. There is not one aspect of the event or evening I could find fault with. I thought the washrooms were beautiful. I loved the high end shops on the main floor (bummer that they were closed when I was there. I would have loved to check out some of the kick-ass purses and clutches on display in the windows). I loved the hotel lobby with the stunning organic mesh art installation suspended from the ceiling. I loved the genteel wood-paneled, gentlemen's club-like lounge....I really loved it all.

Didn't stay at the hotel, but paid a visit to the hotel lounge. Beautiful view, historic building…read moreand excellent service (the host went above and beyond to make sure we got the seating we liked in order to watch a sports game. Thank you for the accommodation.!) Two complaints 1) lounge was understaffed. Between services. there were not enough cleaning, and the couch and the table were greasy and dirty. 2) I didn't enjoy the cocktails. Didn't like the gin & yuzu cocktail (too strong and lacked flavor) or the leechy cocktail (too sweet and heavily syrupy). It was a pity that I tried two out of five signature cocktails, and wasn't happy with any of them and they were pricey.

This hotel is beautiful. It's decorated beautifully especially Christmas time. The hotel staff were…read morevery helpful and friendly. I always love when a hotel accommodate for early check-in and that you can leave your luggage with them after check-out if you're not leaving the area just yet. The rooms could be a little more spacious but it's manageable. I say no more than 3/4 people in a double bed. Two comfortably. The bathroom is a little tight as well, no more than one person at a time. There are two restaurants in the hotel. One is located on the 18th floor. And yes we did check it out. The food is good but you'll have to see the separate review for that :). We only stayed for one night as our time was limited. But I'd come back here again. It's walking distance to coffee shops, restaurants, and local business shopping. Overall the experience was great.

Stayed here for my birthday and it was great. Staff is super friendly. Location is just a few…read moreblocks from downtown shopping. It included parking which was nice. Room is on the smaller side... but it was clean. Nice indoor pool! Would stay here again!

I am sitting on the bed in room 22B, and I'll tell you...I am pleased as punch. It is clean, and…read moretastefully, sparcely decorated with an IKEA meets World Market vibe. Now if you know me at all, you KNOW I love fresh air. At many hotels, I 100% loathe the act of desperately sucking my "fresh air" through some dusty window air conditioner thingy, but in 22B, glory be! I can open fully an old-wood-framed window and lay here gazing at the green leaves of a tree swaying in the breeze as I inhale copious lungfuls of the oxygen I love so much. In addition to free air, free breakfast is also promised, which is pretty normal in hotels, but get this...drumroll...FREE DINNER and a drink! We, unfortunately went out and wasted our money on bad food at a restaurant (Dosa Paragon...read the review), so don't know how the free dinner was here. My expectations are reasonable, so if they have coffee and bread at breakfast, we are good! If they have a waffle spinner,that would be typical but surprising here. Yes, it's a little noisy, but not as much as I feared for being in the heart of a bustling downtown. Stay here and get room 22B! Update: Excellent breakfast and there is a communal kitchen! No waffle spinner.

I've stayed here a total of 4 times now for backpacking trips and always had a great experience!…read moreFree breakfast and dinner included every day with vegan options! One free beverage included per day also. You can store luggage for $5/day. Locks and towels also free to borrow with a deposit. Staff are super friendly. Excellent location with everything you need in walking distance. You also get a 10% discount at Robinson's Outdoor Store when you stay here.

Fantastic home base for our week long Victoria vacation. The room was comfortable, staff are all…read morefriendly and helpful, and we loved having a kitchenette to make some of our meals in house. The location almost can't be beat. It's just far enough from the hustle and bustle of downtown but only a few blocks away. Beacon Hill Park is right across the street and tons of good coffee shops within walking distance (also on several major bus lines when you get tired of walking). We would definitely consider returning here if/when we come back to Victoria.

We had a good stay at Helm's Inn in Victoria…read more It is in a great location, right beside Beacon Hill park and near the legislature. It is easy walking distance to the harbour, fisherman's wharf and downtown Victoria. Parking is $20.00 a day. When we arrived at 1:00 our room was not ready but they gave us a parking voucher so we were able to park our car and explore Victoria. The staff were all very friendly. There are coffee and newspapers available in the lobby and they have a nice little courtyard outside the lobby but there were only 2 tables available. The room was clean but our room was very small and backed onto the main road. I had trouble sleeping because of traffic late and night and early in the morning. The air conditioning unit was also very loud so getting a good nights sleep was difficult. The price was reasonable for high season in Victoria. If we stayed again we ask for a room that does not face the main street.

We called the place few times for different questions and were always answered by their polite…read morestaff. When we saw it for the first time we weren't sure how would it be from inside but place seems to be apartment building and partly still is and has been converted into units to rent or lodge. Ours was a two bedroom suite with one locked since we didn't need it. It is very well maintained. The water pressure is great. Kitche in stocked with dinnerware and cookware. Dishwasher, cooking range and a fridge along with microwave. The biggest selling point would be the view. We had 120° view of the waterfront. And it was stunning at night and our little one enjoyed the seaplanes activity and all the hustle and bustle. Kept the kid busy. The bead was comfy and big. They made the bed and changed towels per our request. They have's us bottled water everyday. That was helpful. Tip- the entry to parking garage is a bit tricky. Please do not follow maps. The stop sig is left only or right only. There is no straight road. So you have to come from Yates st or two blocked down on Wharf to turn into alley going down. They will buzz you in. Thanks to the amazing hotel staff for making our stay memorable.

tl;dr: great rooms, incredible views…read more I was pretty nervous coming into this place - if driving you go down an alley to a half-broken intercom where you ask to be let in. Then you take an elevator with flickering lights up to a small lobby... was not getting good vibes about this place. But wow, when you walk into one of their waterfront suites it's like another world - incredible views of the harbor. The room itself was also really nice and felt new, other than there being compact fluorescent bulbs in the lamps rather than LEDs. Staff was really nice and efficient. Water pressure and temperature in the shower were great. Kitchen was fully equipped, but didn't come with oil or spices. The insulation on the windows and balcony doors was really good, you could barely hear the float planes taking off. Every restaurant we had reservations at was within a short walk of this hotel. All in all, a great place to stay in Victoria.

First time visiting Victoria and this was the perfect stay for us. We took the Clipper ferry from…read moreSeattle to Victoria BC and this hotel was literally right across the ferry station. So convenient and check in was a breeze, they were able to give us a room at 11:30am when we arrived vs the normal check in time at 4pm. Customer service was excellent, the restaurant Fathom was nice as well. Clean facilities and daily parking was $34 per night. The hotel is located right next to the Parliament and Government st, everything was within walking distance. You wouldn't really need a car. We would love to stay here again in the future.

A beautiful hotel! The restaurant, Fathom, is great for breakfast and dinner! Great views if you…read moreget a harbor view suite - watch the seaplanes come in to land. Rooms are on the older side but still feel modern and refreshed. Amazing place to stay in Victoria: cheaper than the Fairmont Empress, great service and amenities, and a short walk to Government Street, the main drag.

When we were in Seattle, we took a fairy to British Columbia, Victoria, day trip , Pretty Fun…read more Everybody on the fairy was nice. They got snacks on the boat, fresh , bagels, croissants, cinnamon, buns, you name they have. Good selection of alcoholic drinks and soft drinks.

Return reservation was messed up by Clipper employee. They changed the correct reservation we had…read morescheduled and booked a trip back to Victoria where we already were and then we had to call and wait on hold for over 10 minutes twice (can't do it online you have to call. Tried to leave a message for a return call but it was full. When we FINALLY got through they charged us $30 to fix their mistake!

10/10!!!! SO EXCITED I SAW GREY WHALES & ORCAS!!! (&ETC)…read more Based on the reviews we were a little scared to try this company BUT it turned out so amazing! I think people only leave bad reviews when they don't get what they exactly want! Anyway- the workers were so welcoming! The process was very easy from buying the tickets to the end! We got there just in time (not the 45 min ahead like it said) and it was perfect! (Maybe before we were the first boat of the day?) Once in the charter it didn't take long for us to leave. While they are taking us out towards where the whales are... They told us a bunch of stories a bunch of scientific facts and a bunch of tips and tricks! We also saw a bunch of sea life just heading out to the whale areas! (Seals, starfish, birds, fish, jellyfish , etc) The ride was smooth and beautiful- DEFINITELY COLD (even if it's 90F in Seattle)! But the views are beautiful- both of the sea and Seattle!! It didn't take very long to get to the areas but once we did everyone had the same goal - SPOT THE WHALES!!! It didn't take us too long because we got lucky! There was a lot of activity that day! We ended up seeing 6 different orcas and 1 grey whale!! Super fun start to our day and now I can say I saw whales(:

We took the overnight package to Victoria including the Butchart Gardens tour. It was an amazing…read moretrip and we can't thank the crew on the Clipper 5 enough for their help and assistance for my husband who has mobility issues. They were so kind and helpful getting him on and off the ferry. Thank you all for making our trip so enjoyable. Also, the bus driver to Butchart Gardens was delightful. Enjoyed his narration both up and back. FYI. If you are staying overnight, bring your bags on the bus and Butchart Gardens will stow your bags for free. When you return, the bus drops you at the Empress Hotel.

Paid a premium for the agent to commit massive, expensive and very stressful blunders only to be…read moretold "oh but we have amazing reviews on google". So if you want to pay a couple hundred dollars for the stress of almost missing your international connecting flight in the 4th largest Canadian airport- don't worry the professional agent who booked said flight on one of the busiest travel days of the year will just tell you "I did nothing wrong, the connection time is legal, just tell people to let you cut in line. Calgary international is a small airport...". Poor customer service, poor organisation, poor planning, and genuine lack of professionalism. Save yourself the hundreds of dollars and stress and procure another travel agency or just do it yourself with sky scanner- you'll probably have a more efficient and reliable itinerary that way

The flight I was enquiring about was for 1 adult and one child. the total was $348 . This company…read morewanted $75 each for a booking fee, an additional $150 dollars, half the flight cost. Would never recommend these people. Outrageous.