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    Fairmont Empress

    3.9 (502 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 5:30 AM (Next day)

    Fairmont Empress Photos

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    China for sale in the shop
    Maggi R.

    We were so excited to be able to visit the Fairmount Express. We arrived by Uber from the Queen Elizabeth and were greeted by the Door Man. He made us feel so welcome. The hotel overlooks the Harbor. It is one of the city's oldest and most famous hotels. It opened in 1908, the building is a classic example of turn-of-the-century architecture where countless celebrities and royal visitors elected to stay here over the years, and we could see why when we stepped inside. The hotel is steeped in history and elegance. The Fairmont Empress pairs Edwardian architecture with a polished, contemporary sensibility, anchored by a Reception Lobby dressed in gold, charcoal, and lavender. The centerpiece of the hotel is marked by a jaw dropping massive, hand-cut crystal twill-flower custom designed chandelier consisting of 250,000 crystals modernizes the airy entryway to the hotel while still allowing the structure's Edwardian bones to shine through. We actually sat down to take it all in. The Fairmont Empress is grand and impressive. Grand, as in really big. Not only are there 464 guest rooms but plenty of places to sit and sip and people watch. We walked around to look at the different spaces. The Lobby Lounge was an inviting space. It looked like something you would find in the Bahamas with its whitewashed walls, coffered ceilings and palm trees. It's where Empress afternoon tea is served, but there's also a bar plus a piano that gets plenty of regular action by featured performers almost daily. We were able to see the Palm Court, which is an airy atrium-like space with a stained-glass dome ceiling and Italian marble flooring. What is interesting is that this stained-glass dome had been covered up because it collapsed on New Year's Eve in 1968 during an unusual heavy snowstorm. The Tiffany-style-stained glass was covered up and later rediscovered. It was restored during a Royal Restoration in 1988. The glass dome never has the same colors; colors of the dome change dependent on the weather. The acoustics in the Palm Court is so sensitive that if one whispers on one side of the room, the conversation can be picked up on the other side, just by whispering! We were glad it was restored as it is gorgeous. They have an avenue of lovely shops that lead to the Victoria Convention Center. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Empress.

    Drinks
    John R.

    One of the iconic hotels in the world! Moved rooms thank you E**** B! Loved breakfast in the newly reopened Bengal Room. During Christmas week it was refreshing to have such rich hot cocoa in the lobby during the afternoons. The worst thing though was a very large powerful English mastiff which came out of their room near the elevators on the second floor and began barking ferociously. Frankly, dogs shouldn't be allowed if this place is upscale. Overall, loved the Victorian spirit of this iconic hotel.

    9.13.25
    Nadine C.

    Beautiful, historic hotel in Victoria, British Columbia... I was here decades ago... when I was a college student. I can barely remember anything... LOL! I believe that I enjoyed High Tea with my mom at that time. Since my niece lives in Seattle now, I wanted to take her to this hotel that's famous for High Tea. I made a reservation online, found the hotel, experienced High Tea, and paid $10 Candian Dollars for parking. (It's $2.50 CAD per 30 minutes.) Sadly, there's no validation from the restaurant. Overall, it's a fabulous place with beautiful flowers arranged perfectly throughout the premises. It was nice to return!

    Tea
    Kenneth K.

    Hotel itself is very large, grand, and impressive. Not quite as impressive as the Chateau Frontenac but still wonderful to check out and have tea. The lobby feel is more modern like The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal but a lot brighter decor with plenty of natural lights. It was extremely expensive to stay when me and my mom stayed for Mother's Day weekend with only one bed rooms available for several hundred so we opted for the Quality Inn instead for much less. For the tea: Amazing high quality tea! It is very pricey but well worth it with delicious tea, yummy food, and a perfect ambiance on the water at the most reknown hotel with the piano. I came with my mother for Mother's Day and we were lucky to make reservations well in advance at the start of tea time, so we sat very close to the water. The staff could not have been better and they accommodated our dietary needs well too. They also gave my mother and all the others a complimentary mimosa for Mother's Day.

    Fairmont Empress

    Wonderful historic hotel perfectly located for exploring Victoria. Exceptional staff. Very accommodating. Comfy room. Bathroom is tiny which is its only flaw. Gorgeous hotel to wander around in. Stay here and be pampered.

    John P.

    Very cool old hotel near the state house and right off the water. Famous used in many movies and shows as well as just a place where important gatherings take place as well as dignitaries stay when they are in town.

    As majestic as I imagined
    Joc V.

    I came here about 24 years ago and had the Afternoon Tea. It was an amazing experience, and I vowed to return and stay at this famed hotel. That promise was fulfilled with a 2-night stay and again, the afternoon tea. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, the service was impeccable and the 1 bedroom-suite with a king bed and fold out couch was spacious. The check-in was the only slight disappointment, as I stood there awkwardly waiting for the one of the four front desk staff to acknowledge me--no one did. They were having a conversation, and not one looked up until a lone staff person at the other desk waved me over to check in. After a tiring day of travel, a nod would have been appreciated but the rest of our stay more than made up for it. Afternoon tea was everything I remembered; we were seated on a comfortable settee facing the fireplace. Three tiers of carbs later, and three pots of tea, we called it a day on that last tier of sweets. The scones, jams, clotted cream and tea sandwiches only looked dainty. Dream come true and perfect stay here.

    Harbor View from the 4th floor near our room.
    Troy D.

    Without a doubt, the best hotel we've ever stayed at. First class accommodations and top notch staff with impeccable service and attention to detail at every turn. Their gardens and grounds are nothing short of amazing with extensive blooming flowers enemies in late September. Not sure how they do it. Great comfort and relaxing class at every level. Ice delivered to your room and everything you need provided, from toiletries to robes to wine glasses in your room. Can't wait to come back and visit again. Every person we interacted with was warm and friendly. Hotel staff in the US. Could learn a great deal from the Canadians. Very impressive to say the least. Cheers!

    Hallway
    Tara R.

    It is a nice hotel but way too expensive for a bed for a night. $500+ for a standard room. Typical small hotel bathroom and standard size room with all the basic amenities. Convenient location to downtown and the harbor. Did not pay for high tea or any of the other extras. Had breakfast in onsite restaurant and was $75 with standard tip for two people. Bed was comfy and pillow were fluffy but had to stack 2-3 for support. I wouldn't stay here again due to the cost and nothing extra for that cost.

    Table for 4!
    Danielle K.

    Amazing, lovely, exciting experience at Hugh Tea with the family. Pro tip: kids are 50% off! We felt so well cared for, and loved all of our teas and food. You cannot beat the ambiance. A real treat if you like to dress up and feel spoiled.

    Salmon Benedict

    To start our journey, we got there at 1:30 and we got upgraded from a signature king harbor view to a junior suite harbor view, unfortunately our new view was half obstructed and that was not communicated to us. The upgraded room was not ready at that time and were promised by 4pm we would be in the room. We had to kill time for 3 hours. 4:15 still no update from the hotel and had to go ask the front desk, they said the room had been ready but we never received a message from them. We also would randomly get sewage smells in the hotel room that would come and go, not sure what that was from. Hotel does have a beautiful interior and exterior. Not horrible to say 3 stars but not excellent to say 5 stars. Food was amazing. I got the salmon benedict twice from The Bengal. Mocktails and fresh pressed juice were packed with flavor, however the tea and hot chocolate seemed to be watered down. It tasted like I was drinking chocolate flavored water. Maybe it is a personal preference but I wouldn't order those beverages again. Service was excellent in every part of the hotel from front desk to the parking attendants. Everyone was welcoming and helpful.

    C. H.

    We booked a two night stay here with the Fairmont Gold Deluxe Harbour View option. This was our first time booking the Gold option. Service did not disappoint. We had our own designated check in and check out section and concierge team. I was more excited at the convenience of breakfast at their lounge and terrace. I like not having to leave in the morning to grab a bite. However, we did have to pay for this convenience. The gold option also included evening hors d'oeuvres and desserts. The selection was quite good during our stay. The room, itself, was spacious enough for us. The harbour view was alright. I actually enjoyed the view more from the terrace during our stay. Also, I did not spend that much time in our room as we were out and about exploring the city. The bed and pillows were comfy. I liked the personalized note in the room with our name and additional information regarding the Gold level perks. Overall, it was a great experience. Staff were friendly and helpful. Hotel was nicely updated.

    Jason V.

    There are only a handful of hotels in the world that are so iconic, they can be instantly identified by name alone, and very few of them are found on the west coast of North America. The Hotel del Coronado in San Diego is one; the Empress (now the Fairmont Empress) is the other. That's it. That's the list. There's a reason for this kind of exclusivity: this is a place built for royalty. Well, more accurately, to make its guests *feel* like royalty...and it does a damn good job of it! Evocative architecture, impeccable service, a world-class high tea service, multiple restaurants and bars, a sauna and fitness center, and several upscale boutiques selling haute-couture apparel, jewelry and, of course, tea, with only the latter being affordable to the peasantry (such as us)! There's also an attached conference center and event venue, the discovery of which conjured up a hilariously absurd scenario in my mind of an anime convention being held here. The image of scantily-clad costumed anime girls, Gundams and furries intermingling with posh pinky-raising elites over a cup of Ceylon tea will not soon fade from my imagination! As expected, even a single-night's stay here is going to set you back a pretty penny (or pound): a last-minute booking will run you north of $500 USD for even the most modest of accommodations, so plan (far) ahead if you want to secure a more reasonable rate. Additionally, the high tea service, while definitely an experience you don't want to miss, is similarly priced dearly at over $100 per head, and comes coupled with an enforced dress code, so leave your tank tops and flip flops upstairs in your room. Though Queen Victoria did not live long enough to see it built, the Fairmont Empress is a hotel as iconic as the monarch for which its architectural style, as well as the city in which it resides, is named after. Her Majesty would be proud. And thankfully, now all of us serfs can enjoy it as well, and experience, for just a moment, what it would be like to live like a King or Queen!

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    Fairmont Empress Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Fairmont Empress

    This hotel is historic and besides being known for the color changing gin, it's also known for its high tea.

    Mentioned in 125 reviews

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    Abigail's Hotel - Dining room

    Abigail's Hotel

    (79 reviews)

    $$$

    Abigail's Hotel is just so nice! Their extraordinary hospitality began with a phone call we made a…read morefew months before our trip (which was answered by a real and knowledgeable person). I wanted to gut-check our plan to take the ferry from Seattle, use Uber to get to their hotel (and could we please leave our luggage up front since we'd arrive before check in? - to which the answer was, "of course you can!"), and then use Uber all around town. The very pleasant woman I spoke with (those months before arriving) assured me that our plan should work splendidly, and they looked forward to having us. Upon arrival, we were greeted by two of the nicest front desk people, who took our luggage for storage, then found our room had indeed been cleaned as early as possible and was in fact ready for us for early check in immediately! The property itself is reminiscent of a period of taste and attention to detail that seldom exists any more. Our room was beautiful: spacious, with two separate bathroom sinks and a separate jetted tub and walk-in shower, plus a small sitting area and plenty of space! So nicely appointed with everything in its place, and everything working. The entire lobby and library/lounge area was also beautifully appointed, and so homey and inviting. And breakfast - included with the room - was elaborate and scrumptious. Each day features both sweet and savory options; for example, pancakes, or eggs and bacon. My wife and I got one of each and shared them. It was all delectable. And each day's menu, specially prepared and printed for that day, includes a weather forecast for the day - even with temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit! We had such a wonderful stay that we hated to leave. We'd look forward to visiting Victoria again and would definitely choose Abigail's hotel again!!

    Our visit to Vancouver Island included 4 nights at this marvelous B&B styled hotel. With a long…read morehistory, the current owners made this into a great place to stay with modern conveniences without losing the old-style touches. The Library was a great quiet location, the room (Opal room) was comfortable, large, and provided greaat views out the many windows of the trees around the building. We particuly enjoyed breakfasts offered. Different each day, the quality was excellent as was fresh brewed coffee. Given the number of guests and limited dining room space for tables, the hotel requested us to pick a timeframe to dine so that the pace for table availabilty and meals were manageable. We chose 8:30A and we arrived each day with 10 minutes of that time. Worked great to get a table without feeling rushed or the food delayed in arriving! And each afternoon the chef put out a nice spread of meats/cheeses sometime, and homemade soup other times. All in all a great experience!

    Magnolia Hotel & Spa

    Magnolia Hotel & Spa

    (123 reviews)

    $$$

    I stayed one night at the Magnolia. My first ever stay at any Magnolia. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It…read morewas actually better than a similar star hotel I stayed at recently. This Magnolia is conveniently located within a very short walking distance to Victoria Harbor. It's also within walking distance to many tourist attractions, shops and restaurants. My room was very cozy. Loved using the Nespresso coffee maker. They make a great cup of coffee. I slept so well too. Nothing like sleeping on a bed at this quality or star hotel. Overall, I felt it was worth the money. They also allowed me to drop my bags at the coat check room for an hour until I had to check in for my seaplane ride back to Vancouver Harbor. I plan on returning to Victoria and will strongly consider staying at this hotel again.

    My partner and I had a wonderful stay at the Magnolia Hotel & Spa during our recent Victoria…read moregetaway. While The Fairmont Empress might be more well-known, our research told us that a hotel of its size and age would likely mean smaller, less updated rooms and maintenance challenges. The Magnolia proved to be the perfect choice. The Magnolia exceeded our expectations! During our two-night mid-week stay, every interaction was seamless -- from the efficient valet service and smooth check-in process to attentive housekeeping and hassle-free checkout. Rather than dining at The Courtney Room restaurant, we took advantage of Victoria's fantastic walkable dining scene. Our only minor comfort issue was the room temperature -- even with the AC running, we found ourselves opening the windows as wide as they would go for that lovely coastal breeze. Fair warning though: the harbor seagulls are incredibly chatty and apparently never sleep! LOL One small disappointment: our car was returned from the valet absolutely covered in bird droppings -- quite a lot! While I understand the hotel can't control wildlife, it was surprising to receive our vehicle in such a different condition than we'd left it. Would we return to the Magnolia Hotel & Spa? Absolutely! It's the perfect balance of intimate boutique charm while keeping you right in the heart of everything Victoria has to offer.

    Delta Hotels Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort

    Delta Hotels Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort

    (66 reviews)

    $$$

    The Delta is a a terrific hotel located at the Victoria Harbor. As we were arriving, my daughter…read morementioned "that place looks like a castle!" I responded by saying that place is our hotel. We made reservations for 2 nights. We didn't stay for 2 nights as my wife had a serious trip and fall accident in downtown Victoria. My wife and I spent more time at the Royal Jubilee Hospital than she did at the hotel. I only got to sleep 3 hours in the hotel after my wife sent me to the hotel to get some sleep knowing that we needed to get back to the USA as soon as possible. Our room was nice. We used our Nightly Upgrade Awards and were given a fantastic room with a view of the harbor. We were excited to stay here, until the accident. It would've been nice if they had gave us back one of the Nightly Upgrade Rewards that we used but, I didn't think about it at the time of our departure. Service was great. They were very understanding of our situation, knowing that my wife was in the hospital for that first night. The manager gave me a sandwich knowing that I didn't have time to get anything to eat. After talking with him, they allowed me to check out a day early. I was able to go their executive lounge. They provide breakfast and and evening appetizers. Soda and water are always available. It was not the hotel visit that I envisioned. My daughter spent more time here as I gave her the keys to the car so she could stay at the hotel instead of the hospital. They were very helpful and understanding. Even though it was a short visit, my wife is already planning on going back.

    Major points for this location's SIX EV chargers, close proximity to major scenic spots, and…read morebeautiful walking areas. We visited on July 4th weekend, which I would assume is one of the most busiest weekends. Despite the holiday weekend, this hotel provided the best EV charging situation I've ever experienced - there was always at least one available charger in the downstairs garage and there's two available for use outside in the valet area. I loved this hotel's outdoor walking space - beautiful harbor views with lovely landscaping and pathways of varying heights, tons of pedestrian and dog walking traffic. We brought our dog - the designated pet rooms have vinyl flooring. There's pet rooms on different floors, but we unfortunately got the ground floor level, which feels slightly shabbier as you're walking through the hallways (it smells faintly like a restaurant's dishwashing area). My only other gripe is there's three elevators and they run pretty inefficiently but stairs to the lower level (gym, pool, and garage access) were not easily found.

    Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour

    Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour

    (91 reviews)

    $$$

    I am a Marriott Titanium Elite member and have stayed at many Marriott properties, but this was one…read moreof the most uncomfortable and intrusive experiences I've had. Despite having a Do Not Disturb sign clearly displayed, hotel staff entered my room without my consent, later explaining that it was a "wellness check" required when a room has not received housekeeping service for three consecutive days. However, no attempt was made to call my phone, leave a voicemail, or contact me in any way before entering. In an era where every guest provides a phone number at check-in, this should have been the first and most basic step. Entering a guest's room while Do Not Disturb is displayed is a serious violation of privacy. Additionally, I had requested and received towels directly the day before, and I had declined housekeeping at check-in, which contradicts the claim that my room had not been serviced for three days. To make matters more confusing, management later focused their response on the presence of my service dog, asking me to confirm if I was traveling with a dog. However, my dog was present with me at check-in, so it is unclear why this suddenly became a concern or why it was brought up after the unauthorized entry. What was most disappointing was the response from Danielle Powell, Director of Operations, who repeatedly justified the situation rather than offering a sincere apology for the intrusion. The tone of the communication felt confrontational rather than customer-focused. Overall, this hotel is a very poor representation of the Marriott brand. Privacy and respect are fundamental expectations when staying at a hotel -- especially when a Do Not Disturb sign is clearly displayed. Unfortunately, that basic expectation was not respected here.

    I did an overnight stay with my family last Monday. We paid for an off-season price and were…read moregrateful to stay at this hotel. Most importantly the location was great. Everything was close to this area. There was a restaurant inside the hotel as well as a pub within walking distance. I never heard of any noise throughout the stay. It was pretty quiet since we stayed at penthouse. View was fantastic. Bed was comfortable and cozy. Gym and swimming pool are was quiet. I got to use gym and swimming pool whenever convenient. Although didn't experience any issues, breakfast was not complimentary. Aside from that everything was good!

    Fairmont Empress - hotels - Updated July 2026

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