Fairmont Empress

My Wife and I have just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at the Empress. This hotel has recently received the accolade as the best hotel in Canada and it is easy to understand why. We were situated in the 'Gold' section which has its own kitchen and lounge area, a dedicated team of servers and concierges. There were foods served during the day from breakfast to desserts in the evening, all complimentary. All the food was top quality as were the staff. Nothing was too much trouble. I must make mention of one server, Irwin who really went the extra mile to make us feel welcome and pampered. This gentleman is a gem, a gentle and really kind soul. We also enjoyed afternoon tea which is a real treat and something to be savoured. We both want to go again.

Really wanted this to be a great stay considering I took my parents there for a special Mother’s Day weekend. However there were multiple hiccups, and for the price and the brand you don’t expect this, thus the 4 star rating. Compared to other Fairmont hotels I felt service was lacking in many areas. You can’t beat the location in downtown, so very convenient for exploring. The highlight was definitely the food and service in the restaurant. I’d give the hotel another opportunity in the future.

If you make it to Victoria, this is the place to stay. You can't beat the location (it's on the water in the center of town) and the views are great! The grounds are meticulously manicured and the staff is over and above kind. It's a little pricey, but worth the money. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Fairmont Empress was just right for some "me time" in Victoria following an Alaska family cruise. I had gotten a great price when Fairmont had a sale earlier in the year & was able to book a Gold level room. Still a bit of a splurge, but so glad I did it. I took a float plane over from Vancouver & just walked up to the hotel & the dedicated Gold floor with separate reception desk & concierge. I had booked a "city view" room & didn't expect much, but was dismayed that room directly overlooked the HVAC systems on roof below. The issue for me was the noise of the droning motors more than the lack of view. I walked all the way back to Reception & spoke with Alex, who, without hesitation, gave me a new room which happened to have a view of the harbor, so obviously an upgrade. More importantly, I noticed immediately how quiet it was. Thank you Alex!! The lounge is huge, apparently the largest Fairmont has, & is amazing. The spread of food at breakfast, happy hour & later deserts rivals anything I've had at 5 start European hotels. I loved grabbing some apps in the evening & sitting on the outside terrace by one of the firepits, watching the sunset over the harbor & Legislature building. I did book a manicure in the spa downstairs for a reasonable price - best I've ever had. Only glitch other than room was that I had booked a rate that stated 1st night was pre-paid, but there was no record of payment with I checked out, which was confusing. After checking statements, I didn't see that I'd ever been charged even though my print-out said I would be. The receptionist said this sort of thing happened often. Would be good if Fairmont could change that. Hope to stay again some day.

So don’t get me wrong this hotel is impressive and beautiful but I think we built it up to be more than it was. We had a shakey start when some celebration treats I ordered weren’t in room for when we arrived, however it was sorted and front desk did their best to unsure it was taken care of which it was. The rooms were very much the same as every room we stayed in for our tour across Canada nothing special and bathroom was very small. Think we just expected more from a hotel with the reputation it has. Bar staff were great as where cleaning staff it really does make a difference when the staff are brilliant the hotel should be very proud of that. Would I stay again? Not sure think there might be better options for the price.