Magnolia Hotel & Spa

I “escape” to the Magnolia twice a year for solo R&R. I’ve been doing this for about 20 years. Everything about the experience is consistently wonderful and surpasses expectations.

We went for a long weekend to celebrate my wife’s birthday, The Magnolia Hotel did not disappoint. The room was extremely clean and very comfortable. The shower is one of the best showers that I’ve experience for a hotel. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. The hotel is located in a great area where everything is walkable from the Victoria clipper to some of the top restaurants in Victoria. This hotel will be my go to for every visit to Victoria.

I’ve stayed at the Magnolia Hotel and Spa many times over the years, and it continues to be one of my favorite places to stay. The rooms are beautiful, the staff are always friendly, and the overall experience is consistently wonderful. I’ll absolutely be returning again in the future. The Magnolia Hotel remains an exceptional place to stay.

I’m writing this review to compare the Magnolia Hotel in Victoria BC with the “5 Star” rated Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. We have stayed in the Magnolia on both trips to Victoria, where we stayed in the Signature Corner Room on both occasions. Just two weeks ago we returned from our first stay in the Chateau Frontenac and indeed in Quebec City. The Frontenac completely ruined a literal once in a lifetime event for my wife. It was to celebrate her retirement. You can read my detailed review with photos on Tripadvisor. The Frontenac survives on its prestige…not its quality. The Magnolia Hotel possesses a refined and tasteful grace without drawing excessive attention to itself. It may not have the same external grand image as the Frontenac, however, it does show genuine elegant appeal. The elegance is authentic and comes from within, rather than being a manufactured or superficial attribute. It is that elegant quality that counts. Assume that you were going to a restaurant in a fancy looking building. They serve you the most awful meal. Would you go back? It is the quality of the meal that makes you return to a restaurant no matter how the exterior looks. From the moment you walk into the Magnolia you sense an unassuming charm and elegance, a certain peacefulness, not experienced in the Frontenac. The quality of the rooms relays an understated beauty that comes from simplicity, modesty, and genuine confidence, rather than from extravagance or ostentation. The staff exude quiet confidence when carrying out their duties. Their charm is inherent and not an effort to be noticed. That is why whenever we are in Victoria we will ONLY STAY at the Magnolia Hotel and Spa. Even on their worst day, the Magnolia Hotel and Spa is only FIVE STAR.

Our October stay at the Magnolia was wonderful. Great ambience and atmosphere, with pleasant and helpful front desk and housekeeping staff. It's a relatively small hotel, just the right size. The beds and pillows were comfy. It's maybe 200-300 meters from the harbor, a two-minute walk if you go slowly - just far enough away that street noise mostly stays at the harbor. We didn't happen to use the restaurant at the hotel, but there are maybe 50 restaurants within 5 minutes' walk, from Starbucks to fancy. If you happen to have a car and don't need valet service ($40CAD/day), the municipal parking deck is right across the street and easy to get in and out, $15CAD/day or so. All in all, a really nice hotel with lots of positives and really no meaningful negatives.