Stay & Play

Fairmont Empress Victoria
Timeless Royal Treatment

by Susan Campbell

Some things do get better with age. Like the classic charm and iconic hospitality of Victoria’s premiere hotel the Fairmont Empress. You can’t help but be impressed at the outset when you roll up to this stately Grand Dame of Vancouver Island stays, especially if you do so by water- as we did aboard the new luxury transfer from Vancouver called the V2V Ferry. This hotel is seriously Instagram-worthy with a class and style you just don’t see in hotels anymore. But even though she was first built in 1908, this castle-like structure has managed to retain that iconic old-world elegance while still keeping up with the times. Their world-famous afternoon tea options offer 32 versions for restricted diets, and their dining room has also recently won a Wine Spectator Award. We also enjoyed the local seaweed treatment pampering in their spa, too.

www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria