Fairmont Empress

I had always wanted to stay at the Empress and I'm happy I finally got the chance. There were lots of pros and cons at this hotel. PROS: staff all very courteous and friendly. Turndown service was nice and done promptly. Bed and pillows extremely comfortable. Pretty certain they gave...

I had always wanted to stay at the Empress and I'm happy I finally got the chance. There were lots of pros and cons at this hotel. PROS: staff all very courteous and friendly. Turndown service was nice and done promptly. Bed and pillows extremely comfortable. Pretty certain they gave us a room with a king bed even though we originally booked a queen. Complimentary bottled water was nice, although they forgot to put some in the room when we first checked in. Nespresso machine with coffee pods is nice. Watch out though! While it's brewing, the vibrations of the machine can knock the coffee mug off the pedestal and spill coffee everywhere - ask me how I know this, ha. Hotel is in a great location for checking out all the touristy things to do downtown. CONS: the harbour view we got was underwhelming. We were given a room on the far wing (furthest from the parliament building) and the view was honestly not worth the extra money - we were overlooking some terrace, and while we could see a part of the inner harbour we couldn't see the parliament building at all because it was blocked. The room felt very tired. The light fixture in the bathroom was rusted, the paint was bubbling and chipped in multiple areas of the room, the grout in the bathroom was in dire need of a redo, the bathroom was really tiny - if you are a person on the larger side, you'll struggle. Room's TV was small and was about 15 years old. Finally, there is no free wi-fi. I was actually supposed to have free wifi due being part of their loyalty program. But I only found out after I left that I should have had free wifi access. The fact that it's not free in the first place is already crazy, but also that they didn't mention that I had this member privilege was kind of an annoying oversight. The Willow Spa was a fantastic experience. We didn't order room service. The on site restaurant (The Q at the Empress) was good, but not great. The servers were great, there were a couple of small hiccups at dinner but not even worth mentioning here. The food, unfortunately, was not great. Eat there and judge for yourself. The breakfast in particular was quite underwhelming.  While I'm happy I got to experience the Empress, unfortunately, I wouldn't go back due to the very tired rooms and underwhelming view. I would try another luxury hotel in Victoria next time.

We are booked to stay at the Empress for two nights so I’ll update the review as I go. Day 1: We were told our room would be ready by 4 pm latest but we are still waiting to get our room and it’s been almost an hour. We bought...

We are booked to stay at the Empress for two nights so I’ll update the review as I go. Day 1: We were told our room would be ready by 4 pm latest but we are still waiting to get our room and it’s been almost an hour. We bought the gold package and the lounge area is nice to hang out in but it is quite cold. There is a draft and I have to keep my winter jacket on if I want to stay warm.

We had a lovely stay in this iconic updated hotel. So much attention to detail and history. The bar had a great ambiance and a wonderful cocktail menu. Dinner in the Q restaurant with amazing service for “Maddy” with 22 years with the hotel. We will definitely be back

Dirty, dingy and dark....it is an old hotel (at least some of the areas) but should be clean and with good lighting. Dirty tissues and dirt on ledges and glassware in hallways for days, and dirty elevators and dirty carpet all over hotel. Gold level unremarkable (they need to visit...

Dirty, dingy and dark....it is an old hotel (at least some of the areas) but should be clean and with good lighting. Dirty tissues and dirt on ledges and glassware in hallways for days, and dirty elevators and dirty carpet all over hotel. Gold level unremarkable (they need to visit a Ritz Carlton and take notes). Rooms on this level are supposedly updated, but dingy, dark and dirty. Service was subpar and obvious their team is nice, but not coached well, and appear to not really care--a hotel chain that utilizes international work visas. One night Ok--more than that head over to the Magnolia or the Delta Marriott--clean, great service and not relying on being a historic landmark? If you do stay, do not waste your money on the Gold level and ask for a room in the original part of the hotel that overlooks the water, but again, I would just check out the Magnolia or the Delta Marriott--everything is within walking distance. Also, they are NOT dog friendly. They proclaim to be, but we had to eat, drink and do most things out of the hotel. Completely disappointed in the Fairmont Empress but Victoria is lovely. Be sure to go to Driftwood Brewery and visit the Frontrunner store and New Balance store.

What a lovely old hotel. Our room was comfortable, very clean and quiet, and made for a very enjoyable 2 nights. We stayed in a Gold level room which gave us access to the Gold Lounge for breakfast, afternoon snacks, comfortable lounge all day, and a separate check-in area. It...

What a lovely old hotel. Our room was comfortable, very clean and quiet, and made for a very enjoyable 2 nights. We stayed in a Gold level room which gave us access to the Gold Lounge for breakfast, afternoon snacks, comfortable lounge all day, and a separate check-in area. It was very much worth the little extra in cost. The location is right on the harbor and a short walk to everything we wanted to see. The staff were all helpful and friendly and we would definitely stay there again.

We have stayed at a number of Fairmont hotels across Canada and our stay at The Empress was the best yet. If you can, splurge and go for the Fairmont Gold option. We found the lounge overlooking the Inner Harbour to be an elegant home away from home. The service...

We have stayed at a number of Fairmont hotels across Canada and our stay at The Empress was the best yet. If you can, splurge and go for the Fairmont Gold option. We found the lounge overlooking the Inner Harbour to be an elegant home away from home. The service at the concierge desk and in the lounge area was impeccable. We felt so welcomed and cared for. Each afternoon we had a feast of beautiful appetizers and drinks. Breakfast in the morning buffet was gourmet as well. Best coffee ever.

We spent one evening on the Gold Floor and were extremely pleased with the comfort and warmth provided by Miriam and her attentive team. We particularly enjoyed the appetizers and desserts provided in the evening and the breakfast the next morning. We thoroughly enjoyed our "in-town get-away" and would highly...

We spent one evening on the Gold Floor and were extremely pleased with the comfort and warmth provided by Miriam and her attentive team. We particularly enjoyed the appetizers and desserts provided in the evening and the breakfast the next morning. We thoroughly enjoyed our "in-town get-away" and would highly recommend to anyone.

We did a Gold stay and the service was just way beyond our expectations. Unfortunately, I did not get the name of the girl who checked us in but she was extremely nice and very helpful and remembered us and our special event. I wish I had thought to ask...

We did a Gold stay and the service was just way beyond our expectations. Unfortunately, I did not get the name of the girl who checked us in but she was extremely nice and very helpful and remembered us and our special event. I wish I had thought to ask her name! We also want to mention Alexander who went above and beyond to help us and also had an exceptional memory and attention to detail. He was so kind and attentive. David and Yulia were also extremely helpful and kind. The staff was just beyond amazing. The hotel is exquisite but the staff made it personal and special. We felt very attended to. The Gold lounge was also beyond our expectations and just so worth it. It was a great place to relax, plan and talk about our day. The staff there was also wonderful. The room was comfortable and well appointed and beautiful. The beds were exceptionally comfortable and we are difficult to please in that area. If I had to point out one negative it would be that there was a little bit too much noise at night for my liking and that we were able to hear a barking dog and baby at one point but that did little to negate our wonderful stay. The hotel itself is so gorgeous and just full of the magical details that we truly appreciate. There is so much to see and so many beautiful places to explore. We had a couple of rainy days and didn't want to get out but there was plenty of things offered within the hotel itself to keep us contented. Overall, this is probably the best hotel experience we've ever had. Thank you to your wonderful staff for going above and beyond.

Absolutely beautiful hotel with so much history behind it! Rooms are well appointed, but small. The room size and cost is my only criticism of this magnificent hotel. Located at the most desirable location in this most beautiful city! If you don’t stay there, at least walk through this historic...

Absolutely beautiful hotel with so much history behind it! Rooms are well appointed, but small. The room size and cost is my only criticism of this magnificent hotel. Located at the most desirable location in this most beautiful city! If you don’t stay there, at least walk through this historic hotel!

Outstanding place to stay. We had a Gold room suite overlooking the harbour and all the amenities were outstanding. Food in the lounge was excellent, only issue was they don’t serve scones everyday in the gold lounge, disappointed! The breakfast buffet was wonderful with delicious cold cuts, eggs Benedict, fruit,...

Outstanding place to stay. We had a Gold room suite overlooking the harbour and all the amenities were outstanding. Food in the lounge was excellent, only issue was they don’t serve scones everyday in the gold lounge, disappointed! The breakfast buffet was wonderful with delicious cold cuts, eggs Benedict, fruit, wonderful coffee and perfect service.