Guest reviews The Fairmont Empress Hotel, Victoria

by wisemanm2017 Nanaimo, Canada

Was hung up on thrice!

Usually we have a fantastic stay here, however it wasn't as lovely this time around. When we requested a few plastic toothbrushes, the operator said "you've had enough already!" then hung up on us. I was shocked by this treatment. I actually believed it was an accident until it happened twice more. After calling back again and asking his name, he hung up again. Sure, we had requested the disposable plastic toothbrushes the night prior, but due to my children having strep throat we threw those out and asked for new ones. I called twice more to place my request and before I could finish my sentence, I was hung up on not once, but thrice. You'd think that as a gold lounge guest spending money at the spa and $500/night that they could spare a few extra no name white plastic toothbrushes without question. I've stayed at hotels around the world and have never been treated so rudely or hung up on by any staff member. This is truly the most unprofessional behavior I've encountered anywhere.

by johnwC6546ED Toronto, Canada

Renovated modern room in a classic railroad hotel overlooking the harbour. What's not to love.

I have stayed here a couple of times for conferences. It's a very comfortable pied-a-terre for visiting Victoria, and the connection to the conference centre makes it very convenient. I always get a good night's sleep, and the renovated bathroom includes a new rainfall shower. The bar in the hotel is a gathering place for conference-goers and has a reasonable selection of local beers and wines.

by Adam S Vancouver, Canada

(Sadly) It's really just a Hilton with some old touches

The Empress Hotel is okay, but it’s like all of the Fairmont Hotels I’ve been to - they look best from the curb. It’s like they realized a few years ago that they were getting old and needed to do something. They had a choice between going “upscale boutique”, with quirky features but retaining all the old charm and history, or just updating them to be more like a contemporary Marriot or Hilton while holding onto just a few of the things that made them famous. They chose the latter. There are no cool, old, quiet lounges in any of them - just the standard noisy, semi-hip places that insist on live music although I don’t imagine anyone ever goes there specifically because of the music. The rooms are okay, but unremarkable and often not well thought out. The decor is bland with a few old touches. They’re not bad, they’re just not what they once were. The Empress does have its famous "afternoon tea" which, while expensive, is at least well done, with excellent food and service. And the reception staff were friendly, polite, and enthusiastic about helping. There's not much to complain about - it's just not a unique experience any more. Our room was a bit odd. We had a "harbour view" from an upper floor, which was a room that was very wide, but quite shallow - there was just enough room to get around the foot of the bed. The window on the harbour was quite small, but at least it was placed well to allow a view from the bed. At night, the floodlights that illuminate the hotel's room also, bafflingly, shone directly into the room. I can't believe no one noticed that, or has complained about it since. A perfect example of how the design was just not thought through. Would I stay there again? If it was offered to me, I'd take it. It was clean, comfortable, and the staff were very good. If I were looking for a place myself, I'd look to see if there was a character hotel with a good view of the Empress. It's an impressive building from the outside.

by 248meganb Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

As good as promised!

I have lived in Victoria for over 35 years but have never stayed at the Empress Hotel before. It absolutely lives up to its reputation! The service was outstanding, the hotel was beautiful and well-appointed, our room was lovely and the bed was comfortable. The location is close to myriad restaurants and things to do. Our stay was complementary through the Cridge Respitality Program, and we are ever grateful to the Empess for our Respitality stay!

by Stephfr14 Victoria, Canada

Fantastic Stay

A short but fantastic stay at the Empress. The room was recently updated and was gorgeous, comfortable and very clean. The staff was very pleasant and even tried to speak French. I would not hesitate to go back.