Guest reviews The Fairmont Empress Hotel, Victoria

by TheLadyLevine Vancouver, Canada

Incredible Staff, Incredible Experience

I have had the pleasure of staying at the Fairmont Empress several times over the years, and the one constant is the exemplary service from the amazing staff. This recent stay was special, as my Mom and I were celebrating my 50th birthday. It has also been a challenging year for us both concerning a family member’s health, so suffice it to say, we both were looking forward to the break. From the moment we arrived, we were so well taken care of. Carlos ensured that we had the perfect room, Raymond, Adam, and Cecilia took care of us for our meals on the Veranda and went above and beyond (the Veranda is spectacular by the way), and it was a pleasure to see Shindi each morning at breakfast, who made sure we had everything we needed and more. Last but not least, Ramon—this gentleman helped us with so much while we were at the hotel—he is truly a gem of person, and his genuine caring went way beyond the call of duty. The hotel and the staff have measures in place for distancing and sanitation, and not once did we feel uncomfortable. I will suggest to the hotel that it would make good sense to consider adding back to the staffing compliment given the current staff looked a little stretched in trying service the guests. I will be back in November and truly cannot wait to spend time at this amazing hotel, and to see those lovely smiling faces of the incredible staff there. Thank you.

by steing1111 Vancouver, Canada

Not 5 Star

This iconic hotel is terrifically located. The staff are excellent and totally service oriented. We had a small room ovetlooking the harbour, definitely a great view. As it is an historic hotel the room sizes do vary and the recent renovations updated the room decor. Too bad they couldn't combine two rooms into one so the room size would be a decent size with a large bathroom (that would be an expensive renovation but otherwise the Empress can't be a 5 star hotel). As it is the bathroom is tiny with a sink that is lower than standard. The water flow from the shower is poor. At the very least the hotel needs to upgrade the toilet paper and Kleenex which are industrial rather than deluxe hotel standard. Going cheap on that is really cheeky given the room rates. I suppose guests don't think to comment about that so the hotel gets away with it.

by KJElmer Vancouver, Canada

A taste of BC history.

Thanks to a B.C. special, I decided to pull the trigger on this extravagant hotel and I wasn’t disappointed. The special included a discounted rate, an upgrade, free parking and late checkout. The Q was perfect for breakfast while we waited for our room to be ready, and the picnic on the lawn was the treat we didn’t know we needed - it came in a basket and was plentiful and DELICIOUS! I believe this is new to accommodate more people during indoor restrictions, but I hope they keep it! The Signature Harbour View room was lovely and spacious and the view was worth it. While everyone can appreciate the exterior, it’s still worth noting their lovely gardens and bee keeping. The staff was extremely friendly and thoughtful and the Covid protocols were clear and appreciated.

by Barbara M Ireland

Reflecting during Covid lockdown on a wonderful experience

As I sit here in Covid isolation I was recalling past holidays. One that hit the high spot was my trip to Victoria, Vancouver Island during October 2019. I had enjoyed my stay so much that I decided I should top it all with a farewell visit to the Fairmont Empress Hotel and try their renowned Empress gin - I deserved it, it had rained a lot! What a fantastic idea that turned out to be! I was brought to one of the best seats in the bar, with a view out to the harbour, as well as being able to see everything that was happening around me - perfect! While I was sipping the delicious purple gin, my waitress asked me if I'd like to have an Empress chocolate cake, courtesy of the bar manager - how could I refuse such a kind, generous offer? It was sublime - the real icing on the cake and made my visit to the Fairmont Empress such a memorable one. A big thank you to the bar manager and also to the staff for making my visit so wonderful.

by 344jeannal Wichita, Kansas

Outstanding

What can I say! The outside of the hotel was simply breathtaking, flowers everywhere beautifully groomed gardens, the hotel itself was amazing the majestic exterior has old world charm on overload. Originally when we were looking for a place for an overnight stay I referred to reviews here on TripAdvisor, with several that said it needed updating and there wasn’t working air conditioning, but I was willing to give it a chance, we were certainly glad! We had a room that had amazing views of the government building, and the harbor, and can’t describe how beautiful it was all lit up at night. The room was on the small side, as well as the bathroom but it was totally modern amenities. I definitely recommend to anyone making a trip to Victoria