Guest reviews The Fairmont Empress Hotel, Victoria

by NWcanada Delta, Canada

Beautiful hotel but no wow

This was our first visit to the empress. I have wanted to stay at this hotel for years. The hotel history is amazing and gives that old elegant feeling when your in the main hotel. The staff are also amazing. I was really let down by the quality of the room.. i don't know if its me expecting to much but i really didn't get a WOW feeling when we entered the room. The Junior suite looked great on the website but was not even close on arrival but im sure the website says that the room might not be similar. Overall its a very nice hotel. Ive stayed there but dont think I would go back.

by donnadU3383AT

exceptional place to stay

My husband and I visited Victoria for the first time in September 2020. We treated ourselves to stay at the renowned Fairmont Empress, and we are so glad we did. From the minute our car pulled up to the front to when we had to (sadly) leave 5 days later, we were treated with a level of exceptional service we had hoped for, and are pleased to say it exceeded what we had hoped for. Our room was ready when we arrived, we had a king size harbour view room. Spacious, loads of closet space (and lots of hangars!), as well as the luxurious Fairmont robes ready & waiting. The staff were helpful, following all COVID-19 safety protocols from check in to check out. They were all helpful ( the Bell desk staff, the front desk staff, the lounge staff, the housekeeping staff....) every single person on staff gave us the impression our comfort and pleasure was important to them. The bed is incredibly comfortable, the amenities in the bathroom top quality. We dined twice in the restaurant, once on the famous veranda overlooking the Victoria harbour. The food is delicious, presented in an appealing manner, the service is exceptional. There was not a moment that we did not feel pampered. With the hotel not full, and current COVID-19 restrictions in place, the staff did everything they could to anticipate any concerns we may have, to ensure we felt safe, protected and healthy. We visited the spa (an absolute MUST) and the pool during our stay. Both areas immaculate, and relaxing, The hotel location is perfect for exploring the city, with the harbour at your front door, and the easily walkable Government Street with shops, bars & restaurants next door. It was our first stay, it will not be the last.

by sunchasing17 Port Rowan, Canada

Very nice!

Travelling during Covid, the hotel was extremely clean and all precautions were taken. Staff were wonderful, bed and pillows were very comfortable and the rooms were spotless. It IS the Fairmont so of course everything was wonderful. Location is perfect. Although, if the Fairmont isn't in your budget hotels near the marina have a good selection. Disappointed with all the hidden fees you don't know about until check out!

by lyndsey1988 Squamish, Canada

Service and view was amazing!

Adam at Veranda was amazing! He was personable, friendly and welcoming! :) He made great recommendations and spent lots of time answering questions about the city for my last night! Thanks Adam you were awesome!

by I8741JCpetral

Very Dissatisfied And Disappointed

It was a very disappointing stay. Level of services were not comparable with the price of the stay. I wished that staff would go that extra step to match the fame of this luxurious hotel. Unfortunately that’s not the case. I expected we would get the appropriate attention ( to match the pricey stay!) but instead I got a feeling we were bothering them. As a hospital worker myself I give more attention and help to my patients than the hotel staff offered to us. We had a camping trip in Okanagan prior to this trip and the hospitality of people working in the campground was incomparable with the staff at The Empress! Underground parking is quite expensive( charge is higher than Whistler!) and you still have to climb stairs as elevator doesn’t extend to second level on P2. No one offered us the Canadian resident extras that they so generously offer on their official hotel website such as free parking or late checkout which unfortunately I found out after our stay. Upon check in we upgraded ( for an extra fee) for a room with the view... unfortunately the view was hard to enjoy since the window was so dirty it was almost hard to see through. The fan in the bathroom didn’t work, the allocated shampoo and body wash for a family of four was one tiny bottle. The cost of a movie to rent is $24.99!!! Overall a very poor experience. Would not stay here again EVER.