The Iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel
Towards the end of our trip to British Columbia, Tony & I took a seaplane to Victoria, BC. Before heading to Victoria, I didn’t really know much about the town. When we were in Whistler, we were told it was a town for “newlyweds and the nearly dead”, aka people who go to bed at 8 pm and don’t like noise. As quiet, picturesque & relaxing as it was, it was far from boring!
The town is actually filled with visitors & locals of all ages. Oddly enough, Victoria is the cycling capital of the country, as well as one of Canada’s fittest and most walkable cities. If you’re located or stopping in Seattle, you can even jump on the Clipper Ferry for a quick day trip or weekend getaway. You don’t even need a car in Victoria, it’s so walkable & easy to jump on a bike for longer expeditions.
The Iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel
If you’re headed to Victoria, I recommend staying at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. It’s an iconic landmark that sits in the Inner Harbour. When you arrive (either by ferry or sea plane), it’s one of the most prominent buildings that welcomes you to town.
The hotel has recently been renovated and has 464 rooms and suites. I really liked that hotel was renovated and a lot of the artwork, bar & menus are more modern, but still maintains a lot of the classic charm & character. The hotel originally opened in 1908 and has received a ton of awards, including Travel + Leisure’s top Canadian Hotel.
Referred to as the “Grand Dame”, the hotel was restored to her original glory with a $60M+ overhaul. As I mentioned, they gave the hotel a modern twist, including an amazing new lobby & chandelier. Literally one of the most beautiful hotel entrance’s I’ve ever seen. They also updated the hotel pool & health club, spa, guest rooms, event spaces and Q at the Empress & Q Bar.
The Rooms
Just because the rooms still have a retro-feel doesn’t mean they’re lacking in amenities. Our room was absolutely stunning & looked out over the harbour. I loved that the room had a “traditional” elegance and classic details with modern touches. Meaning: it was decked out with a flat screen tv, air conditioning, top of the line toiletries, etc.
Q at the Empress & Q Bar
A key sign that a hotel has created the perfect space is when you don’t want to leave for food or drinks. Even though we did a lot of sight seeing and checked out a lot of different bars & restaurants, we ended up “staying in” at the Q quite a bit. I was actually sad to leave. Primarily because we wouldn’t get to hang out with the bar tenders and snack on their famous popcorn anymore.
Q at the Empress is the hotel’s main restaurant. Like the rest of the hotel, it’s set in an iconic space, but has a fun, updated and more contemporary vibe.
We ended up hanging at Q Bar most afternoons and evening. They have a massive list of local craft beers, craft cocktails and wines. To celebrate their revamp, they partnered up with Victoria Distillers (one of the oldest small batch distillers in Canada) to create Empress 1908 Gin. Let me start by saying that I’m not a “gin person”. But their all natural, color changing gin is something else! It’s infused with butterfly pea blossom. Which gives it a really vivid indigo blue color, that changes to a purple and soft pink color in different cocktails.
I can’t blog about the hotel without talking about the bar’s popcorn. I asked our bartender for tips on making it at home and he was nice enough to show me the seasoning shaker behind the bar! The trick is in the Charcoal Seasoning! Even though I won’t be able to recreate it perfectly, I’m excited to toss a little onto my homemade popcorn for movie night, just to take me back to the Q for a moment!
Willowstream Spa at the Fairmont Empress
Since we were nearing the end of our vacation, we opted to spend our last day at the spa getting a couples massage. It was the perfect day to stay in and sit by the fire, lounge in the jacuzzi & relax with a long massage. The spa’s primary focus is energy renewal. Their goal is the have you leave energized and refreshed. Goal: completely accomplished. When you visit, I recommend arriving early to follow the spa ritual. You can use their Finnish style sauna, steam inhalation room and mineral pool; all designed to open up inhalation, cleanse, detoxify & warm your muscles.
Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress
Having afternoon tea at the Empress was definitely a highlight of my trip. Their afternoon tea is world famous and has served England’s ritual to a range of royalty and celebrities. It’s definitely a quintessential Victoria experience and you don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy it!
Regardless of whether you’re in town for the day or weekend, you can book afternoon tea and enjoy their 110+ year old tradition. I’ve had afternoon tea at various hotels and restaurants, but the tea at the Empress was the most unique. They served house-made signature Empress scones, pastries, clotted creams and strawberry preserves with fresh lavender (from their rooftop her garden). I had the choice of 21 of the best loose leaf teas available. It was also extremely interesting getting to learn about the history of the high tea and how the different types of tea are made. I chose The Empress Tea blend, which is a Tong Mu Phoenix Lapsang Soughing blend. Depending on your preference, you can choose from their list of seasonal teas. Also, it’s cool to know that the teas are exclusive to the hotel from the Metropolitan Tea Company.
Another fun fact I learned is that the Empress Tea China was first used in 1939. When Queen Elizabeth visited the hotel. To this day, the same pattern is used and produced exclusively for the hotel!
If you plan on staying at the Fairmont Empress or will be in town, I highly recommend making recommendations (especially if it’s during high season).
