Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Fitness facilities
WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Fitness center
Swimming pool
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great location
Beautiful grounds
Cons:
Plumbing issues
Insects in bathroom
Confusing elevator system

Categories

Cleanliness
8.11
Concern about silverfish insects found in the bathroom and plumbing issues in the shower.
Service
9.58
Friendly staff and exceptional customer service, particularly regarding special occasions.
Location
9.62
Great location with easy access to restaurants, shopping, and nightlife.
Room Quality
8.57
Some issues with the bathroom faucet and initial room size; however, the upgraded room was better.
Amenities
8.6
Beautiful grounds and pool, but confusion with the elevator system and breakfast line.
Value for Money
8.56
Mixed feelings on value; initial room felt overpriced compared to expectations.
Food and Beverage
9.11
Quality food offered, though there was a desire for more menu options for room service.
Overall Experience
9.08
Many enjoyable aspects but marred by a few significant issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-08 11:48

Property Description

Luxury Overlooking Victoria’s Inner Harbour

Historic Elegance: The Fairmont Empress Hotel offers elegantly decorated rooms with plush seating areas and picturesque windows.

Relaxation and Dining: Enjoy extensive spa treatments at Willow Stream Spa and indulge in traditional afternoon tea with a view of the harbour.

Convenient Amenities: Swim in the indoor pool, admire the Victorian architecture, and explore nearby attractions like the Royal British Columbia Museum and the Maritime Museum of BC.

Book now to experience the charm and luxury of The Fairmont Empress Hotel!

Important information:

Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: YYJ

Property Policies

  • Groups

    When booking more than 4 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed. No extra charges.

  • Parking

    Public parking is possible on site (reservation is not needed) and costs CAD 35 per day.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for free when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 17 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    Children up to and including 17 years old stay for free when using an available extra bed.
    Adults stay for CAD 50 per person per night when using an available extra bed.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.9
Based on 2054 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.11
Service: 9.58
Location: 9.62
Room Quality: 8.57
Amenities: 8.6
Value for Money: 8.56
Food and Beverage: 9.11
Overall Experience: 9.08
D
Damanpreet Kaur • family_with_children • au
5
It was not worth what we paid
Pros:

Location

Cons:

It was not clean enough. Dirty towel in room, no slippers provided. Power socket was not working

2026-07-03 • via Nuitee
J
jennifer • solo_traveller • ca
10
2026-07-03 • via Nuitee
L
Lili • family_with_children • ca
8
2026-07-03 • via Nuitee
L
leah • family_with_children • au
10
An excellent but short stay with my girls on Canada Day. Beautiful
Pros:

Location is the best, room and hotel was beautiful. Amenities and restaurant/bars amazing. Pool, spa and sauna was excellent.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-07-02 • via Nuitee
E
Eduardo • family_with_children • mx
10
2026-07-02 • via Nuitee
N
Nikita • couple • ca
10
2026-07-01 • via Nuitee
J
James • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-06-29 • via Nuitee
A
Avital • couple • il
10
מומלץ בחום
Pros:

מלון מושלם
שרות מעולה
נהננו מכל רגע

2026-06-29 • via Nuitee
C
Corrie • couple • us
10
Lovely location in Victoria
Pros:

Loved the historical charm of the hotel & all the quaint touches to make it top notch-robes & slippers in room with turn down service, bottle of water with refill stations & ice on floor, gave us a bottle of champagne & comp breakfast one day! The grounds were beautiful & high tea was lovely.

Cons:

A bell guy told us the only way to sit on a balcony & have a drink was on the gold deck- but we later found out the Veranda was just what we were looking for! Too late though because we went somewhere else to get that. We missed the veranda!

2026-06-28 • via Nuitee
N
NATASHA • solo_traveller • gb
9
2026-06-26 • via Nuitee
N
Nick • couple • gb
8
Amazing location, hotel fine.
Pros:

Location great.

Cons:

Room (even the ‘cheap’ one I booked) didn’t appear to resemble the one advertised on booking.com

2026-06-25 • via Nuitee
N
Neil-in-Alford • Couples • Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
4
Over-Rated For The Price. Trading on Yesteryear’s Grandeur.
Pros:

Beautiful hotel, fabulous location but the service and staff attitude really needs to improve. Don’t expect to be able to rely on their WiFi. (Free) Premium WiFi was not available and staff just smiled and shrugged. Cheapo free WiFi dropped in and out of service all the time. Completely unreliable and unacceptable for trying to carry on business activities during our stay. There was an error in the way my bill was presented and various staff each tried to tell me that their error was in some way my fault! Eventually got resolved.
There are bog standard Hilton and Marriott hotels within a few metres, which is where I’ll be staying for future visits to this beautiful town.

2026-06-24 • via Tripadvisor
T
Theresa • solo_traveller • us
10
Excellent staff, clean facility, comfortable, and location is amazing!
Pros:

Location

Cons:

Phone and lamp weren’t working in the room.

2026-06-24 • via Nuitee
G
Giang • family_with_children • us
9
Pros:

I was impressed by the hotel staff—their hospitality was exceptional, and they demonstrated a high level of professionalism throughout my stay.

2026-06-24 • via Nuitee
4
4nonni • Friends getaway
10
Historic hotel
Pros:

We recently stayed at The Empress on the Gold floor. Easy checkin. The lounge is stunning. The complimentary breakfast, snacks & desserts are diverse and well done. The beautiful outdoor space alone would make it worth staying. Our room was average size for older hotels. My one complaint is the only mirror in the space was over the sink in the tiny bathroom. None in the bedroom area at all. Very difficult getting ready without a full length mirror. All the staff in hotel were friendly and helpful.

2026-06-22 • via Tripadvisor
M
MINAKO • couple • jp
10
Victoriaなら是非一度は宿泊を！
Pros:

言わずと知れた格式あるホテルで、スタッフの丁寧で笑顔あふれる対応も心地よかったです。場所はとても便利で目の前からの景色も美しく、お部屋もとても清潔で快適でした！
ラウンジのランチのバーガーが肉肉しくて美味しかったです！

Cons:

特にありません。

2026-06-22 • via Nuitee
K
Kali • family_with_children • us
9
Pros:

Spa experience was amazing. Great massage and waiting room and amenities.

Cons:

No view out of our room. Frosted glass.

2026-06-21 • via Nuitee
S
Stephanie • couple • ca
10
2026-06-21 • via Nuitee
D
Dove • couple • ca
8
2026-06-20 • via Nuitee
C
Callum • couple • ca
9
2026-06-18 • via Nuitee