Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Canada / Victoria / Fairmont Empress
Fairmont Empress
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada · Fairmont · High Luxury
Canadian Pacific opened the Empress in 1908 as a steamship-terminus hotel facing Victoria's Inner Harbour, with Francis Rattenbury's Châteauesque design completed under William Sutherland Maxwell. Operation Teacup saved it from a 1960s demolition push; the National Historic Site still pours afternoon tea after a CAD $60 million restoration completed in 2017.
- 464 rooms
- Opened 1908
- Neighborhood: Inner Harbour
- Architect: Francis Mawson Rattenbury
About Fairmont Empress
- King George VI lunched here on 30 May 1939; until 1960, the hotel's harbourfront silhouette served in place of a sign.
- The Royal BC Museum sits three minutes from the Inner Harbour landmark.
History
Canadian Pacific opened the Empress on 20 January 1908, Francis Mawson Rattenbury's Châteauesque house on reclaimed mudflats, finished under William Sutherland Maxwell. Saved from 1960s demolition by Operation Teacup. National Historic Site 1981. A CAD 60 million restoration finished in 2017. Lobby Lounge tea continues.
The setting
On Victoria's Inner Harbour, facing the Empress's own lawn. The Royal BC Museum is a few minutes. This is Rattenbury's 1908 château, not a downtown tower.
Restaurants and bars
- Q At The Empress — Restaurant · Seasonally inspired Pacific Northwest cuisine
- The Bengal — Restaurant
Experiences
- Afternoon Tea — Traditional Afternoon Tea, described as a celebrated Empress ritual poured for well over a century.
- Fairmont Spa — Award-winning spa for holistic wellbeing; the Spa Ritual includes a steam room, Finnish-style sauna and mineral bath whirlpool.
- Fairmont Gold — Hotel-within-a-hotel with private lounge access, all-day honour bar, complimentary breakfast and afternoon canapes.
- Helijet helicopter transfer — Helicopter ride across the coastal isles to Victoria, about 35 minutes harbour to harbour, arranged with Helijet.
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended (2026)
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
- AAA Four Diamond (2025)
- British Columbia's Leading Business Hotel 2025 (World Travel Awards) (2025)
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More hotels in Victoria
- Magnolia Hotel & Spa — Independent · Core Luxury
- Oak Bay Beach Hotel — Independent · Accessible Luxury
- Hyatt Centric Victoria Old Town — Hyatt Centric · Near Luxury
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