Fairmont Empress

Recognized as the #1 Canadian City Hotel in Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Awards and honoured as a top Western Canadian Hotel in the 2024 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, Fairmont Empress is located in the heart of Victoria, BC overlooking the city’s sparkling Inner Harbour. The MICHELIN Key and Forbes-recommended hotel is a distinguished 4 Green Key property committed to sustainable practices—and is proud to be double Green Key certified, with its meeting space earning its own Green Key certification. The 1908 historic site offers 431 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Fairmont Spa featuring signature West Coast experiences, and Q at the Empress, which serves Pacific Northwest cuisine accompanied by an award-winning wine list, all while being home to one of the world’s most iconic Afternoon Tea experiences. Following a $60+ million restoration completed in 2017, the hotel has transformed into an elegant must-visit destination where modern luxury intertwines with timeless charm. In 2023, the property introduced a reimagined Fairmont Gold Experience. 88 Fairmont Gold rooms await to be guests’ home away from home, while a newly renovated lounge offers guests a cozy haven in the city and a private outdoor terrace peers over a perfectly manicured landscape. Historic Hotels Worldwide honours the property’s prestigious grounds as one of the Top 25 Most Magnificent Gardens in the World, making it the perfect starting point for exploring Vancouver Island’s stunning natural beauty.