My wife and I stayed in the Rooster's Den at the Benvenuto B&B starting the evening of Tue. 7/26/11 through Fri. 7/29/11. If you want to get away from the crowds and crush of downtown Victoria and enjoy a quiet, beautiful, rural setting in the South of the island this is the only place to stay. Carrie and her husband are running a terrific inn and they're the best hosts one could hope for.

On checking in Carrie briefed us on the particulars and provided us with all the information we needed to plan out our days. We elected to have her arrange our trip to the Butchart Gardens (which is close enough that you can walk there if you'd like but it's no more than a 10 minute drive, if that), and got us a 10% discount allowing us to drive right in (Carrie billed us at checkout which made it easy). On another day she helped us figure out a hike that was within our capabilities (with appropriate wildlife warnings) and it turned out to be a perfect day trip for us.

The Rooster's Den room was beyond comfortable. Ample bathroom space, comfortable bed with electric fireplace, plenty of room to spread our camera gear around, and along with cable TV, wireless Internet, fridge and microwave it allowed us to keep an eye on the the distant world while keeping the wine chilled and our own after-dinner treats warm. The bath products she uses are produced on the island and were as wonderful to smell as to use.

I'm not a morning person, but Carrie's breakfast turned me into one -- albeit temporarily. :) She makes the most wonderful treats and I looked forward to the basket delivered to our door each morning. My favorite was the baked eggs in thin pastry cups (something she told me she's been making for a while and that frequently receives complements), with my other favorite being the blueberry "pancake" (which is baked in a small piece of crockery) with maple syrup and and fresh sausages. Everything is made from scratch and the fresh fruit that comes with it was so delicious we packed to take with us on our hikes. They keep goats and elephant-ear pigs on the property which added to the detached-from-the-city feel and provided a few hours of entertainment as we relaxed at the end of the day watching the goats clamber around in their own private tree-house. You can relax in chairs on the lawn under a tree or you can sit on your private patio. Given the fantastic weather that blessed us we took advantage of both.

The three guest rooms are separated from Carrie's main house and arranged so that the two bottom rooms are separated by a staircase that leads to the upper room, leaving the only common wall between them all being a portion of the floor/ceiling between them (think a triangle -- you can see this in TripAdvisor's photograph). This made for a totally quiet stay in spite of guests being in all three rooms.

We didn't even begin to scratch the surface of the things to do on Victoria Island, but we're already planning another trip in the Spring and we'll back to the Benvenuto B&B when we return!

My husband and I came to Victoria for our first anniversary. We chose Benvenuto B & B based on the other reviews we read. Our stay was wonderful! We were in the Rooster's Den for two nights. The room and bathroom were clean and charming, and had all the amenities we needed. Carrie was very helpful with the requests we made. She even offered us discounts for a few of the attractions in town. There were a ton of brochures in the room as well as a binder full of sightseeing activities. The breakfasts were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It was something beautiful and new each morning and they were filling! The B & B itself is right by the Butchart Gardens (a must-see), but is off the main road surrounded by nature so you're bound to get a good night's sleep. Each room has its own private patio to enjoy your breakfast or take in the landscaping. Thank you, Carrie and Clint (little Hunter, too), for making our stay so memorable for our very first anniversary! We'll be back!

Everything about our stay was great. Family atmosphere, proximity to The Butchart Gardens, breakfast, surrounding area (Victoria, the Ferry Terminal...), quiet, Loft.... We hope to return again.

Of all the places I have stayed, this is my favorite. It's farmlike, country setting provides a relaxing, comfortable stay, while close to many attractions of interest to all ages. The Butchart Gardens is just down the road, as is The Butterfly Gardens, and Victoria is just 20 minutes away. The breakfast is always memorable...delicious, freshly prepared and conveniently brought to your room. The hosting family is friendly, attentive and helpful, without compromising your privacy. Transportation ferries are just 20 mins away in either direction, providing a pleasant 90 minute cruise across the water. I have been here 4 times and always come away refreshed and looking forward to another visit.