Top notch hotel. Excellent staff that are very attentive and knowledgeable. Our concierge, Deborah Sleno, was great. She arranged two excursions for us, one to the Butchart gardens and the Malahat skywalk. She further made sure we would be able to finish the tour to the skywalk and make it to the ferry returning to Vancouver on time. We were made to feel well taken care of. The hotel was well appointed and the rooms were very clean and comfortable. Well appointed and updated.

We were in Victoria for 2 nights at The Empress. I last stayed there...55 years ago! I can't say I recall much of that stay :)) This one was fine. We took advantage of the offer by email to be on 'standby' for a 1-bedroom suite overlooking the harbour and were successful. Good choice! The one full day we were there it was raining much of it. We were quite comfortable and content to sit in the living room and read for much of the day. The bedroom, other than the bed, was less comfortable. To get past the foot of the bed to the bathroom was a bit of a squeeze and the window very small. There wasn't good air circulation and the bedroom was stuffy at night. Staff were excellent - everyone we spoke to was most friendly and helpful.

We stayed here about 15 years ago. It was great....close to everything, gorgeous view of the harbor. The high tea was excellent for the kids....the last stop of an Alaskan cruise and the perfect ending along with the Butchart Gardens.

Really enjoyed our stay that the Empress. Spacious and clean room with a view of the Parliament. The hotel Christmas decorations were lovely and made for a festive feel. Be sure to stop at the Empress bar to enjoy the famous Empress Gin or a non-alcoholic beverage.

Truly Magnificent Old World Dining. We enjoy visiting the "Empress" whenever we have been in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada It is on Vancouver Island, strangely Vancouver is NOT on Vancouver Island.. The Hotel is 1800's Class back when people travelled in High Style by Raiway. The Food was excellent and the servers were professional. So tired of Canadian servers saying "No Worries" like the just stepped off a Crocodile Dundee Movie.

Our daughter and her husband live in Victoria. Mostly we stay with them but we have stayed at The Empress, The Embassy Inn and also The Grande Pacific. The loveliest place of course is The Empress but for a more reasonable stay The Embassy Inn is very, very nice.

My husband and I did the afternoon tea yesterday as part of our cruise port day in Victoria. So much fun! Yes, very pricey, but probably a once in a lifetime experience. The food and tea were wonderful! Highly recommend the Emoress Blend! Our server, Brad, was great as well! We had a fabulous time reminiscing for almost two hours about a cruise we were finishing up. Highly recommend if for nothing else than the experience!

Iconic hotel that has a prime location in Victoria. The rooms are large in size but have very small bathrooms for the size of room. Water pressure was not great either on the 4th floor so you felt like you needed to run around in the shower to get wet. Do make sure that you check out the Veranda terrace at night. It offers stunning sunset views and the excellent staff provide blankets and fire pits should the weather prove a little chilly. It's here that you can also sample the fantastic chocolate cake on the dessert menu and some excellent Canadian wines

We went to the beautiful Empress Hotel for High Tea. It was a delightful window into the tradition! Our server knew everything about the teas on offer and was expert at showing us how to brew, how to taste, and how to enjoy the entire tea experience. The scones, delicate tea sandwiches of cucumber, coronation chicken salad, smoked salmon, and French ham & cheese, were perfect. As were the selection of deserts. All of this was accompanied by a live pianist who provided a subtle sound-track to the afternoon. Our only disappointment was the severe disconnect between the ambiance indicated on the website and reality. When making reservations, it's clearly stated on the website that there is a dress code for High Tea, with prohibitions against hats (except for fascinators or fancy tea hats), athleisurewear, flip-flops, etc. It also says, patrons not meeting the dress code may be "politely declined" entry. I had packed a dress for the occasion, but due to a hiking accident that left my legs bruised and bandaged, I didn't want to wear it, and for four days I scoured stores on our itinerary en route to Victoria to find something appropriate. I had one pair of dressy shoes with me and couldn't find anything to match. I held my breath and put together an outfit from what I'd packed of dress slacks, a nice linen shirt, a scarf, and pretty earrings--desperately hoping we'd still be let in. (We even got a phone message reminding us of our reservation--and of the dress code.) When we arrived, the couple ahead of us were shown to their table. He was in shorts and a t-shirt. She was in casual pants, with quilted vest, and a baseball cap. They did ask her to remove her cap, but in they went. We looked around and counted three men in hats, two folks in plaid flannel shirts, lots of jeans, and two other pairs of shorts. After all my angst of trying to meet the dress code, turns out, I could have worn a burlap sack. I'm still glad we dressed up, but we were in the minority. So, is there a dress code or not? And if not, please don't threaten the unsuspecting with being turned away!