Fairmont Empress Staycation : A Girls Weekend
Who else is excited for summer and more travel? If you have not visited Vancouver Island before spring and summer are great times to visit. What I love about the Island in the summer is how picturesque it is with all the flowers in bloom. Downtown Victoria has many great paths and walks to enjoy on the waterfront. A central landmark in downtown has always been The Fairmont Empress Hotel. While the architecture of the hotel it self is breathtaking the lovely gardens around the hotel are what give it added charm.
As I get back into travel I continue to explore all of the great local options available to me. I decided to do a girls weekend staycation in Victoria at The Fairmont Empress, and wanted to share my experience.
Disclosure: This stay was kindly provided by the hotel. All thoughts and opinions are always my own.
About The Empress
The Empress hotel is located in the heart of downtown Victoria in the Inner Harbour. The hotel rooms have views of the harbour, city and gardens. The hotel first opened in 1908 and was later renovated in 2017.
About our Staycation
From the smooth check in, to afternoon tea, delicious drinks on the patio and a relaxing spa day this was a great girls weekend getaway.
Check-in at the hotel is 3 pm however we had called the hotel ahead of time and luckily our room was ready early.
For this trip we stayed in a Fairmont Harbour View room. Since this is an older hotel the windows are smaller but the harbour views are still spectacular.
The room size was perfect for two people on a short stay. The bathroom was small with only a small amount of counter space but given the extra counter space in the bedroom we were able to easily manage.
The room cost did not include wifi (which was a bit surprising), however if you are a Club AccorHotels member then you get free wifi.
As always the beds at the Fairmont hotels are amongst my favourite. I do not always get a great nights sleep when travelling but this mattress makes such a difference. I am so in love with them I even have a Fairmont mattress at home!
The room includes a Keurig machine with pods, as well as a kettle with tea.
Q at the Empress is the main restaurant in the hotel. Additional food and beverage options include Tea at the Empress which I will discuss later. Q Bar is one of my personal favourite and go to bars in Victoria for delicious and unique cocktails. When the weather is nice, you can also enjoy a selection of delicious food and cocktails at the hotel patio aptly called Veranda.
Willow Stream Spa
Any good girls weekend needs some relaxation. I have been a long time fan of Willow Stream spas and the one at The Empress is always a great experience. The spa lounge and facilities are set on the lower level of the hotel overlooking the gardens.
Upon our arrival we were greeted in the reception then taken down to the change room. The spa provides a robe and slippers for your use. The spa has a steam room, sauna and mineral pool. You can also access the hotels pool from the spa.
I love coming to the spa early to enjoy the facilities and then relax with a cup of tea in the lounge before my treatment. If I am coming alone I love sitting in their lounge and enjoy a good book.
During my visit to the spa I was able to enjoy the 90 minute Advance Correcting Facial with complimentary NuFace upgrade. According to the spa website this is an anti-aging facial and uses the Kerstin Florian Correcting product range which is specifically formulated to correct hyperpigmentation, and brighten the complexion. Brightening my skin is always a goal of mine and I do have areas of hyperpigmentation so this treatment sounded perfect for me.
The NuFace device is a handheld tool that delivers micro current to the skin to target fine lines and minimize deeper wrinkles. For a non medical grade facial this targeted all my main skincare concerns.
The facial also includes a 30% multi-acid peel, hyaluronic infusion, and a soothing cooling hydro jelly mask application.
If the above skin care concerns apply to you I would definitely recommend trying out this facial. It had the right combination of treatments elements mixed with relaxation. The facial massage I received was heavenly. This treatment had a nice flow, was well timed and planned out. For example, while my mask was on I received a hand and foot massage which I thought was a great added element.
I definitely felt relaxed and revitalized after my treatment. My skin felt hydrated and I did notice improvement in my skin tone over the next few days. A few areas that I have issues with hyperpigmentation were also more even and I noticed a difference in the following weeks when applying makeup.
Overall this is a great treatment and I highly recommend it!
Afternoon Tea
A trip to The Empress truly is not complete without enjoying their afternoon tea.
Ever since I was young Afternoon Tea at The Empress has been a very special experience. I used to go for tea with my family to celebrate special occasions and have always treasured those memories.
The Fairmont Empress has been serving afternoon tea for 113 years and according to the hotel serves more cups of tea than any hotel in England – over 500,000 cups per year!
If you have dietary restrictions you can call the Empress to notify their reservations team 24 hours in advance.
The hotel has the option of a traditional afternoon tea or a champagne afternoon tea. It really is not a girls weekend without some bubbly, so we enjoyed the champagne afternoon tea. It was a fun and delicious experience!
I am more of a savoury than sweet person and loved all the current savoury options. My two favourites were the prawn salad and the cucumber sandwich. The flavours of the cucumber sandwich with the dill whipped cream cheese, fennel pollen and pink peppercorn were a nice take on a traditional sandwich. The scone is a traditional raisin scone. The desserts were the perfect way to end tea. It is hard to choose a favourite but the raspberry opera cake and short bread stood out. I loved the pink decoration with the white flower of the opera cake. The short bread was perfect - soft, not too sweet and unique with crispy caramelized thyme.
Cocktails
For cocktails the hotel has two options: Q Bar or the Veranda. Currently ranked one of Canada’s 50 Best Bars Q Bar is the only award recipient on Vancouver Island. I recommend trying the Q1908 cocktail which features the signature Empress 1908 colour changing gin.
If you want to enjoy amazing views of downtown, sit on a lively patio and sip delicious cocktails the Veranda is the place for you! There really is not much more to be said but cheers!
Hope you enjoyed this review of our staycation and it inspired you to take a trip to Victoria!
xx Sam
Current Events at the Hotel
LUNCH ON THE LAWN
This quintessential summer pastime in Victoria, done only as the Empress can, is back by popular demand for summer 2021. It’s the ultimate al fresco dining experience on the hotel’s iconic front lawns, with stunning views of the Inner Harbour. Reserve your very own harbour facing picnic spot complete with blankets, pillows, and a basket brimming with delicious upscale food. Even little ones have their own specially prepared menu to join the party with finger-licking treats. Elevate your experience with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne, or cocktails from our full Q Bar menu. Lunch on the Lawn makes its grand return on Saturday July 3, 2021.
AFTERNOON TEA & MUSIC BY THE SEA
The experience takes place in the reimagined Lobby Lounge, where guests will sip tea surrounded by history, enjoy a view of Victoria’s sparkling Inner Harbour and listen to the alluring sounds of Music by the Sea quartet. This event takes place on Wednesday July 21st as extraordinary classical music and a world renowned afternoon tea experience merge to create this one-of-a-kind afternoon.
