STAFF HOTEL REVIEWS

The Fairmont Empress Hotel
721 Government Street
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

- Dave Grossman, HotelMagician.com
September 2011

Victoria is one of those towns that you visit and think you could live there – it’s so idyllic that you can’t help but ponder it.

If you arrive by seaplane, as we did, you start right in the center of town – the Inner Harbour. And right away you will have your eyes fixed up the hill onto the Edwardian-era building that you either are staying in – or should be staying in. That’s the Fairmont Empress.

While known for their Afternoon High Tea, a tradition dating back to 1908, the real reason to stay here is the location and the ambiance. As you can see in the photos, it’s like staying in a wonderfully maintained (actually, resorted) piece of history.

Fairmont Empress bedroom

And you literally CAN NOT BE in a more central location from which to enjoy Victoria.  You can stroll the 3 minutes back down to the Inner Harbour, relax by the water, wait on line for lunch at the famous “Red Fish Blue Fish” fish and chips stand (it’s as good as the reviews say and the lines are even longer than they say!).

Or you can stroll around any of the nearby streets that make up Victoria’s downtown. If you need a car rental, there’s one right behind the hotel.

And honestly, there’s nobody in town that doesn’t know the Fairmont Empress.

The rooms are on the small side, especially the disappointingly small bathroom (which had virtually nowhere to put anything and had one of those slightly-too-thin bathtub/shower combos), but they are nicely appointed and have an updated flat panel TV as well as WiFi wireless Internet in all rooms.

*TIP* All Fairmont President’s Club members get free WiFi. Anyone can join for free and the WiFi is complimentary regardless of your level in the program. So be sure to join! Everyone else will have to pay up for the WiFi.

On the whole, just walking in and around the hotel adds to your trip and, while the Fairmont did cost a few bucks more than other options in town, it’s well worth it.

Fairmont Empress High Tea

What’s NOT worth it?  The food. Aside from the Afternoon Tea (if you’re so inclined), please do yourself a favor and skip breakfast unless it’s in your room rate. It was in ours, but if it hadn’t been the breakfasts for two would have clocked in at over $50 for what we both thought was pretty low quality food. We didn’t try dinner but heard it was not worth it either. There are many great options in town. A bit off the beaten path (and a good 20-25 minute walk from the Empress) was Cafe Brio – a wonderful Italian place not to be missed if you love food. All plates are available as whole or half orders, so you can easily try two dishes each.

Mineral Bath

What also is not worth it? In all likelihood, the spa. While it’s ranked as a top spa in Canada by Conde Nast, I had a tour of it and it didn’t look impressive at all. Aside from a small temptation to have a soak in the mineral bath (shown), the rest seemed worn out. Save that money for a spa day back home….

In short: If you will be in Victoria, B.C., stay at the Fairmont Empress. You’ll be glad you did.

-DG

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa

Fairmont Sonoma guest room

100 Boyles Boulevard
Sonoma, CA US 95416

By: Dave Grossman
HotelMagician.com
June 2009

Nestled in the heart of Sonoma, California – local to all Sonoma wine vineyards – the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa provided one of my more memorable hotel stays in quite some time.  Often times, I check into a hotel, note the amenities, perhaps a notable restaurant, whether the room is modern and comfortable or old and uncomfortable (or a mix of the two), but rarely do I find it to be an “experience.”

The Fairmont Sonoma got things off on the right foot when I phoned from San Francisco the day of my stay. I’d just checked out of the Westin St. Francis in downtown SF and was looking forward to the sun that awaited in Sonoma. The front desk noted that the guests had checked out of my room already and they’d have housekeeping get it ready for my arrival. And it was (it’s one thing to offer an accommodation, but another entirely to follow through). Inside the room was a nice bottle of local red wine – on the house. Unfortunately, I was in town for a weekend-long wedding and wouldn’t have time to drink it. Nevertheless, for a hotel in the heart of wine country, this was a really nice touch.

The room was a touch on the small side, with a queen bed, but I was traveling alone and this was more than sufficient. I don’t think it would have even been an issue for two people – unless perhaps you ordered room service. I’m not sure where you’d eat that except perhaps on the bed!

The decor, as you can see in the pictures, was both modern and classic at once. The room had been renovated 5 years ago, with the flat screen TV mounted on the wall probably a more recent addition. Reception did let me know that only the main house has been fully renovated – they are still getting to the rooms in other buildings – so you may wish to call them directly after booking if you have a preference so they can at least note the request.

Internet is complimentary in the room (Ethernet only) if you are a Fairmont President’s Club member and that membership is completely free – signup at fairmont.com. This is nice given that most luxury brands insist on charging top dollar for in-room Internet while the budget brands give it away gratis. There is also wireless access in the lobby but, sadly, not by the pool.

The pool was nothing extraordinary but sufficient for some sun, a poolside snack, and a dip.

The Spa, however, *was* extraordinary. I was short on time this weekend – again, I was at a wedding both days, for most of the days, so time to explore was short. The spa receptionist suggested a half-hour massage which would leave me 45-60 minutes for the Bathing Ritual. You see, everything you can bathe in, outside of the room, uses water from the underground springs – containing minerals good for your skin not normally found in a pool or spa bath. The Bathing Ritual consists of a dip in a warn pool, followed by a warmer (I believe around 98 degrees) pool, then a quick cold shower, a steam room, a sauna, and a final cleansing cool shower. Breaks for cold water are needed too, to avoid dehydration. The idea is for this to take 45 minutes with 15 minutes at the end in the relaxation room. You follow that with the massage (if you’ve booked one), which was wonderfully relaxing, and then I went outside to the two outdoor pools – both in the upper 90 degrees to get a bit more sun. The bath rituals and hot pools at the spa are $39 for hotel guests, but included if you have a same-day treatment. Now let’s see how my skin responds

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa also offers a complimentary health club (and free classes at the gym except Spinning) and they arrange wine tours for you (for the cost of the tour) via a tour operator – so you can hit several wineries without the worry of driving back.

The only minor annoyance was the self parking – of which there is not enough. Both nights I returned to find self parking, which is free, full – requiring a drive off to the restaurant parking lot just outside the gates. I don’t know what happens when that fills up but one would hope the valet would assist if that happened.

There’s no food served after 11pm, but if you’re adventurous there is a Mexican food truck setup on weekend nights at the (former?) gas station just out the entrance (quick left and then right). Hard to complain about $1.25 for an authentic taco although I realize not all of the Fairmont’s crowd will be that adventurous, or even up that late…

DG