The Fairmont Empress

www.fairmont.com

The Fairmont Empress is a hotel located in Victoria.

During the summer months, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia serves Afternoon Tea to more guests than most hotels in London, England. More than 900 people per day come to enjoy a tradition that has been part of the hotel since it opened in 1908.The Fairmont Empress has long been accustomed to entertaining Hollywood celebrities; Rita Hayworth, Jack Benny, Pat O'Brien, Douglas Fairbanks, Katherine Hepburn, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Tallulah Bankhead and a host of others have passed through its lobby. Shirley Temple arrived accompanied by her parents amid rumours that she had fled from California because of kidnapping threats, a story borne from the presence of two huge bodyguards who took the room opposite hers and always left their door open.In 1965, there was much debate on whether to tear down what was becoming a faded, dowdy hotel, to make room for a more modern, functional high-rise hotel. One local newspaper warned that, "Without this splendid relic of the Edwardian era, literally tens of thousands of tourists will never return. This is the Mecca, this is the heart and soul of the city." The decision was announced on June 10, 1966: The Fairmont Empress would not be demolished. Instead she would embark on a $4 million campaign of renovation and refurbishment, playfully dubbed "Operation Teacup."The walls of the hotel contain stories of unusual guests and employees. In 1987, a woman wrote about her wonderful stay at The Fairmont Empress and asked if other guests had received a similar late night visitor: a little girl who had watched over her bed and then floated across the room.

There are also the stories of an early 20th century maid, who shows up now and again on the sixth floor to help with the cleaning.Throughout its history, The Fairmont Empress has played host to kings, queens, movie stars and many famous people. In 1919, Edward, Prince of Wales, waltzed into the dawn in the Crystal Ballroom - an event considered by Victorians to be of such importance that almost 50 years later, the obituaries of elderly ladies would appear under headlines such as, "Mrs. Thornley-Hall Dies. Prince of Wales Singled Her Out."In 1989, over $45 million was spent in the royal restoration; all the guest rooms were renovated, and a health club and indoor swimming pool were added. With an emphasis on craftsmanship, no attempt was made to give the hotel a new image. Instead, the goal was to restore The Fairmont Empress to its original elegance.The strong emotions The Fairmont Empress evokes in many of her guests and protectors is exemplified in the statement made by an irate gentleman, as workers raised the sign above the front entrance: "Anyone who doesn't know this is The Empress shouldn't be staying here."

Places to eat within 5km of The Fairmont Empress include Q At The Empress, Doubles Oyster Bar, Table 21, and Browns Socialhouse Victoria Falls.

Address and Location details

The Fairmont Empress reviews

Amenities

24-hour front desk. 24-hour room service. 24-hour security. ATM/Cash machine. Accessible facilities. Accessible parking. Airline desk. Baby sitting. Baggage hold. Barber shop. Beauty shop/salon. Bell staff/porter. Breakfast served in restaurant. Business center. Car rental desk. Catering services. Children welcome. Children's nursery. Children's play area. Cocktail lounge. Coffee shop. Complimentary coffee in lobby. Complimentary in-room coffee or tea. Complimentary newspaper in lobby. Concierge desk. Continental breakfast. Currency exchange. DVD/video rental. Desk with electrical outlet. Dinner served in restaurant. Direct dial telephone. Doctor on call. Dry cleaning. Early check-in. Efolio available to company. Executive floor. Exercise gym. Exhibition/convention floor. Express check-in. Express check-out. Family plan. Fire safety compliant. Front desk. Full american breakfast. Full service housekeeping. Game room. Gift/News stand. Golf. Hair dryer. Hairdresser/barber. Health club. Heated guest rooms. Housekeeping - daily. Individual Efolio available. Indoor parking. Indoor pool. Interior corridors. Ironing board. Jacuzzi. Jogging track. Late check-out available. Laundry/Valet service. Lobby coffee service. Lounges/bars. Lunch served in restaurant. Massage services. Meeting rooms. Non-smoking rooms (generic). On-Site parking. Parking. Parking lot. Pets allowed. Photocopy center. Playground. Pool. Private bath or shower. Public address system. Racquetball. Room service. Safe deposit box. Sauna. Secured parking. Security. Shoe shine stand. Snow sports. Solarium. Spa. Storage space. Street side parking. Sundry/Convenience store. Technical concierge. Tennis court. Tour/sightseeing desk. Train access. Turndown service. Valet cleaning. Valet parking. Valet same day dry cleaning. Video checkout. Video review billing. Video tapes. Wakeup service. Water sports. Whirlpool. Wireless internet connection in public areas.

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