OverviewOn Quebec St., approximately an 11 minute walk to the Inner Harbour, this non-smoking hotel is popular with tourists who want to wander the downtown core and major attractions by foot. There are a variety of amenities on site, including an indoor heated pool, a spa, a sauna, a gym and a billiards and games room.
Guests can choose from Standard rooms or more spacious Suites, which include full kitchens. In all rooms, guests can expect a 37-inch LCD TV, free WI FI, a coffeemaker with complimentary cookies, an iron and an ironing board, a hairdryer and bathrobes. Parking is available on site, for a cost of $12/day. Pets are allowed at this hotel, for a cost of $50/day.
There are a number of dining options close by, but guests can choose to dine on site for breakfast, lunch or dinner at Johnathan's Restaurant, open daily from 7:00am-9:00pm (room service is available during those hours as well).
While the hotel is located within walking distance from the downtown Victoria area (about an 18 minute walk), there is a complimentary shuttle offered. There are a number of shops, restaurants and attractions located within a 15 minute walk of the hotel, including BC Whale Tours, the BC Maritime Museum and the Victoria Bug Zoo. Butchart Gardens is slightly farther away, about a 15 minute drive. Guests travelling by air should budget about 31 minutes to travel the 27.3km between the hotel and Victoria International Airport (YYJ) (distances and driving time estimates: Google Maps).
Check-in is at 3:00pm, while check-out is at 12:00pm.
Confirmed with a front desk agent: free WI FI, downtown shuttle, parking, restaurant hours and pet policy (call date: June 1, 2012).
The GoodThere were many favourable comments for this hotel, many of them touching on the central location and good service from hotel staff.
The proximity of the hotel to downtown was a big plus for many guests, who appreciated being able to wander the downtown core easily by foot. A number of guests also commented on the convenience of the complimentary shuttle to the downtown area and felt that this eliminated the need to have a car during their stay.
Staff received top marks from numerous guests, who used words like "friendly", "helpful" and "excellent" to describe their impressions. Several guests said that staff were very accommodating around things like check-in times.
Amenities were said to be good at this hotel; several guests commented positively on the games room and the pool.
There were small touches that made a positive impact on guests such as a good selection of books on the nightstands in guest rooms and well-stocked kitchens in the Suites. The on-site restaurant also received positive reviews, both for the quality of the food and for the service that guests received while dining.
The Bad
Guest reviews were generally favourable for this hotel, but there were a few common themes among complaints.
There were several comments suggesting that the property was ageing and in need of updating, particularly in regards to the decor. Words like "old" and "tired" surfaced frequently, both in reference to the common areas and to the rooms.
Guests did appreciate having access to on-site parking, but some felt that the parking fee of $12/day was excessive.
Guest comments reflected a lack of attention to detail in cleaning, particularly in regards to the carpets, bathrooms and kitchens.
There were a few other peripheral comments, pertaining to things like lack of views from rooms, uncomfortable beds and stale odours in rooms.
Confirmed with a front desk agent: free WI FI, downtown shuttle, parking, restaurant hours and pet policy (call date: June 1, 2012).
Hotels.com guest reviewers rated this hotel 4.5 out of 5, or "excellent", based on 284 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviewers ranked this hotel #7 out of 69 Victoria hotels, based on 437 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviewers rated this hotel 4.4 out of 5, based on 169 reviews. 95% of guests would recommend this hotel.
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Analyzed by Heather W.
Driven by the sense that every person, place or thing has a story to tell and a skill for being in the wrong place at the right time, Heather is a well-traveled writer.
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