Victoria, B.C. - Staying There

We’ve stayed at lots of different places over the years, and I’m sure we’ll continue to try new ones - always in search of a better deal.  Here are overviews on the places that we’ve stayed.

The Days Inn On The Harbour

We really like the The Days Inn On The Harbour. The best thing about this hotel is the location.  You really can’t beat it, especially when taking the Clipper or the Coho.  You literally walk across the street and you’re there.  You don’t have to haul your luggage across town! The restaurant downstairs is decent for Happy Hour type foods, but a little overpriced. It’s not bad when you consider that it's on the Inner Harbour.  The rooms don’t have AC, so that’s a huge downside in the summer.  There are no refrigerators or Microwaves in the rooms either, which is a pretty big negative for us. We like to hit the bottle shop up the street and try out local brews, and having the fridge to keep them cold is handy! They have the tiniest showers ever in the Single Queen Rooms, which is a bit odd. There is a little Liquor store attached to the hotel, and they sell chips and snacks, which is nice.  There is an outdoor heated pool and a hot tub that is open seasonally. They do have free onsite parking, which is really rare for downtown Victoria, let alone on the Inner Harbour.  They don’t have a complimentary breakfast, but trust me, you won’t want to eat it anyways with so many amazing options in town!  I love it because I have never gotten a bed spread there, which is rare for the price!!

The Huntington Manor

We stayed here for our 2^nd Anniversary when we were dating. We were still poor college kids, it was cheap, and I hit a good winter sale that included parking.  The room was decent, ours had a kitchenette.  The hotel is very outdated, but that kind of fits in Victoria. Hunting Lodge theme with lots of plaid and florals isn’t in anymore, but it fits the feel of historic Victoria. The lobby and halls have some charm, the rooms not so much.  It was really outdated, and it had bed spreads.  It was clean in the room, the halls not as much.  The location is pretty good, just a block or two further up than the Days Inn.  The big sell for us since we were there in the January were the Hot Tub and Sauna, which we used a lot.

Embassy Inn

We booked our stay at Embassy Inn through LivingSocial.  We got a great price.  I had high hopes, because their prices seem to be high, a lot higher than the Days Inn.  We went in January, again for our dating Anniversary.  I think we were the only ones there, we never saw another guest.  The beds were not comfortable, and they didn’t have fitted sheets, so those came off in the middle of the night without much tossing or turning.  The room was very clean, but nothing to write home about.  It sorely lacked personality, and it was very outdated.  I don’t’ remember if it had a bedspread, I think it did.  It did have a fridge, and it had a bath tub.  The location was the best thing about this hotel, it’s just a block further off of the harbor, and a few more up from the Days Inn. It’s on the same road as the Government Building.  Overall, I wasn’t impressed.  It’s not a bad stay, but for the price, you’re much better off with the Days Inn.

The Bedford Regency

The public areas of The Bedford Regency could use some love.  I remember this hotel back when I first started going to Victoria, it seemed to take a lot more pride in itself back then.  Since the mid 90’s it doesn’t look like they’ve done much to keep up their lobby area.  This hotel will always hold a special place in my heart, because I had my first Afternoon Tea there.  I was five, and I had a very unfortunate incident involving a crumpet.  Now the hotel lobby has been awkwardly divided in half and there is a coffee stand and café in there.  My guess is that they needed extra rental income with the tough economy. The tea room is now a gay bar called The Lounge, so a lot has changed.  The elevator looks like it has some sort of weird stick on laminate / fake wood, the whole thing really needs some work.  The front desk was nice enough, but really lacked professionalism.  It felt a bit like checking into a hotel in a Muppet movie.

Overlooking Bastion Square

What’s great about it? Location, location, location!! This hotel is located right on Government Street, and is right next to Bastion Square. You’re really right in the heart of everything. Murchie's is literally downstairs and next door, which is a HUGE plus in our book. We loved being half a block from Irish Times, and block from Bard and Banker. They are two of our favorite pubs. They always have live music, and the atmosphere and décor are amazing, I’ll talk more on them in the restaurants section. It’s also nice to shorten our walk to our favorite cheap by the slice pizza place.  We always head there to bring a couple of slices back with us after we’re done and ready to retire for the night.

View From Window

When I walked into that room, I fell in love.  This has been our favorite room in Victoria, the only one that came close to it was the Magnolia.  I’ve read reviews where people call it outdated.  To those people I say: you’re staying in Victoria, a city known for being historical.  You’re staying in a historical hotel, if you wanted a sheik modern hotel look elsewhere. If you are looking for a room that takes you back in time, this is it!  We got a Superior Room, per a LivingSocial Deal. Our room had HUGE old windows that opened out onto lovely flower boxes, with a beautiful view of downtown and the Inner Harbour, complete with giant window seats.  The paint was a warm peach color, very art deco.  The bathroom is open to the rest of the room, but separated off by a huge antique sliding glass door.  The tub is a big jetted one. You can sit in your tub and stare at your amazing view if you’re so inclined.  If you’re a couple that likes privacy in the bathroom, this may be a little awkward for you. A lot of people want the charm of old homes or hotels, but they want modern conveniences.  You’re going to have a hard time finding that combination in either for a decent price.  That’s probably why we got such a great deal on our house, we’re able to go with the flow, adapt, and overlook the sometimes awkward quarks that come with old buildings.

Patrick Trying to Nap in Our Bright Room. Bathroom in Background.

 The room has a seating area with a lovely wood burning fire place, and they provide you with wood.  Yes, you can have your own wood burning fire. Where else do you get that in a downtown hotel?! Above the fireplace is a good sized flat screen TV, which came in handy for relaxing a bit in the evenings.  The room has a wet bar, and a small fridge, which is nice for keeping a few drinks and left overs cold.  There was not a microwave though.  The bed was very comfortable, and the bedding was wonderful.  Nice fluffy white sheets and a duvet.  Included in our LivingSocial deal were dining vouchers to the Garrick’s Head Pub, and a bottle of Champagne on ice.  I can’t tell you what a nice kick off to our one year wedding Anniversary that was.  It was a beautiful sunny day, we were able to check in early when our boat landed, around 11:00.  We went up to our room, and the sun was pouring in those big beautiful windows. When we opened the windows we could smell the flowers, and hear a street performer playing Sinatra on his Saxophone. I think I just sat in that window sipping Champagne and taking it all in for well over an hour.  Now that is how you start off a vacation!

Fireplace and TV

I’m not sure what the parking situation is here, but if you walked on the Clipper or the Coho, and you’re okay with hauling your luggage around the Inner Harbour, and up about 3 blocks it’s well worth it! You can always take a cab if you’d prefer.   If you’re coming in on the BC or the Washington State Ferry, it’s right in downtown so it’s easy to get off on Douglas and walk.

Sipping My Champagne, and Enjoying the View!

The normal prices for this hotel seem steep, but we loved it for the price we got through LivingSocial.  I booked another LivingSocial deal for this hotel for the Spring for my Mom and I’s Birthday Girls weekend trip. Hopefully it’s as good the second time around!

The Windows

The Magnolia Hotel & Spa

If you feel like splurging a little, and you’ve been really good on all of your other costs, I highly recommend the Magnolia Hotel & Spa.  We’ve stayed there a few times, and it is our favorite overall hotel. You get what you pay for.  The décor is flawless, the rooms are immaculate, the location is amazing, and the staff is unbeatable. 

The draw backs? Obviously it’s a little expensive, and some of the views aren’t the best. The bathroom lights are really funky.  They are florescent energy savor ones. I’m all for going green, but it’s annoying and doesn’t fit to have your light buzz, blink, and take several seconds to come on in such a nice room.  The have beautiful showers, and huge soaker tubs.  There is not a bathroom fan though, just a constant air circulation system.  I kind of like bathroom fans to act as white noise so I don’t hear the street noise or doors slamming in the halls. The breakfast is sorely lacking, but at least it comes with one. We always just eat at Murchie's anyways.  You do have to pay for parking, but that is true of almost all hotels downtown. There is a restaurant downstairs, and if you are in a room above the sidewalk in front of it you can get smoke from smokers coming in your room, which is annoying.

For our mini-honeymoon we splurged and got a room with a view of the Empress and the Government Building.  We got engaged in front of the Government Building, so it’s one of our favorite things in Victoria. The room was amazing, but painfully expensive. It was our splurge of the trip, one I don’t think we’ll make again any time soon.

So this is one of the most expensive hotels in town, yet I’m cheap.  How does that work? Well, I am cheap, but I’m also about value.  I feel that you get a lot of what you pay for here. Also, I always book more than 30 days in advance and I get their 30/30 deal. Book 30 days in advance, get 30% off.  That brings this down to the cost of a moderately priced hotel. I also try to stay here in the off season when it’s cold, wet, and I don’t want to walk all the way around the harbor in the freezing rain to get to our favorite restaurants.

AirBNB & Trip Adviser Rentals

We have not used these yet, but we plan to in the near future.  Victoria is not a dog friendly town. There are few to no patios where your furry friends are welcome.  This is not because the restaurant owners are cold, dog hating people. The government and health regulations up there strictly limit it.  Pet fees are a little steep at most hotels, and a lot of them have rules against leaving your dog alone in your room. Almost none of them have reasonably priced dog walking services.  This means, that if we want to go up and bring Tango, we need to stay someplace where we can keep her in our room if we want to eat a meal at a table not inside of our room.  That leaves you with two options: A, you can get take out for every meal, and pay extra for a room with a balcony and a table, or B, you can go for an AirBNB or Trip Advisor rental that allows pets.  They are usually much more of a walk, because they are in residential areas. On the upside, this is the city of gardens, so it’s easy to find one with a nicely landscaped yard, and an outdoor eating space so you can enjoy something other than the inside of your hotel room.  It is also probably more acceptable to leave a well behaved crate trained dog in one of these lodgings, than in a hotel with thin walls.  Ask your host first though! The prices vary greatly, but there are several reasonably priced options.

The Empress

I have never stayed at The Empress, to be honest I’m not sure I ever will.  It is a bucket list item for me, so I really should. Every time I go to book though, I back out. Their prices are high. Even for a standard room, they are high. They don’t offer many discounts. From the reviews I’ve read, their rooms could use some TLC, and they seem to be riding off of their name.  I’ve heard if you’re getting something really nice, like in the $500-$2000 a night range the rooms are well kept, and the service is excellent.  If you’re staying in one of the bottom of the line rooms, the service and the rooms are sorely lacking.  The rooms also don’t have AC, which is a big draw back when you have a husband that can’t sleep when it’s too hot. It is arguably the icon of Victoria, and as a little girl I dreamed of staying there.  As an adult who pays the bills, I can’t justify it.  I don’t want to pay more than I would pay at the Magnolia for a subpar room. They are one block away from each other, so there are no added bonus points for location. View rooms come at a high premium on either hotel, so that also doesn’t add to it.  The only draw I can see to staying there, is just to be able to say you’ve stayed there. The Empress also does have a pool, but if you don’t use it then it doesn’t matter.

Victoria, B.C. - Getting There

Our First Trip to Victoria Together - September 2009

Victoria has been my favorite local getaway since my first trip in first grade.  It’s like a magical little piece or Europe a few hours away.  I went 2-3 times a year growing up, we’d sail up and stay on the boat.  Their Marina’s are in great locations. 

The first time I took Patrick we were nine months into our relationship.  We took the boat from Bellingham, since we both worked for a hotel in town.  That company allowed you to go for free once a year if you worked in the tourism industry.  We stayed at the Days Inn on the Harbour since we got an employee discount. It was actually really nice for the price, and you can’t beat the location! The only downsides were it didn’t have AC, and it had the worlds tiniest shower. We stayed there a second time when my parents came up with us. I really recommend it to anyone on a budget! We had a great time, and Patrick was hooked.  Now we try to go at least once a year.  

Before I start I feel I should remind you that in Canada most signs, food labels, etc. are in French and English.  There are lots of French Language influences around.  For instance, the Inner Harbour is not Spelled "Harbor" like you spell it in English.  It has a U in it, so no, those aren't typos!

For those of you not from the PNW, Victoria, BC is on an island. You have to fly or take a boat to get there.  It is also in Canada, so you need a passport.  If you are from the State of Washington, and you are going by boat, you can use an Enhanced Driver’s License.  They are about $50 extra on top of your normal license fees.  

Kenmore Air

We have never flown by seaplane, but I’ve heard good reviews.  To me the price doesn’t seem worth it, and those tiny planes freak me out.

Washington State Ferry

They Washington State Ferry is a solid option.  Check the schedule, but it normally only goes one time per day in either direction, and it doesn’t run at all in the winter. If you’re from out of state, and you want to ride a ferry for the tourist aspect, it’s a good way to kill two birds with one stone. You can bring a car on with you.  The ferry departs from Anacortes, and it takes you through the San Jua Islands which are beautiful, and arrives in Sidney, B.C.  The crossing takes about 3 hours, and you can stay in your car if you prefer. Pets have to stay in the car or on the car deck, I believe.

The current cost is $18.75 for Adults, $9.35 for Seniors 65 and over, and $9.35 for children each direction.  Cars with one driver cost $81 round trip.  So for a couple it would be $118.40 round trip. Rates do change year to year, so be sure to check their Fares page.  If you want to make a reservation for your vehicle. Space is usually limited, so you can do reserve a spot for a deposit.  You must arrive 90 minutes ahead if you have a reservation and you are bringing a car. If you are walking on, you do not ever need a reservation, but you will have to pay for parking. Rates vary by Season.

You will need to clear customs once you arrive in Sidney.  On the way back you clear customs in Sidney before you ever get on the boat. There is a waiting area with a little gift shop for the way back, and they have some snacks and ice cream bars.  Sidney itself is a charming town worthy of an afternoon of exploring if you have the time.  To get to Victoria from Sidney it is about a half an hour drive by car or bus.  The bus system is good, and it is easy to navigate.

Pack your own food, the food on board is akin to stadium food of the 1980’s, and it’s way overpriced. There are booths with tables on board, so you can play cards if you get up there quickly and get a table.I haven't been on one in years, but last time I went they didn't have wifi.

Over all it's a good option, and it was great when we lived in Bellingham.  We don't take it anymore, we don't think it's worth it to drive all the way up there anymore.

B.C. Ferries

The B.C. Ferry departs from Tsawwassen and arrives in Swartz Bay. The ferries are much nicer than the Washington State ones.  The crossing is a little faster, but I don’t think it’s as pretty. The boats themselves are much nicer, and they do have Wifi. The terminals are also very nice. The one at Tsawwassen has a lot of dining and shopping options compared to the Washington ones, but they are still a little expensive.  They also have way more sailings per day, and they run year round. The downside is it’s a pain to get to, the drive is boring, and the boarding crossing can be terrible.  I'm a really good road tripper, and that is probably my least favorite drive ever, and it's not even that long! You can check online for which of the board crossings has the shortest wait time. The upside is you can stop at the duty free stores at the border. We would usually grab a bottle to make our own drinks at the hotel on the way in, then stop again to bring some home on the way back in. When we lived in Bellingham we preferred this route over the Washington State Ferry.

The Costs are a little higher than the Washington State Ferries. It is $15.50 per person each way. A car is $51.25 each direction, but it doesn’t include a driver. The total cost for a couple would be $164.50 with a car. Check their fares on their website, they can change seasonally.

Over all it's a good option if you live up north, but not really worth it from Seattle. 

 

The Victoria Clipper

The Victoria Clipper is perhaps the most famous, and well-advertised way to get to Victoria.  It departs from Downtown Seattle, and arrives in the Inner Harbour in Victoria.  It is a Passenger only ferry, but you can bring a bike for an extra fee. You literally can step off of the ferry and be in the heart of everything.

What’s good about it? It’s a very convenient departure location for most people in the Seattle Area.  You have a nice comfy seat for the ride, with a table top.  Prices for food and drinks on board are fairly reasonable and good.  You can buy alcohol on board, and they do have a duty free. Again, we buy a bottle on the way up to make drinks in our room.  They do sell Dramamine for $0.25 a dose, which is nice.  The staff is very friendly and helpful.  They do have duty free on board. They did not have wifi last time we went, but they were working on that. They have negotiated parking rates for $10 a day at a few nearby parking garages, which I think it pretty reasonable for downtown Seattle. The recently changed their ticketing policy.  Your boarding order used to be first come first serve based on what order you checked in. There is no online check in system, so you either had to come down a day early and check in, or get there early.  The issue both your departure and return tickets at the same time, and if you lost one, you were in the back of the line...which is why I am no longer allowed to carry important papers on trips.  Now the check in system is based on when you bought your tickets, which is great news for people like me who plan ahead. Last time we were #16 out of nearly 300.

What’s not so good? Parking is pretty cheap, but you have to walk several blocks towing your luggage.  To me that always seems a bit awkward.  It’s not the end of the world by any means though.  It can be very crowded on board, and it’s very tight quarters.  The windows are pretty clouded do to years of sea spray, so you don’t get gorgeous picturesque views. The crossing time is about three hours, which is about the same as the Washington State Ferry. I also feel like you feel the waves a lot more on their boats than the ferries or the Coho, which makes sense because it's much smaller. Unless your pet fits in an under the seat carrier, you have to check them.  No thanks!

What is terrible?  Getting off the boat and clearing customs.  Our first time on the Clipper we were the last people off of the boat, and it took us two and half hours to get off of the boat and through the line.  We’ve learned our lesson. We never sit upstairs, and we get as close to the back right corner downstairs if we can on the way there.  On the way back, we try for the back left corner.  Also, don’t check a bag if you can help it. If you don’t have a bag checked you get to get off before anyone with a checked bag.  Your seats lift up if you’re at a table, and you can fit a small size suite case or large back pack fairly easily at the sacrifice of extra leg room.

Coming back into the US and clearing customs wasn’t nearly as bad. Their entire boarding process either direction is terrible though!  They are tiny rooms, or cold outdoor corridors.  They want you there very early, and the wait feels like it takes forever.  You feel like you’re stuffed in a cattle car. The waiting room in Victoria is particularly miserable.  

The pricing is the highest of the ferries that I’m covering. Prices vary widely by season, but they are normally at least $101 per person round trip, plus additional taxes and fees. That is the price for the off season, buying at least 7 days in advance. I think it’s normally about $290 for us as a couple with parking in the off season.  You do get the discount for buying 7 days or more in advance and a lesser discount for buying two days in advance. If you pay day of expect to pay much more.

Overall it’s a good option from the Seattle area.

MV Coho Blackball Ferry

The MV Coho is by far our favorite way to get to Victoria.  We hadn’t tried it until we went up at Christmas this year.  Honestly in my mind Port Angeles was some far away land not worthy of the drive.  I was wrong! 

For us it’s about a two and half hour drive, and you do have to pay to go across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge coming back if you’re going that far.  I swear driving on the peninsula always feels like you’re drowning in trees. You'll go through miles of woods, and then you’ll see maybe a gas station, then miles more of woods. Don’t get me wrong, I love trees, but I do like a little variation in scenery.  At Christmas it was really nice because one of the towns / Indian Reservations that you drive through was done up in amazing Christmas lights.  The crossing time of the Coho is 90 minutes, which is half of what the Clipper and the Washington State Ferries are, but you don't get the scenic trip through the San Juan Islands. I've seen them enough times that I don't mind that.

It may seem like it’s a long drive, but I did the math, and the Coho actually saves us a half an hour between the amount of time it takes to: park and walk to the clipper, check a bag, stand in line to board, and the 3 hour crossing. That doesn’t include the significantly quicker speed for getting off the ferry and clearing customs that we had with the Coho.

The Coho is very much like a plusher and slightly more outdated version of the Washington State Ferries. Outdated sounds bad, it’s actually very well maintained, it’s just more like a charming time Capsule.  The Ferry was launched and has been in use since 1959, it's like stepping back into that era. You can read about the history of the ship here.

Once you get to the ferry parking can vary by season. Supposedly it was $10 a day, but the lot we had was only $6 a day in December.  You can take your car for a pretty reasonable price. The whole process was really smooth, which is something the Clipper is sorely lacking. At no point did I feel like cattle.  Our pleasant experience may be because it was the off season, but Christmas time in Victoria is usually pretty busy.  We’ll see how it goes when I go again this spring and summer. I should also note that they Coho only requests that you be there 15-20 minutes before departure. This was really nice compared to the clipper, there was little to no standing in line!

A bonus of the Coho is that you can bring your pets up to the main deck.  A downside is everything on board is way overpriced.  I got a major headache on the way there and I forgot to pack any Aleve or anything. I paid $3.95 for 4 Advil pills. They do have duty free on board which isn’t overpriced. We didn’t get anything this time though, we were only going to be there for a day.

The Coho Schedule is a little limited in the winter, two runs a day in either direction.  In the Winter we couldn’t get out there on a Friday night because the last ferry leaves well before we’d be able to get up there, even if we left work early. In the summer they have later departures though.

If you love afternoon tea, which a lot of people going to Victoria do, then you may want to break up your drive to Port Angeles by stopping off in Port Orchard.  There is a lovely tea room there called the Victorian Rose Tea Room.  That’s what I plan to do when I take my mom for her Birthday. Speaking of Birthdays, that is another added bonus of the Coho.  You get to ride free if your trip starts on the day of your Birthday. Score!

 

Pricing for the Coho is somewhere between the Government run ferries and the Clipper.  An adult fare is $17 each way.  A Vehicle is $60.50 each way.  If you want to make a reservation, which they highly recommend, it is an additional $16 fee. That fee is not applied towards the cost of your fare like it is with the Washington State Ferries.  So for a couple with a car and a reservation, it is $205. If you aren’t taking a car that’s $68, or $98 with parking for three days.  That is about a third of what the Clipper costs, so to me it’s well worth it!!