Exterior
Check availability

Reviews of Fairmont Empress

4.5 out of 5
Fairmont Empress
721 Government St, Victoria, BC

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 840 out of 1256 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 215 out of 1256 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 115 out of 1256 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 46 out of 1256 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 40 out of 1256 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Mary, surrey

Traveled with family and small children, Traveled with group, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Thanks to all the staff of Empress hotel. Staying at Empress was something I have always wanted and having my birthday there was a dream come through. Though I didn't get all the complementary things they promised me over the phone for my birthday(birthday cake, complimentary wine and one other thing) I only got strawberry dipped in chocolate. Hopefully they'll make up for it next time. I remain humble as always. Thanks Empress for hosting us. The high tea was amazing, the kids dinner menu has the best menu. Adult menu was good too. I love the West coast oysters fermented garden hot sauce, mignonette jelly, citrus. Thank you Empress.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gisell

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Such a Beautiful and Elegant property, staff its so friendly and helpful, the hotel itself and around it its kept very clean
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Gisell, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Karen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Karen, we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back again in the future.

4/10 Poor

Sukhjinder

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room size according to Fairmont was not good and washrooms are .not well planned very conjusted
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us regarding our bathrooms Sukhjinder. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the their size and layout. Your insights are valuable, and we want to let you know that we have begun multi-year renovation project to address these shortcomings, focusing on improving the bathroom layout and overall space. We appreciate your understanding and hope to welcome you back to experience the positive changes.

10/10 Excellent

Tina

Traveled with partner, Traveled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Had a wonderful 3 night stay with our small dog. The Fairmont was so accommodating and dog friendly. We didn’t get a chance to enjoy the spa but we did use the pool and gym. Both very nice. Staff was so helpful when we asked about dog-friendly restaurants nearby. They have great recommendations. We will be back.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Hi Tina, it was our pleasure to have you as our guest, and we are thrilled to know that you had a wonderful experience. We can't wait to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Malva

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Iconic hotel
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you, Malva! We are thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress!

10/10 Excellent

Sarah Louise

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Hi Sarah Louise, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Leslie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
An absolute dream come true, another thing off the bucket list!!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
It was our pleasure to have you as our guest, and we are thrilled to know that you had a wonderful experience. We can't wait to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Vanessa, Moline

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Not now
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
We are delighted you had a wonderful experience and can’t wait to have you back!

10/10 Excellent

Kermit

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Kermit, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Peggy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staff was very friendly
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Hi Peggy, we sincerely appreciate your kind words and for taking the time to mention our staff members in your review of The Fairmont Empress. We can't wait to welcome you back in the future!

8/10 Good

Sarah-Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Sarah-Anne, we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Melonie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff is absolutely wonderful. Facility is great. Everyone should stay here at least once!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Hi Melonie, we sincerely appreciate your kind words and for taking the time to mention our staff members in your review of The Fairmont Empress. We can't wait to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Sean

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Shower head needs replaced and the credenza with the fridge is not a good fit for that room. Corner pieces so the window is more accessible.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Hi Sean, we greatly value and appreciate your positive and constructive feedback, I will be happy to share it with our team so we can continue to improve. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and we hope to see you again very soon.

10/10 Excellent

Carol, Vaughn

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved the Gold Deluxe room option that allowed us to access the lounge. The breakfast was amazing, with so many delicious options. The appetizers served in the evening were not your typical hotel snacks. The food was similar quality to what you would find on a cruise. The staff went over and above to meet our needs and assist us. We were very pleased with our decision to stay at the Empress Hotel!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Carol, thank you for your kind words. Exceeding expectations is what we aim for!

10/10 Excellent

geraldine

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Hotel was absolutely beautiful, everyone was so helpful , polite and professional at all times . Decor was wonderful , grounds around the hotel were stunning as was the view of the harbour.Swimming pool was amazing and very quiet , which I loved , absolutely loved this hotel .
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
We are delighted you had a wonderful experience and can’t wait to have you back Geraldine!

8/10 Good

Jishi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Jishi, we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Allison

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely and amazing!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Allison, we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Angela

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Just amazing!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you, Angela! We are thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress!

10/10 Excellent

Marina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent service
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for the great review Marina, we are thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress.

10/10 Excellent

tricia

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great staff
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 17, 2024
Thank you, Tricia! we are thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress!

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Jonathan, we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 17, 2024
Hi Susan, we are delighted you had a wonderful experience and can’t wait to have you back!

10/10 Excellent

Renuka

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It is a beautiful property. The staff is excellent, very friendly and professional.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 17, 2024
We sincerely appreciate your kind words and for taking the time to mention our staff members in your review of The Fairmont Empress Renuka. We can't wait to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Erika

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It feels like you're staying in a castle. The gardens, rooms, impeccable staff and the food provided on the club level can not be beat. We can not wait to come back.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
We are glad to hear you loved your experience, Erika! Our Castle on the Coast awaits your return!

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 17, 2024
Thank you William, we are thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress!

10/10 Excellent

Kelly

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Hotel was very nice and we enjoyed our stay. I would have liked more options on their menu.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 17, 2024
We greatly value and appreciate your positive and constructive feedback Kelly, I will be happy to share it with our team. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and hope to see you again very soon.

10/10 Excellent

Amirali

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Loved the experience l
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 17, 2024
Thank you, Amirali! We are thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress!

10/10 Excellent

Dmitriy

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing place! Love Victoria! Love Empress!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 17, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Dmitriy, we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Josee

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
Josee, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Debra, Edmonds

Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Debra, we are happy to learn we exceeded expectations!

10/10 Excellent

Christina, Chino Hills

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a wonderful location that pays attention to every detail. Great food and drinks too!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
Thank you, Christina! Thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress!

8/10 Good

KELLY L

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Kelly, we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Ronen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
We are so happy to hear you had a wonderful experience at our Castle on the Coast Ronen!

10/10 Excellent

Ross

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We upgraded to Fairmont Gold and we’re thrilled with the added services and perks. The only drawback for us was that parking was only slightly discounted, not included in our stay. At this price point, it should be validated by the hotel and included.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
We greatly value and appreciate your positive and constructive feedback Ross, I will be happy to share it with our team. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and hope to see you again very soon.

10/10 Excellent

Darrell Einar

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
Thank you for the great review Darrell, we are thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress.

8/10 Good

Gregory

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The good things: Beautiful historic property, elegant and awe inspiring. The staff are all super friendly and incredibly helpful. The food at the Q was phenomenal. The not so good things: The wifi not being free is pretty sad considering the price of any of the rooms. We didn’t bother with it as our data is plentiful and cheaper. Free wifi is a universal hotel standard, the fact that it’s not here is an unnecessary money grab. We didn’t have any slippers in our room closet, and the jets in the whirlpool didn’t work. Overall we had a lovely stay, and we would return but not likely on a regular basis or for extended periods of time.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and provide us with the opportunity to improve. We always appreciate feedback on our pricing as it is our goal to have guest's feel they are getting value from the prices they pay. However, we will mention our WIFI is complimentary.

10/10 Excellent

Letitia, Surrey

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property is beautiful and staff were very friendly. Food and High tea was amazing. It is very expensive to eat and drink there; so, if on a budget, chose another hotel
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 5, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and provide us with the opportunity to improve. We always appreciate feedback on our pricing as it is our goal to have guest's feel they are getting value from the prices they pay.

10/10 Excellent

Rees

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Excellent
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 5, 2024
Hi Rees, it was our pleasure to have you as our guest, and we are thrilled to know that you had a wonderful experience. We can't wait to welcome you back in the future!-Fairmont Empress

6/10 Okay

Justin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 5, 2024
We appreciate your review Justin, and we'll work on providing better value for your next visit.-Fairmont Empress

2/10 Terrible

Karen

Traveled with family and small children, Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
We arrived early and only one of our two rooms was ready. We were told our second room would be ready soon and that the guaranteed time was 4 pm. They gave me a key and said they’d text me with the room number when it was ready but no later than 4 pm. There wasn’t anywhere to sit in the lobby so I walked around. At 4:20, I called the hotel because I hadn’t heard from them but after trying to see if my room was ready, I was put on hold for 12 mins then disconnected. At 5 pm, I tried again and this time got a room number but my key didn’t work. There was a group of people waiting to check in and it was another long wait to get my key replaced.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and provide us with the opportunity to improve Karen. We hope to have another chance to welcome you back for a seamless stay in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Xinya

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Xinya, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future.

6/10 Okay

Jacolyn

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Beds and room too small for our family of three. We had two double beds.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 5, 2024
Hi Jacolyn, we are disappointed with your review as you had booked a room with two double beds. In the future, we ask that you book a room with two queen beds if you find the double beds too small for your needs.

10/10 Excellent

Kyle

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a great time
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 5, 2024
We are delighted you had a wonderful experience Kyle, and can’t wait to have you back!

10/10 Excellent

seema

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Thank you for the great review Seema, we are thrilled you enjoyed your stay at Fairmont Empress.

10/10 Excellent

Deborah

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 30, 2024
Deborah, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Yousef

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a great stay in the hotel with large spacious room .
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 5, 2024
Yousef, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Timothy

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A little pricey, but the value is there
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
Timothy, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Tianna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful hotel
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 5, 2024
Tianna, thank you for your review! We'd love to welcome you back in the future!

8/10 Good

Shelley

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Empress is a beautiful heritage property, surrounded by lovely gardens and overlooking the water. Unique shops andcrestaurants are within walking distance along with Beacon Hill Park. While staff are extremely friendly, the service is lacking - requested water never delivered, 20 minutes to be acknowledged to place an order, no offer of a second drink - unexpected in a first class hotel.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Fairmont Empress on Apr 10, 2024
We greatly value and appreciate your positive and constructive feedback, I will be happy to share it with our team. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and hope to see you again for an improved stay.