Class Acts: The Best Luxury Hotels in Victoria BC

Photo courtesy Fairmont Empress

British Columbia’s capital is fast becoming one of the best places to visit in Canada for luxury travel experiences. To help you, Contributor Maureen Littlejohn shares her list of the top luxury hotels in Victoria BC

Updated April 9, 2023 / Commissions may be earned from our affiliate partner links.

One of Canada’s sunniest cities, Victoria, the provincial capital of British Columbia,  is a big draw for those looking for west coast beauty and a temperate climate. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, this beautiful city is also earning a reputation among world travellers for its many unique luxury experiences, too.  

Dining in restaurants featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients; taking a dip in soothing mineral water pools; cycling or walking through colourful streets and parks; visiting museums; and taking in the stunning ocean views are just a few of the fun things to do for visitors while staying in some of the best luxury hotels in Victoria BC.

Whether you are looking for a modest yet cozy guestroom or a fully equipped luxury suite with kitchen and private patio, there are many options. And lots of them are amenable to a visit from your furry friends, as well.

Read more about the best places to stay in BC on our list of the best luxury hotels in Victoria.

The Best Luxury Hotels in Victoria BC

The Fairmont Empress

Victoria’s ‘Castle on the Coast’, built in 1908, shines with modern luxury while retaining her historic elegance in the heart of the city’s downtown.

The beautifully appointed rooms at the chic Fairmont Empress offer Wi-Fi access (although for a fee), flat-screen TVs, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Upgraded rooms feature harbour views, and sitting areas and Fairmont Gold rooms include access to lounge, complimentary breakfast and private concierge. Suites add separate living areas.

Classic Pacific Northwest cuisine is served in glamourous Q at the Empress, and smart cocktails are sipped in the Q Bar. The hotel’s world-famous afternoon tea is presented in the Lobby Lounge. There’s also a full-service spa, a gym, indoor pool, and bicycles are available for guest use, as are meeting rooms and parking (fee). Some pet friendly units are also available.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: For more details check Fairmont Empress

Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Victoria  

A boutique experience with compelling views, Oak Bay Beach Hotel is one of the best luxury hotels outside Victoria city center to choose if you want to overlook the Juan de Fuca Strait and see Mount Baker in the distance.

Deeply comfortable rooms feature plush furnishings have flat-screen TVs, free WiFi, kitchenettes, and bathrooms with heated floors. All include fireplaces, and some have balconies or terraces. Suites add kitchens and dining areas. Room service is available 24/7.

The Dining Room is an intimate space for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Plus, there’s casual fare at the cozy Snug Pub, or Faro for wood oven pizza. A pampering spa features seaside mineral hot pools, and outdoor, ocean-view massages. Paid underground parking is also available.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Victoria

Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa

Natural beauty surrounds this boutique waterfront hotel outside Victoria city center. Ocean suites and villas come with floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies, gas fireplaces, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Spa-like bathrooms have whirlpool tubs. Villas offer two bedrooms, full kitchens living rooms, and oceanfront patios with indoor/outdoor fireplaces.

Seasonal dishes, regional wines, and live music on weekends are offered in the Arbutus Room, plus there’s a casual pub. A spa features an outdoor pool and hot tub, and weekly yoga classes can be booked.

Complimentary parking is included, as is sparkling apple SeaCider on arrival. The resort’s marina offers moorage as well as kayak and paddle board rentals.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: For more details check Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa

Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA

An amazing waterfront location offers guests of the Coast Victoria Hotel great views of the beautiful Outer Harbour, as well as of the boats moored in the property’s 52-slip marina. The hotel is perfectly located close to Fisherman’s Wharf Park, the British Columbia Parliament Buildings, and Craigdarroch Castle, a Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion.

The contemporary rooms feature flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, mini fridges, microwaves, TOTO Washlet toilets, and tea and coffeemaking equipment. Some have patio balconies with city or water views.

Amenities include the harbour-view Blue Crab Seafood House restaurant, an indoor/outdoor pool, and a fitness centre with a whirlpool and sauna. There’s also a complimentary on-demand shuttle to the downtown core. Guests also have access to a business centre, underground parking (fee), and electric vehicle charging stations. The hotel is pet friendly.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: For more details check Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA

Hotel Grand Pacific

Hotel Grand Pacific sits directly on the Inner Harbour and is also close to the Royal BC Museum and the Victoria Conference Centre.

Sleek, elegant rooms feature free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. All have private balconies, some with harbour views. Suites have dividing French doors, and the Premier suit features a fireplace.

There’s a fitness centre with 25-meter lap pool, hot tub, kid’s pool and a sauna. The Pacific Restaurant with its patio and terrace offers fine dining and bistro fare, as well as afternoon tea.  The more casual Courtyard Café features light meals while the Pacific Lounge is known for cocktails and small bites. Complimentary bikes can be reserved once checked in.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: For more details check Hotel Grand Pacific

Inn at Laurel Point

Situated on the edge of the capital city overlooking Laurel Point Park, this waterfront hotel is close to the Black Ball Ferry Line and the Royal BC Museum.

Airy rooms feature Canadian art on the walls, private balconies with water views, flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi, plus minifridges, and tea and coffeemaking equipment. Marble bathrooms contain deep-soaker tubs and/or separate glass walk-in showers. Bright, modern suites have separate living areas, and some have whirlpool tubs.

Aura Waterfront Restaurant features small plates and tables with harbour views. There’s an indoor pool next to the gardens, a fitness centre, and nicely manicured garden, plus e-scooter rentals. Underground parking is available for a fee, and there’s an electric vehicle charging station. The hotel is pet friendly.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: For more details check Inn at Laurel Point

The Oswego Hotel

Chic and urban, The Oswego Hotel is located in downtown Victoria just steps from the Inner Harbour. Exuding a boutique ambiance, this all-suites property is convenient to the waterfront, ferry dock, and downtown restaurants, museums, and galleries.

Accommodations include studios and one- and two-bedroom suites with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, kitchenettes, and bathrooms with deep soaker tubs and separate showers. Larger suites have full gourmet kitchens, and some have panoramic views and private patios or rooftop terraces.

Bar 500 serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (with an Italian focus), as well as hand-crafted cocktails. Amenities include a fitness centre, laundry facilities, and underground parking for a fee. The hotel is ‘Pets Can Stay’ certified.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: For more details check The Oswego Hotel

The Parkside Hotel & Spa

One of the best all-suite luxury hotels in Victoria, the Parkside Hotel & Spa is located in the heart of downtown and close to the Victoria Conference Centre, Beacon Hill Park, and the ferry dock.

Stylish and spacious, the one- and two-bedroom suites offer separate living areas, full kitchens or kitchenettes, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Plus, they all have private balconies, heated bathroom floors, and electric fireplaces. Preferred view suites overlook downtown Victoria and the Olympic Mountains.

Amenities include an indoor pool, a day spa, exercise room, complimentary bikes, electric scooter rentals, and a rooftop patio. Light bites and beverages are available at Tre Fantastico on the ground level. There’s underground parking (fee) with electric vehicle charging. The hotel is pet friendly.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: For more details check Parkside Hotel & Spa

Bedford Regency Hotel

As one of the only European-style Victoria hotels downtown, this boutique accommodation is located near historic Bastion Square and the city’s oldest open-air market. Flower-filled window boxes decorate the exterior in summer, and it is close to retail shopping and the city’s harbourfront.

Guest rooms feature LED TVs, minifridges, coffee and tea makers and free Wi-Fi. Superior rooms offer whirlpool tubs, wood-burning fireplaces and/or partial harbour views.

Garrick’s Head Pub, established in 1867 and one of the oldest pubs in Canada, has a wood-burning fireplace to cozy up to on cool evenings. The Churchill is also a cozy pub space, and both offer casual fare, whisky, wine, and 100 kinds of craft and import beers.

Reviews, Rates, & Reservations: For more details check Bedford Regency Hotel

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Contributor Maureen Littlejohn is a Toronto-based travel writer and editor whose curiosity about food, culture, and creativity has fueled adventures in four corners of the world.