Quick Drink at The Empress in Victoria

A Glimpse of the Hotel

Last August, our cruise ship made a stop in British Columbia. It was an Alaskan cruise, but I was pretty darn excited to peek at this beautiful Canadian city.

Our 2-hour bus tour slowly drove by the lovely Empress Fairmont Hotel. We just drove by. That's it!

We Bailed

Our tour guide was great. But the day was too lovely to be on a bus. Don and I thanked our guide and tipped her well, before cutting out early. We hopped off and took in the view.

We stood in the perfect spot and admired the chateau-style hotel, across Inner Harbour.

Statue and Gardens

After studying the 118-year-old hotel from across the water, we headed over to explore.

We paused at the northeast corner of the property to enjoy this statue of Emily Carr, with her pet monkey and dog Billie. Carr was born in Victoria and became a well-loved artist/writer. She was born in 1871 and just beginning her career, by the time The Empress was completed in 1908.

Just past the statue, we walked between  2 royal-looking stone columns. 

A walkway took us through the manicured garden. I wish I'd gotten more photos of the lush growth.

Lobby Lounge

​Once we stepped inside the building, we followed the sound of piano music and found ourselves in a bright and airy lobby. 

The classic columns, lamps and palms made a repeating pattern, that made me feel like I was looking into an infinity mirror.

Afternoon Tea

The lobby was clearly in the midst of Afternoon Tea. 

We didn't even think of inquiring about getting a table without reservations. Tea at The Empress is hugely popular and often serves 400 guests on a busy summer day.

Since 1908

The Empress has been offering Afternoon Tea since it opened in 1908.

The tables were immaculately set, with an exclusive fine bone china. I craved a little teatime when I spotted those crowns beneath the cup's rim! I thought it might be fun to purchase one in the gift shop, but changed my mind when I saw the price. Oh well, my cup/saucer for $125 probably would have broken in my suitcase anyway.

Fireplaces

I stopped staring at teacups and took a long look at the fireplaces at both ends of the Lobby Lounge.

I wish I'd been able to lay my eyes on the jade & marble fireplace in the old Bengal Lounge. (Now a breakfast room elsewhere) Before they renovated the British-colonial style lounge, there had been a Bengal tiger pelt displayed above the fireplace. After renovation began, the tiger skin suddenly disappeared. The mystery of the stolen pelt has never been solved.

View From Above

I had one more fun view of the tea partiers, when I traveled up a pretty wooden staircase to visit the Ladies Room.

What a grand surprise awaited in the upstairs Ladies Room! A fireplace with lounge chairs. 

I wish I'd had an old-fashioned compact to powder my nose in those grand mirrors. I love an old-timey powder room!

Palm Court
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After walking through the Lobby Lounge and detouring to the powder room, Don I continued south on the main public floor.

We halted our walk again, to take in some overhead surprises. Crystal chandeliers and a Tiffany-style stained-glass dome! This colorful dome is a replacement for the original, which collapsed during a New Year's Eve snowstorm in 1968! The dome space was boarded up for 2 decades before it was replaced. 

A Different Kind of Lounge 

As Don and I moved further from the sounds of piano and teacups, we began to hear lively voices, in a very different atmosphere.

It was just a little past 4:30 when we came upon this space filled with happy energy! 

We hadn't come into the hotel expecting to spend time drinking cocktails, but the glowing horseshoe shaped bar was mighty welcoming.

Harbor View

The barstools looked comfy, but so did the table seating.

Some tables had great views, looking out directly towards Victoria's Inner Harbour.

We spotted some empty stools and decided to grab seats at the bar.

The bar was staffed by a good number of upbeat bartenders, wearing the coolest cloth and leather aprons.

"Q Bar"

It wasn't until the menu was placed on the quartzite bar, that I saw the name of the lounge. The Q is for Queen!

The Empress Hotel was named in honor of Queen Victoria, who carried the title Empress of India, in the final years of her reign. This swanky bar gave a nice nod to Queen V!

Pop-Art Portraits

From our barstools, we were able to enjoy a few portraits of Queen Victoria.

These massive images were pretty wild with chunks of gold and lots of royal purple!

What's New What's Old?

The modern portraits and impressive glowing bar are obviously new hotel  additions.   

I believe the Q Bar was created about 10 years ago, during a 60-million dollar renovation. 

It was fun to see how the new contemporary touches worked with the old.

This original gothic arch, nicely framed one of the modern "cumulous chandeliers". They were designed to look like clouds rolling in from the harbor.

​Faux-Wood Painted Plaster

I took a quick snap of the gorgeous beams above us and learned later that they weren't actually carved wood. 

This was not a new addition. The detailed ceilings were created over 100 years ago and made of intricately molded and painted plaster. 

Champagne and Popcorn

We saw some fun looking purple cocktails being made nearby. But the hotel's own signature cocktails made with Empress 1908 gin, were pricey.

We went for a couple glasses of bubbly and they came with  some fun snacks. Champagne and charcoal seasoned popcorn! Very fun and very different than tea and crumpets! 
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Cheers!

​We made a toast to Queen Victoria and to Canada.

We were very grateful to be welcomed into this special country at a time when our own has not been kind.

Hope to Return

We didn't have a meal or an overnight hotel adventure, but we had a lovely visit and a drink at The Empress.

We headed down the walk from the main entrance and I looked back to imagine being a hotel guest and sitting on the veranda... I have a feeling this won't be our last visit!
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