Canada’s number one hotel is located in B.C.’s capital city, according to a popular travel magazine.
Readers of Travel + Leisure Magazine voted the Fairmont Empress in Victoria the best hotel in the country for its waterfront views, history and reputation for excellent service.
The hotel, opened in 1908, has undergone three major renovations — in the 1960s, the 1980s and 2017.
Architect Francis Rattenbury was hired to build the hotel, which began construction in 1904 and opened four years later.
The hotel is named after Queen Victoria, who was also the Empress of India.
It became a Fairmont Hotel in 1999.
It is no stranger to awards, having earned the Forbes Four-Star Hotel Award and in 2020, Fairmont Empress was named the Best Historic Hotel in the Americas.