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By: Jay Watts on Tue Mar 18, 2008

If you’re a first time visitor to BC, or a long-time friend of the city returning again, but seeking something slightly different than the usual tea-time and cucumber sandwiches at the Empress (elegant old lady that it is, sometimes you want something a little less stodgy), there’s no better way to get a real feel for the Garden City than to stay at a boutique hotel in Victoria, BC, or a bed & breakfast. As the Inner Harbour is a very popular and richly storied area, there can be an embarrassment of riches in terms of boutique hotels, and depending on the size of your party, the type of recreation you’re interested, you want to be sure to pick a suitable to make your visit to Victoria a memorable one.

The Rosewood Inn
The Rosewood is a 17 room hotel in a converted Georgian-style mansion, located just behind the BC provincial legislature in James Bay, a quaint neighbourhood with Victorian touches that’s moments from Victoria’s famous Inner Harbour and mere blocks from the historical Emily Carr House, where the revered painter made her home with a pet monkey.

Old world elegance is the order of the day, with Italian suites in a lighter Venetian and Florentian style, and English and French rooms that emphasize darker hues and antique wallpaper. Many of the rooms feature verandahs, fireplaces, Queen Anne chairs upholstered in sumptuous and rich fabrics, and a selection of antiques that make it easy to see why Frommer’s heralded the small hotel’s “attention to detail.”


Magnolia Hotel & Spa
As one of the top three hotels in Canada according to the readers of Conde Nast Traveler, this hotel lies a little closer to the downtown, but is still within gazing distance of the Inner Harbour. Close to one of this author’s favourite tapas restaurants, there are many more shopping opportunities just moments from the door, not to mention a great line on some restaurants, and if Mom’s staying at the Empress, you’ll be able to join her for cocktails in the Kipling lounge in only a couple of steps.

Although there’s still that quintessential classically Victorian feel to the building, the hotel is furnished a bit more stream-lined than the other hotels mentioned, the furniture and furnishings less ornate, and the look distinctly modern, though elegant.

While the Magnolia makes the grade for a romantic getaway, the features (wireless internet, private voice-mail) make it a more suitable choice for the business traveler, and those uptight eastern types can relax with a massage or day at the Aveda spa to relieve some tension and get into the West Coast vibe.

Abigail’s Hotel
Declared the “best small Victoria hotel” for five years running in the pages of the Frommer’s Guide, this superb hotel is a converted Tudor style mansion with immaculately maintained gardens and seemingly very romantic owners. The hotel skews alternately quaint and opulent, with a honeymoon package offering rooms with vaulted ceilings, canopy beds, Italian marble fireplaces, private ensuite baths with Jacuzzi tubs, chaise lounge, and even, showing just what a distinct personal touch boutiques offer over their big chain counterparts, have a pet-friendly policy.


Gatsby Mansion
For an interesting take on jazz-age Fitzgeraldian luxe that, thankfully, avoids any heavy-handed kitschiness that one might first assume with such a name, I’d heartily recommend the Gatsby. Built by gold-rush tycoon and soap company owner William J. Pendray shortly after he arrived in Victoria in 1875, and variously the site of a boarding house run by the Missionary Sisters of Notre Dame and a surf-and-turf restaurant until being restored to some of its past glory in 1997, the Gatsby is actually combined of three unique buildings. There’s the Gatsby itself, a Queen Anne-style mansion built by Mr. Pendray in 1897; the Judge’s House, an Italianate house built in 1877; and the Middle House, the original building on the property, built in 1872. The main building features frescos specially commissioned for the building, imported stainless glass, and the first telephone line installed in a BC residence. This author recommends the in-house restaurant – which offers superb views, beautiful lighting, and classic bistro cuisine with an intriguing dash of Pacific Rim flavour.