Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Victoria accommodations come in all shapes and sizes. A couple of downtown hostels
catertotravelersonabudget,buttherearealsoasurprisingnumberofconvenientroadside
motels with rooms for under $100, including one right off the Inner Harbour. Bed-and-
breakfastsarewhereVictoriareallyshines,withmorethan300atlastcount.You'llbeable
to find bed-and-breakfast rooms for under $100, but to fully immerse yourself in the his-
torical charm of the city, expect to pay more. In the same price range are boutique hotels,
such as the Bedford Regency—that is, older hotels that have been restored and come with
top-notch amenities and full service. Most of the upscale hotel chains are not represented
downtown—the city has no Four Seasons, Hilton, Hotel Inter-Continental, Hyatt, Marri-
ott, Radisson, or Regent. Finally, if you have wads of cash to spare or are looking for a
splurge, the surrounding area is blessed with two lodges (Sooke Harbour House in Sooke
and Brentwood Bay Resort) that regularly garner top rankings in all of the glossy travel
magazine polls.
In the off-season (Oct.-May), the nightly rates quoted here are discounted up to 50 per-
cent, but occupancy rates are high as Canadians flock to the country's winter hot spot. No
matter what time of year you plan to visit, arriving in Victoria without a reservation is un-
wise, but it's especially so in the summer months, when gaggles of tourists compete for a
relative paucity of rooms. As a last resort, staff at the
Victoria Visitor Centre
(Wharf St.,
250/953-2022 or 800/663-3883,
www.tourismvictoria.com
)
can offer help finding a room.
Regardlessofyourbudget,youcan'tgowrongstayingatoneofthefollowingspecially
selected places.
All but a couple of the accommodations within this section are within easy walking dis-
tance of the Inner Harbour. If you're traveling to Victoria outside of summer, don't be put
offbythequotedratesbecausethedowntownhotelsofferthebiggestoff-seasondiscounts.
Ifyou'resimplylookingforamotelroomanddon'twanttopayforthelocation,checkthe
British Columbia
Accommodations
guide for options along the routes leading into down-
town from the north.
