VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 174

room or more casual conservatory—is a grand affair, with multiple courses of hearty fare
delivered to your table by your impeccably presentable host.
Around the southern end of the Inner Harbour, the Admiral Inn (257 Belleville St.,
250/388-6267 or 888/823-6472, www.admiralinnhotel.com , $135-210 s or d) is an excellent
place to stay away from the downtown crowd but still within walking distance of the main
attractions and best restaurants. Spacious rooms come with a balcony or patio, while extras
include free parking, a light breakfast, kitchens in many rooms, wireless Internet, and use
of bicycles.
$150-200
Every time I visit Victoria I expect to see that the old Surf Motel (290 Dallas Rd. 250/
386-3305, www.surfmotel.net , $155 s or d) has been demolished, but it's still there, offer-
ing priceless ocean and mountain views from a very reasonable $155 (discounted to $115
Oct.-Mar.). It's south of the Inner Harbour; take Oswego Road from Belleville Street.
M Heritage House (3808 Heritage Ln., 250/479-0892 or 877/326-9242,
www.heritagehousevictoria.com , $155 s or d), a beautiful 1910 mansion surrounded by
trees and gardens, sits in a quiet residential area near Portage Inlet, five kilometers (3.7
miles) northwest of the city center. Friendly owners have lovingly restored the house to its
former glory. Guests choose from several outstanding rooms, one with a view of Portage
Inlet from a private veranda. Enjoy the large communal living room and a cooked break-
fast in the elegant dining room. Heritage Lane is not shown on any Victoria maps; from the
city center, take Douglas Street north to Burnside Road East (bear left off Douglas). Just
across the Trans-Canada Highway, Burnside makes a hard left (if you continue straight in-
stead you'll be on Interurban Road). Make the left turn and continue down Burnside to just
past Grange Road. The next road on the right is Heritage Lane.
Separated from downtown by Beacon Hill Park, Dashwood Manor (1 Cook St., 250/
385-5517 or 800/667-5517, www.dashwoodmanor.com , $179-249 s or d), a 1912 Tudor-
style heritage house on a bluff overlooking Juan de Fuca Strait, enjoys a panoramic view of
the entire Olympic mountain range. The 11 guest rooms are elegantly furnished, and hosts
Michael Dwyer and David Marshall will happily recount the historical details of each room.
Yes, it's a chain hotel, but Days Inn Victoria on the Harbour (427 Belleville St., 250/
386-3451 or 800/665-3024, www.daysinnvictoria.com , from $159 s or d) has a prime wa-
terfront location that will make you feel like you're paying more than you really are. Be-
fitting the location, rooms have a subtle nautical feel and, like all Days Inns, practical yet
comfortable furnishings.