Few landmarks embody Victoria’s charm as perfectly as the Fairmont Empress. Like a stately guardian on the Inner Harbour, for more than a century the Empress has been a stage for grandeur, sophistication, and even an occasional ghost story or two. Making it even more unique is that, being on an island rather than mainland Canada, The Empress is the only Canadian Pacific Railway hotel to greet travellers arriving by steamship, rather than by CPR passenger train. So how'd it all begin?
The man behind the Empress was Francis Rattenbury; the same English-born architect who also gave British Columbia its iconic Parliament Buildings. Commissioned by the CPR, Rattenbury designed the Empress in the Château style—complete with copper turrets, ivy-clad walls, and sweeping harbour views. Though plagued with the usual headaches of cost overruns and design disagreements, the finished hotel opened in 1908, and quickly set a new standard for luxury on the West Coast.
The Empress Hotel and Inner Harbour in 1930
From the moment it opened, the Empress was more than just a place to stay—it was the place to be seen. Its guest list over the decades reads like a who’s who of royalty, celebrities, and political heavyweights. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) stopped in during their 1939 royal tour, and Queen Elizabeth II visited the hotel multiple times.
The Empress also caught the eye of Hollywood celebrity: Bob Hope was a frequent guest, returning many times, and renting the entire third floor to practice his putting in the hallway. In 1974, John Wayne arrived at the hotel, getting behind the bar at the Bengal Lounge to pour drinks for startled (and delighted) patrons. In a slightly darker vein, Shirley Temple—at the height of her fame in the 1930s—secretly spent 12 days holed up at the Empress while authorities in California dealt with rumours of a kidnapping plot against her.
The Bengal Lounge, opened in the 1950s, became one of the Empress’s most beloved spaces. Styled after the colonial clubs of British India, it featured tiger-print upholstery, rich wood panelling, and a famous lunchtime curry buffet. Locals and visitors flocked to the Bengal until in 2016, when it closed for good as part of the hotel’s upgrade, causing outrage amongst its regulars. In defiance (and much to many a local's delight), during the 2015 renovations someone snuck into the room and stole the featured prized tiger skin right off the wall. They never recovered it.
Besides a missing tiger skin, the Empress has other mysteries. Throughout the years, both guests and staff have reported seeing ghosts; from an old maid performing her tasks in uniform, to a worker haunting the lower floors. Unexplained flickering lights and footsteps in empty corridors only add to the hotel’s ghostly lore.
Despite its layers of history, the Empress has always found ways to evolve. Renovations in the 1960s, 1980s, and most recently in the 2010s have polished its grandeur while (mostly) respecting its heritage. In 2025, the travel publication Travel + Leisure crowned The Fairmont Empress as the best hotel in Canada, drawing visitors not just for its stately rooms and brilliant harbour view, but also for its timeless traditions.
Chief among them is Afternoon Tea, served daily in the elegant Lobby Lounge. With fine china, fresh-baked scones, impeccable service, tea at the Empress is more than a Victoria tradition; it’s a bucket list item for many of the 500,000 visitors a year who come to Victoria just to experience it.
So all in all, the Empress is so much more than the sum of its parts: More than a hotel, the Empress is almost like Victoria’s grand stately living room—bold, storied, and full of nuance and character. Whether you come for tea, for history, or simply to soak up the atmosphere, it’s impossible not to feel the pull of this beloved landmark.
And when you do stop by, don’t forget to keep an eye out for ghosts!
Would you like to learn more about Victoria’s Empress Hotel? Why not join us on a HIDDEN VICTORIA walking tour; each one stops by the Empress to share interesting facts about the old dame. For more information, CLICK HERE.