Victoria, British Columbia, is an island city where the rugged Canadian Pacific North West ocean meets an old British colonial past. It’s a place where time slows down, and every little street corner and pub tells a story of BC’s rich past. There are delightful cobbled streets with some heritage buildings, horse-drawn carriages that make their way through absolutely stunning manicured gardens (with peacocks!), and the Inner Harbour glitters like it’s Christmas all year round across the horizon.
It’s no surprise then that when my husband and I sought out a honeymoon staycation, wanting romance and being pampered, the destination could only really be one place: the delightful Abigail’s Hotel.
Tucked three short blocks from the iconic Inner Harbour, offering an unparalleled location for exploring Victoria, Abigail’s Hotel is more than a place to rest your head – it became a place that at once reminds of home and feels like a luxurious escape.
The Grace of a Bygone Era
Originally built in the 1930s, Abigail’s Hotel is a Tudor revival that blends lovely old-world elegance with the comforts of modern life. With only thirty rooms and a strict adults-only policy (no screaming children here), the property maintains an air of elegance, intimacy, a sense of privilege – like we’re all here to have a luxurious time and be pampered.
From the intimate hallway, which featured several gorgeous Christmas trees when we were there, to the delightful library bar area, and lounge places full of comfortable chairs, Abigail’s Hotel feels very, very comfortable.
The hotel offers afternoon snacks complimentary to guests (we had a delicious soup when we were there) and a bar that you can unwind in with a book, or work remotely from. All very quaint, all very comfortable. The bedrooms are the real show stopper, though, I would argue – even though the hotel is famous for its decadent breakfast (more on that later!).
Each bedroom is a unique feature. There are four poster beds, plush down duvets nestle into carved bedframes, jacuzzi-like jet baths, warm robes, fresh cookies, and flickering fireplaces. The rooms vary in size and how many folks they can accommodate, but either way, expect a lot of comfort and luxury. Think: dark woods, polished to perfection, velvets, silks, and a warm carpet to bury your toes in after a lovely hot bath with jets that create a spa experience.
They have different names, too. There are Opal Rooms, which are romantic with electric fireplaces and deep soaking tubs; Sapphire Rooms, with four-poster beds and stained glass windows that create a stunning dappled light effect; and Emerald Rooms in the Coach House with their marble bathrooms and fire-lit ambience. Even the more modest Amethyst Rooms bring tons of comfort and elegance with their stand-in shower and cute vibe.
Our Bessborough Sanctuary at Abigail’s Hotel
We stayed in one of the coveted Bessborough Rooms, a newer addition to the historic estate yet no less historic nor charming. The room was very spacious and featured a glorious four poster, wooden king-sized bed with crisp white linens, and a fireplace that kept the room warm. The bathroom had the humungous bathtub with jets that we had heard mythic rumours of, and lovely fluffy robes to dive into. We were greeted with rose petals strewn across the room and bed (honeymoon style!) with a lovely bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, plus fresh, warm, homemade cookies. It was absolutely delightful.
Thoughtfulness is Abigail’s way of doing things, and they delivered it here so beautifully. We felt so wonderfully relaxed.
Needless to say, we decided to chill in the hotel room that evening and after enjoying the 4pm snack downstairs of a delicious soup, we had an early dinner in a local restaurant, before retreating back to the lovely room to have a good night sleep.
A Culinary Morning Ritual
We slept incredibly well – those beds were amazing. Waking with an appetite, we were thrilled that mornings at Abigail’s Hotel begin with gentle luxury: a three-course breakfast that they’re famous for, and honestly could rival any fine dining evening service.
We had our reservation for 9 am, though we asked to move it to 8 am since we woke early. That was fine, though the breakfast room was certainly busy, a testimony to how popular the hotel is. The scent of freshly-baked pastries welcomed us as we sat down by the window, and our lovely server told us the options for the day.
Each breakfast starts with a bowl of fresh fruit, as a first course, plus a juice, and a coffee or tea, before a second course of a freshly baked pastry. I had the cinnamon bun, which I didn’t plan to eat but ended up inhaling before I could try to restrain myself. It was delicious! My husband had a fresh chocolate croissant.
We then had the main course, which one can choose from “Light,” “Sweet,” or “Savoury.” On one morning, I opted for the savoury: a wild mushroom and goat cheese frittata with a side of herb potatoes and house-cured bacon, which I asked to substitute with avocado as I’ve cut down on my meat. My partner, always with a sweet tooth, chose the brioche French toast soaked in vanilla custard, adorned with poached pear and maple drizzle. It looked incredible.
Each dish was plated with so much love, served with gracious service, and washed down with endless coffee refills. Truly, it was delicious, and we were so full at the finish! Breakfast actually kept us going through to dinner, would you believe, it was that large and filling, which is always a great sign for a hotel (plus exceptional value).
On our second evening, we ventured into town (somewhat begrudgingly – had I brought my book I would have gladly lounged in the room, though the rooms do have high speed wifi so I could have watched a film instead). We explored the local gardens which were incredible with their abundance of gorgeous peacocks and other animals (we saw so many beautiful deer) and then wandered over to a local restaurant which was delicious though not a patch on breakfast. We ended our night watching a comedy show that was okay, but also not a patch on chilling back at the hotel room and watching comedy on our laptops!
So we ended up back in the room quite early and back in our fluffy robes with the fire on, enjoying a bottle of wine and finishing off yesterday’s cookies for dessert. Delicious. After another excellent night’s sleep, we rinsed and repeated breakfast with different choices but no less delicious, and were sad to check out at 11 am.
Abigail is Hard to Forget
We left Victoria and the Abigail’s Hotel that lunchtime and were sad to be back in Vancouver. Whilst we barely saw much of Victoria, we felt we got a great getaway in a lovely home away from home that left us feeling welcomed, pampered, and honeymooned out. It was truly a restful escape from the busyness of Vancouver, and we know where we will stay when we next come to Victoria. From now on, it really is only the Abigail’s Hotel. Why would we ever stay anywhere else?
Abigail’s Hotel
906 McClure Street
Victoria
British Columbia
V8V 3E7
Canada
