VICTORIA FOR A LONG WEEKEND
 

I WILL BE TRAVELING TO VICTORIA FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SUMMER FOR 3 NIGHTS. DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A NICE ROMANTIC HOTEL? I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY SUGGESTIONS.<BR><BR>

People seem to like the Beaconsfield Inn. For a view of the downtown harbour you could try the Laurel Point Inn or Ocean Pointe Resort.

We were there in October and stayed at a beautiful hotel on the ocean. It was called Oak Bay Beach Hotel. It is filled with antique furniture in every room. There is a gorgeous lobby where hot chocolate and cookies are served every night. The beds are very comfortable and the breakfast buffet was terrific. Check out website www.oakbaybeachhotel.bc.ca/<BR>We were luck enough to get the room with the fireplace and thetub in the window.

While it is very expensive and the standard rooms are little more than big closets, if you can afford a room facing the harbour the Empress is the place to stay for a first time visit to victoria. It's the dowager hotel that is the very symbol of Old Victoria and of course it's at the very heart of Tourist Victoria. But unless you don't mind tiny rooms make very clear what you want when you make your reservation.

I strongly suggest considering The Harborside Hotel with a harbor view - beautiful, beautiful hotel - I would not stay at the empress - the rooms are small and there is no air conditioning.<BR><BR>If oyu do stay at The Harborside, there is a wonderful English Inn within walking distance along the harbshore - its beautiful and a gtreat place to walk each morning - have breakfast at the inn - its great.<BR><BR>Sadly,we really did not have too many great meals on the island, but it is a wonderful place to visit. Take the hig speed ferry and try to go to the San Juan Island, too.

Sorry - it is The Ocean Point Harborside Hotel - Stay there!!

My very favorite and most romantic places is Fairholme Manor (www.fairholmemanor.com). It's not one of those fussy Laura Ashley frilly places; but very elegant. Located about 10 minutes from the Inner Harbour (so it's quiet), adjoining a beautiful rose garden. The views of the Olympics and beyond are wonderful. There are different configurations of rooms, the owner (Sylvia) is delightful. Originally from Vienna, Austria she was formerly the concierge at The Empress Hotel. I've stayed there twice; once with a woman friend and another time with my husband. It's simply the best!

See:<BR><BR>http://www.aardvarktravel.net/cgi-bin/at/atsearch.cgi?Terms=victoria+canada+romantic&Range= All<BR><BR>Good luck,<BR><BR>Aaron<BR><BR>AardvarkTravel.net Travel Search Engine<BR>http://www.aardvarktravel.net<BR>The world's best travel search engine.

We stayed at the Oak Bay Beach and My wife is positive she saw a ghost in the middle of the night. Has anyone heard that it might be haunted?

I haven't heard of it being haunted... but some places don't want to advertise such things. Maybe someone else knows?

If price is no concern, we've been in few hotel rooms as romantic as those at the Sooke Harbor House, around 30 min. up the west coast from Victoria. The food is legendary, the prices commensurate. http://www.sookeharbourhouse.com/shh/index.html

I'd love to stay in a "haunted" hotel. Des any one know of any allegedly haunted hotels in Victoria?