Many of Victoria’s oldest restaurants and lodgings, and even the Royal Victoria Golf Course, have ghost stories. Guests at Abigail’s Hotel often ask about the ghost story, and the incredibly accommodating staff would love to tell you one. Unfortunately, the ghosts have not appeared.
Abigail’s Hotel is located on the edge of downtown Victoria, a stone’s throw from the Inner Harbor and is truly one of Victoria’s best kept secrets. Well no more! I’m letting the cat out of the bag! I have lived here for over 20 years and have driven by countless times, each time wondering what it was like. I have been to several majestic hotels and they were all nice but often disappointing. Not so with Abigail’s.
As we pass through the hotel entrance, we immediately notice the well-kept English gardens. Passing between the Coach House and the Inn, both buildings look very similar. At first glance, we couldn’t tell that they were built 50 years apart. We parked and immediately greeted by Tomas, the super friendly front desk attendant. He guides us to our room and fully informs us about the hotel and services. Breakfast in bed sounds appealing, but we opted to have breakfast with the other guests.
Our room is spacious and adorned with almost every amenity we could wish for. Is it the delicious welcome cookies, the comfortable sofa in front of the fireplace, the four-poster bed or the marble bathroom with Jacuzzi and rain shower? Our room is decorated with luxurious rustic furniture, goose feather duvets and pillows, silk bedspreads and elegant cushions. It is luxurious and very comfortable.
The library in the main building is a meeting place and between 5 and 7 in the morning, complimentary refreshments and canapés are offered. In a short time, we meet friendly people from Louisiana, Nevada, Ontario and Alberta. Tomas is on hand looking after us very well.
For dinner, we take a short walk downtown, no more than 3 or 4 short blocks. We visit the very popular Noodle House to find out what all the fuss is about. Well not what we expected but rather a unique experience and very tasty food! I didn’t expect to indulge my wife with chopsticks and a cardboard takeaway box, but nothing is too good for my Queen!
In the morning, we sat down to an excellent gourmet breakfast. A large table accommodates most of the guests. Arriving late, we were seated at a table for four and soon joined by a young couple from Oregon. Abigail’s is designed and operated so that people can easily interact with one another, adding to the enjoyment of the visit. If you come for privacy, the spacious rooms can be your private hideaway and you can order your breakfast in bed.
After breakfast, Marion Hansen (General Manager) takes us on a tour of the hotel. Each room is unique, but they all have the same special touches that make Abigail’s one of a kind. All the staff from marketing, administration, cleaning and dining room are very friendly and helpful. It’s hard to imagine why anyone would stay anywhere else.
You can tell how much they care, especially when Marion tells us how they invited some of the neighbors over for Christmas dinner. The owner’s philosophy is certainly deeply rooted in all the staff and is manifested in the care and attention to detail both in the design and style of the hotel and in the service provided to guests.
When we check out, we are presented with a small gift bag containing two bottles of water, gifts and a guide to other “select accommodations”. Working in tourism makes me very appreciative of companies that take it seriously. This business has really earned its “five stars”.
So now it’s time to play tourist! Our choice for the day is to visit the Victoria Art Gallery. The Art Gallery is just minutes from Abigail’s and is located within the historic Spencer Mansion in the Rockland neighborhood. We go there because there is an exhibition of the art of Takao Tanabe, an artist born in Seal Cove, British Columbia. The artist has received several important awards and is internationally recognized. His art offers a unique view of the land, sea, and sky that manifests itself in his expansive and beautiful landscape paintings. The formidable size of his paintings present an impressive vision of Canada and, in particular, the West Coast.
We continue our exploration by heading to Sydney by the Sea for lunch. Since we have hit most of the local restaurants we are looking for a new experience. A friend had mentioned the Dakota restaurant at the Victoria Flying Club so we checked it out! From our table, we can see the runway, so throughout lunch a variety of planes taxied pretty close.
We heard that the breakfasts were award winning and found out that they serve breakfast on weekends all day. We make our selection and enjoy a very good lunch.
After lunch, we explore Sydney and do some shopping and touring.
On the way home, I reflect on our fabulous stay at Abigail’s. I’m thinking of ghost stories she could make up for curious minds. The fact is that they simply do not need a ghost. Abigail sells herself!
Thoughts on Abigail’s: Peaceful, quiet, comfortable, luxurious but not ostentatious, friendly, gathering place, charming, romantic, very special. The best accommodation in Victoria!