The Empress, Chateau-style hotel in Victoria, Canada
The Empress is a Châteauesque hotel at 721 Government Street, facing Victoria's Inner Harbour. Its red-brick and stone facade rises five storeys in the centre, with steep grey roofs, dormers and flanking towers with pyramidal roofs and turrets. Metal letters spelling "THE EMPRESS" sit above five arched ground-floor openings.
Canadian Pacific Hotels built The Empress from 1904 to 1908 as a terminus hotel for its steamship line, naming it for Queen Victoria, Empress of India. Francis Rattenbury designed it, but William Sutherland Maxwell took over in December 1907. Wings were added in 1910–1912 and 1928. It became a National Historic Site in 1981 and was restored from 2015 to 2017.
The name honors Queen Victoria of Britain, whose reign saw the British Empire at its height. Guests from around the world book weeks ahead to sit in the tea lounge and experience the ceremonial tradition with its multiple courses.
The hotel stands at 721 Government Street, bounded by Humboldt Street to the north and Belleville Street to the south, with the Inner Harbour across Government Street to the west. The Victoria Conference Centre adjoins the building on the east, linked through the conservatory since 1989. The British Columbia Parliament Buildings and the Royal British Columbia Museum are within sight.
The hotel is named for Queen Victoria, who was also Empress of India. Its Crystal Ballroom hosted a gala attended by Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1919. Ivy covered much of the exterior brick until the 2014–2017 renovation removed it to protect the masonry.
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