Many of Victoria’s oldest restaurants and accommodations, and even the Royal Victoria Golf Course, have ghost stories attached. Guests at Hotel Abigail often ask about ghost stories and the incredibly helpful staff would love to tell you one. Unfortunately, the ghosts have not appeared.
Abigail’s Hotel is located on the outskirts 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 going to let the cat out of the bag! I have lived here for over 20 years and have driven countless times, each time wondering what it was like. I have been to several old and stately hotels and they were all nice, but often disappointing. Not so with Abigail’s.
When we pass the hotel entrance, we immediately notice the manicured English gardens. As you pass between the Coach House and the Inn, both buildings look very similar. At first glance, we couldn’t say that they were built 50 years apart. We park and are immediately greeted by Tomas, the super friendly front desk assistant. He guides us to our room and fully informs us about the hotel and the services. Breakfast in bed sounds inviting, but we opted to have breakfast with the other guests.
Our room is spacious and decorated with almost all the comforts we could wish for. Is it the delicious welcome cookies, the cozy 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 country furniture, goose feather duvets and pillows, silk bedspreads and elegant cushions. It is luxurious and very comfortable.
The main building’s library is a meeting place and complimentary snacks and hors d’oeuvres are provided between 5:00 and 7:00. Before long, we meet friendly people from Louisiana, Nevada, Ontario, and Alberta. Tomás is taking good care of us.
For dinner, we take a walk through the city center, no more than 3-4 blocks. We visited the popular Noodle House to find out what all the fuss is about. Well, not what we expected, but a unique experience and very tasty food! I didn’t expect to spoil my wife with chopsticks and a cardboard box to go, but nothing is too good for my Queen!
In the morning, we sat down to enjoy a magnificent gourmet breakfast. A large table accommodates most of the guests. Arriving late, we are seated at a table for four and are soon joined by a young couple from Oregon. Abigail’s is designed and operated so that people can easily interact with each other, increasing the enjoyment of the visit. If you are looking for privacy, the spacious bedrooms 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 unique. All the staff, from marketing, administration, cleaning and dining, 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 invite some of the neighbors for Christmas dinner. The owner’s philosophy is certainly well ingrained throughout the staff and is evident in the care and attention to detail in both the design and style of the hotel and the service provided to guests.
When we check out, we are presented with a small gift bag containing two bottles of water, treats, and a guide to other “select accommodations”. Working in tourism makes me really appreciate companies that take it seriously. This business has really earned its “five stars”.
So now is the time to play tourist! Our pick 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 provides a unique view of land, sea, and sky that is manifested in his extensive and beautiful landscape paintings. The formidable size of his paintings presents an awe-inspiring view of Canada and the West Coast in particular.
We continue our exploration by heading to Sidney by the Sea for lunch. Since we have reached most of the local restaurants, we are looking for a new experience. A friend had mentioned Dakota restaurant at the Victoria Flying Club, so we checked it out! From our table, we can see the runway, so during lunch a variety of planes travel by taxi quite close.
We heard that the breakfasts were award-winning and found 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 excursions.
On the way home, I reflect on our fabulous stay at Abigail’s. I’m thinking of ghost stories that I could make up for inquisitive minds. The fact is, they just don’t need a ghost. Abigail sells herself!
Reflections on Abigail’s: Peaceful, quiet, comfortable, luxurious but not ostentatious, friendly, meeting place, charming, romantic, very special. The best accommodation in Victoria!