Upscale Hotels Near Victoria's Inner Harbour
Victoria has grand addresses on its Inner Harbour, but the four hotels tagged luxury on this page are better described as comfortable, well-rated stays close to the water than as five-star palaces. I would rather say that up front. The Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour has the fullest facilities, the Hotel Rialto and The Vic bring a historic building and a boutique feel, and the Days Inn on the Harbour is a simpler hotel with a prime harbourfront position. All four sit within walking distance of the Parliament Buildings, the Royal BC Museum and the whale watching departures, which is what most visitors to the British Columbia capital come for.
Victoria is the capital of British Columbia, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, built around an Inner Harbour where floatplanes and ferries come and go below the Parliament Buildings. It has the oldest Chinatown in Canada, a waterfront walk along Dallas Road and Beacon Hill Park, and a mild climate by Canadian standards.
What Upscale Means on the Inner Harbour
I judge these hotels by location and by what they include rather than by the luxury label. The Marriott suits travellers who want a pool and harbour or mountain views, the Rialto and The Vic suit those who prefer a historic building downtown, and the Days Inn suits anyone who puts a waterfront address ahead of polish.
The Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour is the most complete hotel of the four and the one I would choose for a comfortable stay. Its description places it less than 10 minutes on foot from the whale watching tours of the Inner Harbour, and some rooms look out over the harbour or towards the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula across the strait. It has an indoor swimming pool, a fitness centre, an on-site restaurant open daily and pet-friendly rooms, and guests rate it 8.3 across about 360 reviews. From here, the Parliament Buildings and the Royal BC Museum are an easy walk along the waterfront.
The Hotel Rialto is the pick for travellers who want character. Housed in a historic building and rated 8.5 on more than 910 reviews, the highest score on this page, it sits 850 metres from Inner Harbour Centre according to its description. Rooms come with bathrobes, deluxe toiletries, a small fridge, a microwave, a coffee maker and a 42-inch flat-screen TV, and the front desk helps with tickets and tours. That service is useful in Victoria, where whale watching, harbour ferries and the Butchart Gardens trip are best booked ahead. Chinatown and Fan Tan Alley are a short walk from the downtown streets around the hotel.
The Vic, an Ascend Collection Hotel, is a boutique hotel in downtown Victoria with a spa and wellness focus, set in what its description calls a historic setting. Rated 8.3 on about 860 reviews, it is pet-friendly and gives easy access to the Inner Harbour, to Mayfair Shopping Centre and to Victoria International Airport, which helps when you arrive on a flight rather than by ferry from Vancouver or Seattle. I see it as the most suitable of the four for a couple who want a wellness element without leaving downtown, with Beacon Hill Park and the Dallas Road waterfront close by for walks.
The Days Inn by Wyndham Victoria On The Harbour is not a luxury hotel, and I would not book it expecting one. What it offers is position: it stands along the Inner Harbour, every room has a city or harbour view, and it has a seasonal outdoor pool, a hot tub open all year, a restaurant with a seasonal patio and a business centre. It holds an 8.0 rating on more than 1,150 reviews, the largest sample here. If the view of floatplanes and harbour ferries matters more to you than marble bathrooms, it is a sensible choice, and a less formal one than its neighbours.
A traveler's takeFor a comfortable stay on the Inner Harbour I would book the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour. It is less than 10 minutes on foot from the whale watching departures, has an indoor pool and some rooms with harbour or mountain views, and holds an 8.3 rating on about 360 reviews. The Parliament Buildings and the Royal BC Museum are a short walk away, which keeps the car parked for the whole stay.
4.3Hotel Rialto
Luxury · 913 reviewsHistoric Victoria hotel near Inner Harbour with modern amenities
Why guests love itI would suggest Hotel Rialto to families who like a historic building in central Victoria, about 850 metres from the Inner Harbour Centre, a walk most children can manage. Rooms have a small fridge, a microwave and a coffee maker, which makes breakfasts and snacks easy, plus a 42-inch flat-screen TV for quiet evenings. The front desk helps with tickets and tours, useful for planning a harbour or heritage outing. Bathrobes and deluxe toiletries are provided.
4.2Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour
Luxury · 357 reviewsHarbor-side hotel with an indoor pool, fitness center, and pet-friendly rooms
Why guests love itVictoria Marriott Inner Harbour is less than a 10-minute walk from the whale-watching tours at the Inner Harbour, which makes a memorable family outing easy to organise on foot. Back at the hotel, the indoor pool fills the evenings, and the on-site restaurant serves meals daily. Some rooms have harbour or mountain views, and pets are accepted. I would choose it for families who want the harbour within walking distance and a pool to come back to.
4.2The Vic, an Ascend Collection Hotel
Luxury · 862 reviewsBoutique hotel in downtown Victoria with spa, pet-friendly, and harbour access
Why guests love itI would consider The Vic for families who want a boutique base in downtown Victoria with easy access to the Inner Harbour, where much of a first visit happens on foot. Pets are accepted, so the family dog can come along. The hotel also gives practical access to Victoria International Airport and to Mayfair Shopping Centre for supplies. The listing gives few room details, so confirm bed layouts for children before booking.
4.0Days Inn by Wyndham Victoria On The Harbour
Luxury · 1156 reviewsHarbour views, a year-round hot tub, and a seasonal outdoor pool
Why guests love itDays Inn by Wyndham Victoria On The Harbour is a three-star hotel on Victoria's Inner Harbour, and I would recommend it to families who want harbour views and a hot tub in every season. All rooms look over the city or the harbour, a seasonal outdoor pool opens in summer, and the hot tub is available year-round. A restaurant with a seasonal patio and a business centre are on site.
Local tips
- 1Book whale watching tours ahead in summer; several leave from the Inner Harbour, within walking distance of all four hotels.
- 2Ask for a harbour view at the Marriott or the Days Inn: both list rooms looking over the Inner Harbour.
- 3Use the Hotel Rialto ticket and tour desk to arrange the trip to the Butchart Gardens, about 20 km north of downtown.
- 4If you arrive by plane, The Vic's description notes easy access to Victoria International Airport, about 25 km from the city.
- 5Walk to Chinatown and Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in Canada, from any of the four addresses.
- 6Bring a light jacket even in summer: evenings on the harbourfront and along Dallas Road are often cool and windy.