The Empress (hotel)

Fairmont Empress
Former names	The Empress (1908–2001)
General information
Architectural style	Châteauesque
Location	721 Government Street Victoria, British Columbia V8W 1W5
Coordinates	48°25′19″N 123°22′05″W / 48.42185°N 123.36797°W / 48.42185; -123.36797
Construction started	1904
Opening	20 January 1908
Owner	Bosa Development
Management	Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
Height	35.4 metres (116 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	8
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Francis Rattenbury
Developer	Canadian Pacific Railway
Other information
Number of rooms	412
Number of suites	52
Number of restaurants	4
Website
www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria/
[1][2][3]
National Historic Site of Canada
Official name	Empress Hotel National Historic Site of Canada
Designated	15 January 1981 (1981-01-15)

The Fairmont Empress, formerly and commonly referred to as The Empress, is one of the oldest hotels in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Located on 721 Government Street, it is situated in Downtown Victoria, facing the city's Inner Harbour. The hotel was designed by Francis Rattenbury, and was built by Canadian Pacific Hotels, a division of the Canadian Pacific Railway company. The hotel is presently managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, part of AccorHotels since 2016. It is owned by Nat and Flora Bosa of Vancouver.

Opened on 20 January 1908, the Châteauesque-styled building is considered one of Canada's grand railway hotels. Since its opening, the hotel has undergone two expansions, the first from 1910 to 1912, and a second expansion in 1928. The building was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in January 1981. The Empress underwent a significant restoration between 2015 and 2017, which cost more than $60M. The hotel commemorated the restoration efforts on 28 June 2017.