443 replies to this topic

[Bingo]

 Have not spent any money there since it closed.

 

Not even dropping by to swing from the chandelier?

[Gary H]

More on the Reno...

 

So first, the Bengal Lounge is still called, wait for it, the Bengal Lounge.  Difference is, as others have noted, it is now a reserved room for private parties etc.  It has been empty the couple times I have walked by.  Looks nice inside though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up the entrance, they've added a large covered canopy over the driveway, and while the Delta Point has a plain old shuttle van for its guests, the Empress has at least two white high end BMWs.  

 

 

 

The new lobby is really spacious, it's a nice reno, and the chandelier is quite the centerpiece.  But because of the smaller mezzanine area, they're no longer going to host the Christmas tree decorating competition/display.  Too bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, The Q at the Empress, both restaurant and lounge just doesn't have the elegant warmth that it used to.  The Q means the Queen, Queen Victoria in case the overpowering artwork didn't clue you in.  While the lounge is modern, maybe a bit too modern, it used to be part of the Empress Dining Room.  We had a Christmas Eve dinner there a few years back and sat in a cozy table by the window - you can't do THAT anymore.  Here's an old vs. new comparison of sorts.

 

View from our table looking back into the restaurant (now the lounge).

 

 

 

A similar view from the windows today (from the Empress Hotel picture gallery https://www.qattheem...s.com/gallery/#)

 

 

 

 

Oh, and did I mention the Q stands for Queen?  

 

 

 

Edited by Gary H, 04 July 2017 - 09:39 PM.

[Nparker]

$60 million in renovations and they couldn't replace the carpet leading into the Bengal Lounge or is it just that absolutely no one actually uses this space anymore? I can't blame them; the new owners sure as hell have emptied the BL space of any of its former charm. 

[HB]

its refreshing .......like throwing out  that rotten old couch from the 80s and buying something new and modern

[Hotel Mike]

I thought they managed to retain some nice features Nparker. They still have those funky fans, ornate woodwork, and old lights. They replaced the tiger skin over the fireplace with a somewhat tacky Indian piece. The biggest problem is that none of us regular Victoria folk will ever get to see it again, unless we are at a special event held there.

[Nparker]

I thought they managed to retain some nice features Nparker...

But what's the deal with those tables and horribly uncomfortable looking chairs? 

[Rob Randall]

That crazy seagull pepperoni story is the number two most emailed article at the New York Times right now.

 

 

“They’d been eating Brothers TNT pepperoni — I’m specific with the TNT because it’s hot,” he recalled. “They’d been eating that for about five hours, and you can imagine what the room looked like. They were carrying on their life processes in there.”

Excrement, feathers and pepperoni chunks were everywhere.

“Brothers’ TNT Pepperoni does NASTY things to a sea gull’s digestive system,” he wrote. “The smell,” he recalled in the radio interview, “was overwhelming.”

 

 

 

The first time I heard it on Facebook I assumed it was an old fake urban legend and that someone edited The Empress in to give it some local flavor. The story just seemed too implausible. I googled the first few words expecting to see a long list of variants but absolutely nothing came up. It was a completely original story. Then the local media picked it up. Then the Empress confirmed the ban and the story went viral and was picked up by the major papers.

[mbjj]

I hadn't seen that photo of the horrible furniture before today. I think all of the furniture there now is tacky. The afternoon tea area lacks charm (horrible tables). Too bad as we used to enjoy the Bengal Lounge for special occasions.

[Sparky]

^^ It didn't help that the pepperoni story was published on April 1.

[Jackerbie]

Unifor Local 4276, which represents workers at the Empress Hotel, has served strike notice. via https://www.cbc.ca/n...toria-1.5486040

[Victoria Watcher]

Fairmont Empress hotel workers vote 97% in favour of job action

No strike deadline has been set. The union is required to give 72 hours’ notice of job action.

 

https://www.timescol...-action-6759647

[Victoria Watcher]

This quintessential summer pastime in Victoria, done only as the Empress can, is back by popular demand for summer 2023. It’s the ultimate al fresco dining experience on the hotel’s iconic front lawns, with stunning views of the Inner Harbour. Reserve your very own harbour facing picnic spot complete with blankets, pillows, and a basket brimming with delicious upscale food.

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.fairmont...=emp_email-0723

 

 

 

That's interesting.   Did not know the lawn is licensed for booze.  Mike K. will like that.    

 

 

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 August 2023 - 08:15 AM.

[Nparker]

...Did not know the lawn is licensed for booze.  Mike K. will like that...

They get a special license once a year just to annoy Mike. 

[Mike K.]

The City of Gardens is now called Beer Garden.

[spanky123]

Pretty expensive boxed lunch. Add in another $90 for tea and you are up over $200 per person with tax and tip!

 

I think the key part though is that it is on the lawn. If you are going to dish out that much for a snack then you have to have people seeing you!

Edited by spanky123, 01 August 2023 - 08:34 AM.

[aastra]

 

The City of Gardens is now called Beer Garden.

 

We should aspire to make the city more European, but ideally we would embrace only the miserable aspects, not the enjoyable aspects.

[Victoria Watcher]

Hopefully my lower causeway kayak and vodka-fest event gets the go-ahead.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 August 2023 - 10:54 AM.

[Matt R.]

You should get everyone some of those claw tools to get things off high shelves and make it a crab catching fest as well! Add in some Roc Vodka and let the good times roll.

$12 for a can of wine. It’s good wine at least.

[Mike K.]

We should aspire to make the city more European, but ideally we would embrace only the miserable aspects, not the enjoyable aspects.

Are you thinking a little sprinkle of bigotry, a dash of ethnic tension and a tablespoon of war?

Or the more refined European tendencies, like selling liquor to minors and smoking in restaurants?

[Victoria Watcher]

Why can’t we have all of the above?