Victoria’s Fairmont Empress Hotel will reopen June 26

Downtown Victoria’s landmark hotel, the Fairmont Empress, has announced that they will be officially reopening on June 26.

The hotel closed its doors on March 24 as the COVID-19 pandemic started claiming more and more patients in B.C.

A little over three months later, the establishment will open its rooms, guest services, Willow Stream Spa, fitness centre, swimming pool and food and beverage venues including Q Restaurant, Q Bar, Tea at the Empress and The Veranda to patrons.

“The hotel’s top priority remains the safety, care and wellbeing of our Empress family,” reads a statement from General Manager, Indu Brar.

“Today, this means keeping our guests and employees safe by preventing the spread of COVID-19 – partnering with top experts to implement new standards of safety and enhanced operational protocols and procedures which are among the most stringent in the hospitality industry.”

For their reopening plan, the luxury hotel will require mandatory screening for all guests and employees (including a temperature check), masks for all guests and employees, a 48-hour period for each rooms to remain vacant after they’ve been occupied, and increased frequency of cleaning protocols.

Empress employees will also attain training and attend an on-property formal audit program, validated under the global ALLSAFE Cleanliness label, to ensure initial and continued compliance.

Under this new protocol, guests can change or cancel their bookings up to 24 hours before their reservations.