- The Fairmont Empress, as it is known today, is the crown jewel of Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. Located across from the harbor and the boardwalk where tourists mingle with locals, the expansive grounds frame a gorgeous, turn of the century masterpiece. The Empress, as it is known locally, is currently owned by Legacy Hotels and managed by Fairmont. The Empress is renowned around the world for British-style afternoon teas, offered every day to sightseers and locals alike. The hotel is constantly updated and meticulously maintained, continuing to uphold the international reputation it began building in 1908. The Fairmont Empress is now home to a conference center, as well as being a destination for day-trippers from Seattle and Vancouver, tourists from all over the world and cruise ship passengers.
- The Empress was opened in 1908 and quickly became a destination. It was designed after the Edwardian chateau style and was initially built to serve businessmen and passengers of the Canadian Pacific steamship line, located one block away.
- After the steamship boom ended, The Empress became more known for royalty and movie stars visiting than anything else. Rita Hayworth, Shirley Temple and Prince Philip were all guests at The Empress. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth went to luncheon at The Empress in 1939 as guests of the government.
- While the hotel had continued to be a destination, the building had begun to fall into disarray. In 1965, there was a movement to have it destroyed and rebuilt as a modern facility, but the local outrage was so strong that the building was renovated instead. The Empress, as it was brought into the modern era, was refurbished and restored to its original grandeur. This signified a change in the way the hotel would be run, and it has been cared for ever since. The initial restoration, announced in 1966, was dubbed Operation Teacup by locals. The Empress underwent a $45 million restoration in 1989 and scaffolding also covered the building in the summer of 2009.
- Canadian Pacific spun off its hotels into a separate business to be named Fairmont. As part of the re-branding, all Canadian Pacific Hotels were to be renamed Fairmont. Canadian locals, just as they had been at the idea of the destruction of their beloved hotel, were outraged at the suggestion that the hotel would stop being called simply The Empress. The hotel itself had not needed a sign for many years, it was so famous, so when the re-branding occurred, Fairmont left the signs in front of the hotel still simply saying "The Empress."
- Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, Victoria has continued to be one of Conde Nast Traveler's top 10 destinations in the world. This is reflected in the small town that has grown up around The Empress. Victoria has world-class theater and live music, a university and astounding museums. The Royal Victorian Museum continues to borrow entire exhibits from the Royal British Museum, bringing incredible learning experiences to this small, comfortable tourist town. The ambitious spirit of Britain at the turn of the twentieth century, reflected in the architecture and the personality of The Empress, has affected the town that grew up around it and makes Victoria a little slice of Britain in North America.
