After & Before

I mentioned that the new owners have been refurbishing the Empress Hotel. Above is what it looked like this weekend. Below is what it looked like seven years ago.

Victoria Conference Centre

Last week we took a stroll through The Empress Hotel and on the last post peeked through the passage where the hotel connects to the Victoria Conference Centre. In today's photos we have stepped through this passage and are looking at the main foyer or lobby of the conference centre. I mentioned that it has an excellent selection of West Coast totem art and we will have a closer look at some tomorrow.

Inside The Empress - 3

If my memory serves me correctly this glass roofed area used to be a small conservatory stuffed full of tropical plants and trees. Now it serves as the connecting link between the hotel and the Victoria Conference Centre, a large complex that was added to The Empress when it was last renovated in 1989. The building known as Crystal Pool, on the other side of Douglas Street is also a part of this complex. We'll have a look at the conference centre and its great collection of totem poles next week.

Inside The Empress - 2

It's nice to see that this splendid old brass mailbox between The Empress elevators has not been replaced and is still functional. Note the chute leading down into its top so you could mail your letters and cards from upper floors without the inconvenience of descending. Nowadays, of course, it is known as the Canada Post Corporation and the glorious heraldic insignia is no longer to be seen on the mailboxes. However, although the name has changed I think the service is even faster now than it was last century, though it is quickly being replaced by electronic communications.

Inside The Empress

Large areas of the interior of the Empress are undergoing redecoration or renovation but there is still lots of carpeted hallways and walnut beams to get a sense of the flavor of this classic hostelry. The Bengal Lounge on the left offers dining with reminiscences of the Raj. The Palm Room ceiling on the right certainly comes from more gracious days.

The Empress

Well, The Empress really looks like it could use a facelift. I mean, look at all those wrinkles. (Still, I hope I look as good if I last until I'm 108.) Yeah, I did a double take here too - the old darling is wearing a mask, a mask that looks just like her while underneath on hidden scaffolding, workers are refurbishing. It's not just the outside, the inside is undergoing extensive renovations as well.

Captain Cook and The Empress

Well, the challenge here was to see if I could get Captain Cook and the Empress Hotel in the same shot. Captain Cook's statue is directly across the street from the hotel but it is up on quite a high pedestal, making it difficult to get both the captain and the hotel in the same shot. I quite like the sort of minimalist view above and the headless statue, but the shot below is perhaps more representative. Cook never actually stopped in Victoria though he did sail past it a few times.