16 April 2012
this was a perfect location. It was more like an apartment suite, than a hotel
room. Parking was available for $10 a day, which was reasonable, and only a
block away from hotel. There was a pub attached to the hotel, which offered a
15% discount for hotel guests, and they had live music every night. I thought ,
this might be a problem, if the live music was going on at 1 a.m. and guests are
trying to sleep, but the walls were very sound proof, and i could not hear the
music in the room.
The hotel was located very near Chinatown, and only about 2 blocks from main
shopping areas of Victoria. It was perhaps 8-9 blocks from the main harbour
area, where the BC museum is, and the large govt buildings are. It is located
one block from a GREAT place for breakfast, Willie bakery and cafe, on Johnson
st.
This area had a lot of interesting buildings, and there were plaques on the
buildings to explain what it looked like previously. The staff was friendly and
helpful. There was no breakfast, but coffee provided only on weekends mornings.
I bought it with a coupon, so it would probably have been too pricey for me,
without that. But i thought it was a great place, and would recommend it to you.
Even at full price, you are not getting just a hotel room - you are getting a
living room, a patio, dining room, full kitchen, and upstairs bedroom and
bathroom. This would normally have been $220 a night. There was a fold out sofa
downstairs.
Guest Reviews Swans Suite Hotel Victoria
13 April 2012
Stayed at the Swans - we had a two bedroom suite (1 king bed + 2 singles beds in
another room) which were upstairs from our spacious living quarters which
comprised large bathroom, good kitchenette, large recreational space and outdoor
patio,
The huge king bed and good wardrobe space were a plus, and although this
renovated 1900's warehouse has few windows in the bedrooms, there were skylights
and the rooms were tastefully decorated and thoughtfully laid-out.
The kitchenette was well stocked and there was complimentary tea and coffee.
As part of a micro-brewery the bottle store attached to the hotel is a great
place to visit - but the real plus for us (2 adults, 2 kids) was the vegetarian
friendly restaurant with helpful service. After dinner we adults relaxed in the
bar with live music.
The hotel is well situated in Chinatown with close parking nearby. The well
worth a visit Fisherman's Wharf is about 20 odd minutes walk away and frankly,
we spent too little time in Victoria - it is a great, friendly place.
We will be back - and we will be staying at The Swans!
Guest Reviews Swans Suite Hotel Victoria
5 April 2012
We had the pleasure of staying at Swans over a very sunny and pleasant March
weekend in Victoria. We were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in a two
floor room with kitchenette, livingroom with fireplace, washroom and outdoor
patio on the main floor with a upstairs bedroom with skylight. The rooms had
been refurbished and were very tastfully finished. The location of the hotel was
perfect, being next to Chinatown, and across from the beginning of the seawall
walk. One block from old twon shopping, within walking distance of all
attractions.
Restaurant was great, especially if you enjoy locally made award winning beers
which are made on site. Food was great and reasonably priced.
Took the Clipper Ferry from Seattle to downtown Victoria waterfront. The trip
itself is a wonderful scenic experience.
Will definitely stay again at Swans.
Guest Reviews Swans Suite Hotel Victoria
16 March 2012
This was a weekend stay with two small children. The Swans bills itself as a
boutique art hotel, but I would characterize it more as a heritage property. You
can still walk to the most important downtown attractions, but rather than being
front and center at the waterfront like the more prominent (and expensive)
hotels, it's on the edge of the old town in a gentrifying neighborhood. Parking
is located off-site in an unsecured open lot about a block away, which was
somewhat inconvenient and a little sketchy.
We had no issues with the service, which was always friendly and polite.
However, both the public areas and rooms are a bit on the dated and tired side,
maybe a notch above your typical all-suite motel. On the plus side, our suite
was very spacious and had a nicely equipped kitchen, which was welcome as we
were staying with both an infant and a preschooler. Be aware that most rooms are
loft-style and have fairly steep staircases, which might not be ideal for some
travellers. As other reviewers have mentioned, the rooms can also get a little
stuffy, even in winter.
The hotel houses the well-known Swans Brewpub downstairs, which has a very nice
selection of food and drinks, but can get loud and boisterous around holidays
and weekends. Also, the main pub is licensed as a bar, which means that underage
patrons cannot legally enter, even to pass through or use the washroom. We had
no problem sitting with our kids in the fully-enclosed patio area, but having to
navigate around the main entrance to get in or out, or take them to the
lavatory, got tired pretty quickly.
Overall, it's a different and unique property with a nice vibe and a great pub.
But if you're travelling with young kids, or looking for something a little up
market, you may want to look elsewhere. |
