Guest Review of the Union Club British Columbia
May 2, 2009
I found the Union Club to be a civilized experience to the typical hotel
experience. I stayed there for a week when I was just moving back to
Victoria and found my expectations well exceeded.
My room was clean, comfortable, and tasteful. Many of the bathroom
fittings appeared to be quite old , but everything worked fine and I
appreciated the history. After all there is nothing more jarring than
having a bedroom full of antiques with an ensuite that is totally not in
the same period.
The amenities of the club are generous with a gym, pool room, library,
reading room, casual dining salon, and formal dining room. The
facilities are simply gorgeous and the old elevator is a real treat.
The general ambience of the club is gracious without being pretentious.
The staff are friendly without being intrusive. Because this is a club,
not a hotel, there are some expectations of responsibility on the part
of the guests. This means that there is a dress code in the common areas
of the club, but this is not onerous if you are used to simple
conventions of public decorum anyway. Also, the general public is not
permitted on the premises -- club members and booked guests only. The
upside to this is that even at the height of a busy season, the club
feels like an uncluttered haven.
Guest Review of the Union Club British Columbia
Nov 27, 2008
This is an old British men's club that decided to open up some rooms and
make some money. It is a COOL idea, and allows non- English types
(including women now) to experience the "calm" of an upper class
institution.
There is a dress code for public reception areas and breakfast. Thus, no
"riff raff". VERY quiet, stately, and historic (big plaque above the
hugh fireplace remembering the club members to gave their lives "for
King and Country" in "The Great War".)
CHARMING people worked reception. It is not stuffy at all; just very
gentile. Loved the experience. The location was superb; next to the
Empress Hotel on the Harbor.
The rooms were very clean but a little barren; but the point was NOT to
spend a lot of time in the room......
Guest Review of the Union Club British Columbia
Sep 26, 2008
This is a traditional gentlemen's club that takes paying guests as a
side line. It is positioned right down town with views of the government
building of BC (can be noisy). There is no garden with this hotel. The
room we had was enormous and had the most comfortable bed. Some of the
fittings were old especially in the bathroom but generally it was OK.
I would have been nice to have tea and coffee facilities in our room but
sadly no. There was a constant supply of coffee downstairs in the public
rooms.
All in all we had a pleasant stay and the staff could not have been more
helpful.
Guest Review of the Union Club British Columbia
Aug 11, 2008
I found the Union Club to be a civilized experience to the typical hotel
experience. I stayed there for a week when I was just moving back to
Victoria and found my expectations well exceeded.
My room was clean, comfortable, and tasteful. Many of the bathroom
fittings appeared to be quite old (the tub was definitely pre-war), but
everything worked fine and I appreciated the history. After all there is
nothing more jarring than having a bedroom full of antiques with an
ensuite that is totally not in the same period.
The amenities of the club are generous with a gym, pool room, library,
reading room, casual dining salon, and formal dining room. The
facilities are simply gorgeous and the old elevator is a real treat. I
thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening ensconced in a leather sofa in
front of the fireplace in the reading room, perusing stacks of
newspapers and magazines.
The general ambience of the club is gracious without being pretentious.
The staff are friendly without being intrusive. Because this is a club,
not a hotel, there are some expectations of responsibility on the part
of the guests. This means that there is a dress code in the common areas
of the club, but this is not onerous if you are used to simple
conventions of public decorum anyway. Also, the general public is not
permitted on the premises -- club members and booked guests only. The
upside to this is that even at the height of a busy season, the club
feels like an uncluttered haven. |
