There is no doubt Vancouver Island is a tourist destination, but a recent list of the top 10 hotels across the Canada, confirms a few great reasons to visit Greater Victoria.
The Beacon Inn at Sidney was ranked third in the 3-star hotel category while Magnolia Hotel and Spa in Victoria came in at the no. 6 spot in the 4-star category.
Abigail’s Hotel slid into fifth place and Brentwood Bay Resort and Spa into eighth place in the 4-star category.
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Since 2001, the nine-room Beacon Inn on Third Street in Sidney has strived to provide a home-away-from-home feeling, says Innkeeper Denise Peat. Coming off a record year for 2018, the award was a surprise for the staff of six.
“It’s certainly great recognition of the hard work and passion of our team here,” Peat says.
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For the past five years, the inn has also received an annual award of excellence from Trip Advisor. More travelers are using these types of review sites, and Peat says those reviews are often a deciding factor as to where a guest chooses to stay.
“I think there’s always been that kind of traveler,” she says of those who choose a more intimate option. “They’re looking for not just a place to lay their heads, but a place to have an experience.”
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The Inn, she says is a unique offering to the area. Visitors to Greater Victoria tend to slow to visitors during the winter months.
“Hopefully this will put not just ourselves, but Sidney on the map,” she says. “[Leading to] more heads in the beds.”
The list, compiled by Trivago, a German technology and marketing company that specializes in hotel and lodging also rated destinations in Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the UK and the United States.