Reviews for Fairmont Empress

Reviews

+13 User photos

• Ayda Sent on 10/12/2021
  1 out of 5 rating

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  Unprofessional and Disappointing

  We had a very disappointing and unexpected experience trying to coordinate our wedding at the Fairmont Empress. While dealing with the wedding manager Merina, we found her to be unavailable and unwilling to answer all of our questions. She kept many items vague, and by the end she was patronizing and disrespectful. We complained to the managers above her, whom at first tried to side with her, but later agreed that she had fallen short of the service expected from not just the Fairmont but any wedding venue provider. We were also disappointed in the Fairmont management as they didn’t start off by being sincere and apologetic, but only became so after we had to convince them and clearly highlight the unacceptable conduct and tone from Merina. Additionally, a mandatory wedding planner is required for this venue, as well as a 2 million dollar insurance policy by all vendors providing service for the hosts of the wedding. These facts were not mentioned but were present in the contract provided at the end. The whole process took 1.5 months and it strangely felt like we were inconveniencing the wedding manager for trying to host our venue there. We eventually concluded that the service we were receiving was not acceptable, and therefore it was not disheartening to move on. We found another beautiful venue which we finalized within 4 days, who were not only very helpful and available, but grateful for our business. We did not feel valued as clients throughout the whole process at the Empress and the unprofessional experience tarnished the image my fiancé and I once held of the Fairmont.

  We had a very disappointing and unexpected experience trying to coordinate our wedding at the Fairmont Empress. While dealing with the wedding manager Merina, we found her to be unavailable and unwilling to answer all of our questions. She kept many items vague, and by the end she was patronizing and disrespectful. We complained to the managers above her, whom at first tried to side with her, but later agreed that she had fallen short of the service expected from not just the Fairmont but any wedding venue provider. We were also disappointed in the Fairmont management as they didn’t start off by being sincere and apologetic, but only became so after we had to convince them and clearly highlight the unacceptable conduct and tone from Merina. Additionally, a mandatory wedding planner is required for this venue, as well as a 2 million dollar insurance policy by all vendors providing service for the hosts of the wedding. These facts were not mentioned but were present in the contract provided at the end. The whole process took 1.5 months and it strangely felt like we were inconveniencing the wedding manager for trying to host our venue there. We eventually concluded that the service we were receiving was not acceptable, and therefore it was not disheartening to move on. We found another beautiful venue which we finalized within 4 days, who were not only very helpful and available, but grateful for our business. We did not feel valued as clients throughout the whole process at the Empress and the unprofessional experience tarnished the image my fiancé and I once held of the Fairmont.
• Rupinder K. Sent on 15/03/2022
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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  Amazing service

  The Empress were able to accomodate us in a very shot notice when our other vendor double-booked the hall and didnt notified us. They were able to word around our budget and provided us the the best option available for our Reception. Everything was sublime and perfect from the food to the services provided by them. I would highly recommend them. Kimberely went above and beyond to make sure that everything was perfect.

  The Empress were able to accomodate us in a very shot notice when our other vendor double-booked the hall and didnt notified us. They were able to word around our budget and provided us the the best option available for our Reception. Everything was sublime and perfect from the food to the services provided by them. I would highly recommend them. Kimberely went above and beyond to make sure that everything was perfect.

  • +7 Photos
• Joanna V. Sent on 04/10/2019
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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    5.0
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  Beautiful wedding venue

  Our wedding at the newly renovated Empress Hotel was incredible. The hotel is absolutely stunning and Victoria itself beautiful in September. The service from our wedding coordinator Florine was professional, responsive and exceed our expectations. Florine is the best wedding coordinator you could ask for! She was knowledgeable and made helpful recommendations to us. She is also incredible nice and a pleasure to work with. Our food and drinks were also excellent.

  Our wedding at the newly renovated Empress Hotel was incredible. The hotel is absolutely stunning and Victoria itself beautiful in September. The service from our wedding coordinator Florine was professional, responsive and exceed our expectations. Florine is the best wedding coordinator you could ask for! She was knowledgeable and made helpful recommendations to us. She is also incredible nice and a pleasure to work with. Our food and drinks were also excellent.

  Fairmont Empress's reply:

  Thank you very much for your kind words Joanna, it's always a pleasure to hear from you. Thank you for sharing your experience with us and we couldn't be happier to hear that you had a fun and memorable wedding at Fairmont Empress! We can't wait to see the pictures :-) All the best to the both of you!
  Florine Battaglia - Wedding & Proposal Manager
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• Mahshid H. Sent on 05/08/2020
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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  Beautiful venue.. Amazing services

  It was super easy to plan a last minute wedding with the help of our amazing wedding coordinator, Florine. She is professional, friendly, knowledgeable, responsive and exceed our expectations. she helped us throughout the entire planning even with some vendor selection/recommendations. The team is super flexible. Our food and drinks were also excellent! We both had a pleasure working with this venue and highly recommend them.

  It was super easy to plan a last minute wedding with the help of our amazing wedding coordinator, Florine. She is professional, friendly, knowledgeable, responsive and exceed our expectations. she helped us throughout the entire planning even with some vendor selection/recommendations. The team is super flexible. Our food and drinks were also excellent! We both had a pleasure working with this venue and highly recommend them.
• Jaime H. Sent on 01/08/2019
  4.8 out of 5 rating

  4.8
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  Wonderful luxury venue

  We hosted our wedding at the Empress. My fiance and I stayed in the hotel 3 nights and our ceremony was in the Library with our reception in the Shanassey. We did a brunch buffet for our meal and also did our cake with their in house bakery.
  
  The quality was amazing on all fronts. We had a wonderful time with excellent service. It wasn't cheap by any means but was worth it for an excellent experience. 😁

  We hosted our wedding at the Empress. My fiance and I stayed in the hotel 3 nights and our ceremony was in the Library with our reception in the Shanassey. We did a brunch buffet for our meal and also did our cake with their in house bakery.
  
  The quality was amazing on all fronts. We had a wonderful time with excellent service. It wasn't cheap by any means but was worth it for an excellent experience. 😁

  Fairmont Empress's reply:

  Thank you very much Jaime! It's been a pleasure to receive all of you and be a part of your special day. Congratulations to the both of you and feel free to share some pictures with us as well :-).
  All the best, Florine Battaglia - Wedding & Proposal Manager
• Victoria Sent on 30/09/2019
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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  A True Fairytale Wedding

  We are so happy we chose the Empress as our wedding venue! Our wedding was truly a dream come true and it was absolutely perfect in a large part due to the amazing work of the team at the Empress.
  
  Our wedding coordinator Florine was an absolute pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of for our special day and she made a fantastic team together with our wedding planners Anouk Fitzner and Emma McCormick at The Good Party!
  
  We had our ceremony in the Library, which is a perfect space for a very small and intimate wedding like ours was. Our reception was in the Shaughnessy Ballroom, which is a beautiful space with lovely columns and a very classic feel. We also had our rehearsal dinner in the Bengal Lounge, a wonderful historic space perfect for a family gathering. The food at the Empress is exceptional, and we received so many compliments from our guests. We were accommodated in a very romantic and beautiful harbour view suite, which was so memorable and a great background for getting-ready photos.
  
  We would very highly recommend the Empress, and we believe that it is definitely one of the best wedding venues in the world! Thank you so much Florine and your team for making our special day absolutely perfect!
  

  We are so happy we chose the Empress as our wedding venue! Our wedding was truly a dream come true and it was absolutely perfect in a large part due to the amazing work of the team at the Empress.
  
  Our wedding coordinator Florine was an absolute pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of for our special day and she made a fantastic team together with our wedding planners Anouk Fitzner and Emma McCormick at The Good Party!
  
  We had our ceremony in the Library, which is a perfect space for a very small and intimate wedding like ours was. Our reception was in the Shaughnessy Ballroom, which is a beautiful space with lovely columns and a very classic feel. We also had our rehearsal dinner in the Bengal Lounge, a wonderful historic space perfect for a family gathering. The food at the Empress is exceptional, and we received so many compliments from our guests. We were accommodated in a very romantic and beautiful harbour view suite, which was so memorable and a great background for getting-ready photos.
  
  We would very highly recommend the Empress, and we believe that it is definitely one of the best wedding venues in the world! Thank you so much Florine and your team for making our special day absolutely perfect!
  

  • +3 Photos

  Fairmont Empress's reply:

  Hello Victoria, thank you so much for your kind words. It's been an absolute pleasure to get to know the both of you and help you plan your Fairy Tale Wedding. It was truly beautiful and so filled with joy and love that we still remember it :-). Thank you for sharing those gorgeous pictures and for keeping in touch. All the best to the both of you :-).
  Florine - Wedding & Proposal Manager
• Bruce Sent on 01/07/2019
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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  Naiomi & Bruce's Wedding

  The Empress was first class all the way from beginning to end! They were friendly, flexible, professional and very easy to work with. The service was top-notch and the food was beyond amazing!
  
  The Empress wedding planner, Florine, was so easy to work with and worked so well with our wedding planner Emma McCormick at The Good Party! With the two of them working together we knew that we didn't have to worry about a thing except to enjoy our day together with family and friends.
  
  We would highly recommend the Fairmont Empress and their team with Florine to anyone looking for an amazing venue and experience!
  
  Naiomi & Bruce

  The Empress was first class all the way from beginning to end! They were friendly, flexible, professional and very easy to work with. The service was top-notch and the food was beyond amazing!
  
  The Empress wedding planner, Florine, was so easy to work with and worked so well with our wedding planner Emma McCormick at The Good Party! With the two of them working together we knew that we didn't have to worry about a thing except to enjoy our day together with family and friends.
  
  We would highly recommend the Fairmont Empress and their team with Florine to anyone looking for an amazing venue and experience!
  
  Naiomi & Bruce

  Fairmont Empress's reply:

  Thank you so very much Naiomi & Bruce for your kind words. Your wedding day was spectacular and I was truly honored to be a part of it! Feel free to come and say hello whenever you are in the area. Congratulations to the both of you again and all the best!
  Florine Battaglia - Wedding & Proposal Manager
• Aggie S. Sent on 14/06/2019
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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  Magical wedding venue

  We toured a few dozen venues around Vancouver Island & sunshine coast, but nothing compared to the Empress - stunning renovations, attentive service, iconic location, and simply beautiful spaces for our wedding. The entire team (doormen, concierge, housekeeping, banquet servers, etc) at the Empress impressed us with attention to detail and exceptional service. Big shout out to Lisa and the absolutely wonderful Florine!
  
  Our wedding day went off without a hitch - our guests loved the food, atmosphere, Empress Gin, and the delicious GF wedding cake. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.
  
  We are already looking forward to spending our anniversary here!

  We toured a few dozen venues around Vancouver Island & sunshine coast, but nothing compared to the Empress - stunning renovations, attentive service, iconic location, and simply beautiful spaces for our wedding. The entire team (doormen, concierge, housekeeping, banquet servers, etc) at the Empress impressed us with attention to detail and exceptional service. Big shout out to Lisa and the absolutely wonderful Florine!
  
  Our wedding day went off without a hitch - our guests loved the food, atmosphere, Empress Gin, and the delicious GF wedding cake. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.
  
  We are already looking forward to spending our anniversary here!

  Fairmont Empress's reply:

  Thank you so very much for your kind words Aggie! I am so glad to hear that your wedding day was magical and that you all had a great time with us! It was a stunning day and we were honored to be a part of that! We wish you all the best in the world and see you at your anniversary :-). Florine Battaglia, Wedding & Proposal Manager.
• Priscilla C. Sent on 04/09/2018
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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  Amazing staff and services

  The services at the Fairmont was top notch! The staff was very friendly, from the valets, to the bellhops, to the front desk, to the banquet captains, event coordinators, servers, etc. Everyone went over and above to make our wedding as effortless and memorable as possible. The event coordinator I was assigned, Nicole, was very helpful and she was always available by phone or email. and responded in a very timely manner. She also helped break down information for me whenever I had no idea or understanding. For the pricing as well, everything was very reasonable and they helped detail charges to the cent. Definitely recommend here for a venue and also recommend their onsite AV company for mics, uplights, etc.

  The services at the Fairmont was top notch! The staff was very friendly, from the valets, to the bellhops, to the front desk, to the banquet captains, event coordinators, servers, etc. Everyone went over and above to make our wedding as effortless and memorable as possible. The event coordinator I was assigned, Nicole, was very helpful and she was always available by phone or email. and responded in a very timely manner. She also helped break down information for me whenever I had no idea or understanding. For the pricing as well, everything was very reasonable and they helped detail charges to the cent. Definitely recommend here for a venue and also recommend their onsite AV company for mics, uplights, etc.

  Fairmont Empress's reply:

  Priscilla, thank you very much. It was an absolute pleasure to work with you on your amazing wedding. The staff still rave about how beautiful and moving the entire event was. Your very kind comments are most certainly appreciated and we will make sure that everyone is aware. Once again, thank you very much for selecting Fairmont Empress to be a part of your family's history. We take this honour very seriously.
  
  Allan Nichols
  Manager, Catering Sales