New hotels in Victoria

We track three new hotels in Victoria, British Columbia's capital on the southern tip of Vancouver Island: one open, two announced. Rosemead House, a 28-room restoration in Esquimalt, reopened in October 2025 and is the only Canadian entry on Condé Nast Traveller's 2026 Hot List. Hyatt Centric Victoria - Old Town, the brand's first foothold in the city, is targeting 2028 inside the restored 1892 Duck's Building. A third project, a hotel-only conversion of the former B.C. Power Commission building near the Inner Harbour, remains under municipal permit review with no brand or date confirmed. First-time visitors do best around the Inner Harbour; anyone wanting a quieter, design-led stay should look at Esquimalt.

What to do

A weekend in Victoria

Walk the Inner Harbour in the morning past the BC Parliament Buildings and the Fairmont Empress, then continue to Fisherman's Wharf for fish and chips among the houseboats, watching for the harbour seals that gather there. In the afternoon, cross into Chinatown, the oldest in Canada, through the Gate of Harmonious Interest on Fisgard Street, and duck down Fan Tan Alley, reputedly the narrowest street in the country. Spend the evening in James Bay, Victoria's oldest neighbourhood, with a walk along the Dallas Road waterfront or through Beacon Hill Park before dinner.

A full week

With more time, add a day trip to Butchart Gardens, a half-day at the Royal BC Museum, and an afternoon at Craigdarroch Castle, the Victorian-era mansion above downtown. Whale-watching tours run out of the Inner Harbour and Fisherman's Wharf most of the year, and a bike ride along the Galloping Goose Trail is an easy way to see Esquimalt and the harbour from the water side, past Rosemead House's own stretch of Lampson Street. The small foot-passenger ferries that criss-cross the Inner Harbour are a faster, more scenic way to reach Fisherman's Wharf than walking, and a guided tour of the BC Legislature building rounds out a slower-paced afternoon downtown.

Where to stay

Old Town

Hyatt Centric Victoria - Old Town is confirmed for the corner of Government and Yates streets, restoring the 1892 Duck's Building alongside a new eight-storey tower on the former Canada Hotel site: Victoria's first new hotel construction in nearly 20 years, and Hyatt's first in the city. Targeted for 2028, it will put guests inside the Old Town district, home to Canada's oldest Chinatown, within walking distance of the Inner Harbour.

Esquimalt

Rosemead House reopened in October 2025 at 429 Lampson Street in Esquimalt, a $25 million, decade-long restoration of a 1906 Tudor Revival manor that spent decades as the Olde English Inn before closing in 2010. The 28-room hotel trades Inner Harbour proximity for a quieter residential setting a short drive or bike ride from downtown.

Downtown core

A hotel-only conversion of the 1949 art-deco former B.C. Power Commission building at Blanshard, Fairfield and Burdett is working through a revised heritage-alteration permit filed with the City of Victoria in June 2026. The four-storey cast-concrete building was originally intended as a hospital before instead becoming the B.C. Power Commission's headquarters from 1950, and has never operated as a hotel; it currently houses an artist studio and gallery community of roughly 80 artists, whose displacement has become a local point of debate alongside the proposal. Developer Reliance Properties has dropped an earlier residential tower from the plan in favor of a roughly 126-room, hotel-only scheme with a rooftop restaurant and terrace, but no operator, brand or construction date has been confirmed, and council has not yet approved the application.

Which hotel for your trip

Design and history-minded travelers

Rosemead House rewards guests who care about a building's backstory: a 1906 manor turned inn turned, after a decade of restoration, into one of only a handful of Canadian hotels named to Condé Nast Traveller's annual Hot List.

Travelers who want to stay inside Old Town

Once it opens, Hyatt Centric Victoria - Old Town will put guests inside the historic district itself, steps from Chinatown and a short walk from the Inner Harbour: Victoria's first hotel brand debut in nearly two decades.

Travelers watching Victoria's pipeline

The 780 Blanshard Street project remains the one to watch: a genuine adaptive-reuse permit application is under active city review, but with no brand, no finalized room count beyond the current 126-room proposal, and no opening date, it's not yet a hotel to plan a trip around.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Victoria?

Rosemead House, which reopened in October 2025 in the Esquimalt neighbourhood after a $25 million restoration of a 1906 Tudor Revival manor.

What hotel is coming next to Victoria?

Hyatt Centric Victoria - Old Town, targeting 2028 at the corner of Government and Yates streets: the brand's first hotel in the city.

Is there a hotel planned for downtown Victoria near the Inner Harbour?

A conversion of the former B.C. Power Commission building at 780 Blanshard Street is under active permit review as of mid-2026, but no brand, operator or opening date has been confirmed.

What was the 780 Blanshard Street building used for before?

Built in 1949 in art-deco style, it was originally intended as a hospital before becoming the headquarters of the B.C. Power Commission from 1950. It has never operated as a hotel, and currently houses an artist studio and gallery community.

Is Victoria's Chinatown worth visiting?

Yes: it's the oldest Chinatown in Canada, entered through the Gate of Harmonious Interest on Fisgard Street, with Fan Tan Alley, reputedly the narrowest street in the country, running behind it.

Is Rosemead House within walking distance of the Inner Harbour?

No: Rosemead House sits in Esquimalt, a short drive or bike ride from downtown Victoria and the Inner Harbour, rather than in the historic core itself.