Guest Review of the James Bay Inn Victoria
Oct 16, 2010
The hotel is located just a few blocks from the inner harbor. The staff was very
friendly and helpful. Rooms could use some updating, but they are very clean and
comfortable. Beware there is no elevator, but that was not a problem for us.
Guest Review of the James Bay Inn Victoria
Oct 12, 2010
Based on value, JBI can not be beat. We absolutely loved our stay there over
Thanksgiving. We had a cozy corner room on the second room and it had everything
we needed. The parking and internet were free and the staff were very friendly.
The building is charming and it's in a great location. Just 10 minutes walk to
the harbour and 10 minutes the other way to Dallas Road. Sweet!
We didn't mean to stay here as our usual hotel was booked already. However,
we've discovered our new hotel in Victoria. Thanks for a great stay! Sure, the
James Bay Inn isn't the greatest of hotels out there but it's all about value
and this place delivers.
Guest Review of the James Bay Inn Victoria
Oct 11, 2010
The front desk staff are nice, but we were not prepared for a hotel that smelled
like stale beer and grease. We booked to stay in the hotel as this hotel was
recommended by the group that runs ferry the to Port Angeles. The room we had
was very clean but the hotel itself is not like the small inns or boutique
hotels found in Victoria. There are many stairs from the street to the front
entrance to the hotel and no elevators in the hotel, if you have luggage or a
stroller etc, it's a tough go.
Guest Review of the James Bay Inn Victoria
Sep 26, 2010
While prices are skyrocketing in Canada, especially in lovely cities like
Victoria, travelers are seeking budget accommodations at a greater than ever
rate. The James Bay Inn has always been part of the budget crowd, and now we
know why. The room was small (had to crawl over the bed to get to the bathroom
with 2 people trying to pass), noisy (next to street and above parking lot and
restaurant entrance), and unwelcoming (limited decor, old furnishings). The
shower ran hot/cold as neighbors flushed and brushed, the room temperature
varied wildly from one hour to the next, with no apparent means of control, and
the hotel pics don't really look like what you get (we chose the cheapest room,
admittedly). The distance from the harbor is do-able (about 3 long blocks), but
feels further and not as close as advertised. The room was very clean, though,
and for one night it was manageable.
Guest Review of the James Bay Inn Victoria
Sep 25, 2010
Now 72, retired, a recovering stroke & aneurism survivor, I wanted to see all of
Canada, this was a starting point, I've now been coast to coast...I found 'The
James Bay Inn' in Frommer's (Victoria & Vancouver BC) tourist guide book & I've
been back, 'several times' since...it's just a great all-around hotel, for quiet
adults.
The James Bay staff is low key, knowledgeable & very helpful....the location,
just a brisk walk to town, the tourist bureau, shopping, coffee houses,
entertainment, museums, great transportation & with other services...it's old
fashioned, clean, with up to date facilities, early am. coffee, newspapers,
internet 24/7, great food, an English pub...while there's no elevators, it's
manageable for most & has real local flavor....truthfully, I've yet to find
another hotel like The James Bay Inn...anywhere!
Guest Review of the James Bay Inn Victoria
Sep 4, 2010
5 minutes stroll from the parliament and the famous inner harbour. the rooms are
clean, affordable and big enough but basic. a decor update is due... the
building is in a very cute neighborhood and staff are friendly. Pls avoid having
breakfast in the pub underneath the inn, way overpriced and not good. Overall we
had a lovely stay.
Guest Review of the James Bay Inn Victoria
Aug 11, 2010
The James Bay Inn has renewed my lease on life as a lover of Victoria.
I am a writer and editor who has sojourned in Little England to work (and play),
both as a contract employee and as a freelance. For three decades I stayed at
the Cherry Bank Hotel, which I found delightful, comfortable, highly conducive
to work and relaxation both – and very inexpensive compared to anything else I
knew about in Victoria.
When The Bank was torn down earlier in the new millennium, I felt that I had
lost a friend – and that I was now homeless in Victoria. Although I had stayed
once in the Strath, a few times in the old Dominion, and spent far too many
evenings in the JBI pub, I couldn't see the either of former as a replacement
for the Cherry Bank, and for some reason never did think of the James Bay Inn as
a place to stay, rather than drink.
For years I didn't have a pragmatic reason to return to Victoria, and without a
home to go to I had no inclination to visit simply for my own purposes – I love
the city, I had found it an inspiring place to write. I felt deprived of a
touchstone place which had informed two novels and a lot of poetry.
This past weekend I had cause to go to Victoria, a writing-related business
meeting. Where to stay? I looked up the JBI because of its location and the fact
that I at least knew the building. I thought.. One night couldn't hurt. Well,
that one night was a revelation.
The James Bay is not only charming, it is living history. I discovered, for
instance, that Emily Carr, who had lived a very short distance away, died in the
building while it was operated by Catholic nuns as St. Mary's Priory. The hotel
has elegance in its portal and lobby, in much of its furniture, in the
spaciousness of its hallways and in the "presence" of most of its frontline
staff.
Room 307 – which I was assigned despite the fact that I had asked for a
"special," which would ordinarily mean a lesser accommodation – is airy,
spacious and most comfortably appointed. There is a sink and counter in the
bedroom for such ablutions as shaving, tooth brushing and ordinary washing of
hands. There is an ensuite bathroom with room to swing many cats and an entirely
functional shower enclosure. There is an efficient extractor fan, and a window
which opens (as do the windows in the bedroom – all sash). There is a large
writing desk, free high speed wireless Internet access, a good television set, a
telephone and a radio alarm with large time display and decent sound quality.
Two comfortable chairs, one truly elegant. I'm a smoker, and while rooms and
public areas within the hotel are strictly non-smoking, there is a large balcony
set into the front of the building, complete with comfortable patio furniture –
and ashtrays!
I thoroughly enjoyed my brief stay, conversations with staff, encounters with
other guests, and slept serenely, albeit briefly because I was enjoying my time
too much to want to waste much of it on sleep. And I did do some writing,
although that hadn't been part of my intent. In fact, I developed a notion for a
new novel.
I'm planning a personal writing retreat at the James Bay when winter rates are
in effect and the price structure for extended stay is a week at the price of
five days, or 30 days for the price of 15.
In short, I have fallen in love with a new old Victoria hotel and would highly
recommend it to anyone wanting a quiet, old-fashioned establishment which
carefully preserves its rich heritage and offers staff who understand that and
treat their guests with relaxed, affable helpfulness. Like hoteliers of old, the
people of the James Bay are actually interested in the individuals they host.
Remarkable.
My only caution is that there are a lot of stairs between street level and the
rooms of the second and third floors. Even though I'm 65 and have had two major
leg surgeries in the past two years, I experienced no difficulty. But if stairs
are an issue for you, especially when carrying or pulling luggage, come with an
able-bodied companion.
|
