It’s important that I preface this by saying that we started our trip to Victoria before social distancing and self-isolation were enacted in British Columbia. Please don’t cancel me. Circumstances changed and escalated very quickly while we were over on Vancouver Island. As a result, we spent a lot more time in our hotel room at the Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina than we had originally anticipated.

I’ve been sitting on this video since we came back home in mid-March. Now isn’t really the time to encourage any sort of non-essential travel. Originally, I thought about holding off on sharing this video until the situation improves and it’s safe to travel again. However, despite some “glimmers of hope” about “flattening the curve” in BC, we’re probably going to be hunkering down for at least the next few months. To that end, think of this hotel room tour (and another upcoming video I have from Victoria) as a bit of a virtual escape while we all self-isolate. Enjoy.

Last summer, we played “local tourist” by visiting the Othello Tunnels near Hope, as well as Cultus Lake, Chilliwack and Harrison Hot Springs. The year before, we took a family “staycation” in Whistler, staying at the Westin Whistler. For the first few days of spring break this year, we hopped on a ferry over to Vancouver Island. It’s weird, because I’ve never really played local tourist in Victoria. As the situation quickly changed, so did our experience there. We’ll have to come back when things return to normal.

As far as where we stayed, the Coast Victoria Hotel and Marina was perfectly pleasant. It’s literally steps away from Fisherman’s Wharf with those picturesque houseboats. And it’s only a 10-minute walk away from the Inner Harbour, BC Parliament Buildings and Fairmont Empress Hotel, so we’re close enough to downtown without being right in the middle of it. The location is perfect. There’s an indoor/outdoor pool too, but we didn’t make use of that for obvious reasons.

The Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA is located at 146 Kingston Street in Victoria, BC. We paid about $150 per night, plus secure gated underground parking ($18 per night), taxes and fees. Naturally, rates will vary based on availability and season.

I cannot emphasize this enough. Until it is safe and recommended to travel again, please stay home and stay healthy. Wash your hands. Avoid touching your face. And we can all explore this wonderful world of ours again when it’s safe to do so.