Gaining the Edge - Tourism Strategy
Fairmont Empress Celebrates Centennial
Fairmont Empress Celebrates Centennial with Deal of a Century and Breakfast In Bed with Royal-Tea!
Fairmont Empress Birthday Special Just CDN $100.00 any time of the year, if booked between January 20 – January 31, 2008
Victoria, B.C., January 14, 2008 – The start of the new year sees the grande dame of Victoria B.C.'s inner harbour embarking on a face-lift, in time for her centennial year. To celebrate, guests who make a reservation between January 20 (the Fairmont Empress' actual birthday) and January 31, 2008 to come celebrate anytime in 2008 can take advantage of a deal of a century!
The Deal of a Century is just CDN $100.00 and includes overnight accommodation anytime in 2008, based on availability, in one of the Fairmont Empress' Fairmont rooms. While guests may wish the Fairmont Empress "Happy Birthday” in person anytime in 2008, to book the centennial package at this special rate, people must make a booking between January 20 and January 31, 2008.
Because birthdays should always last all year long, the Breakfast in Bed with Royal-Tea package will be available throughout 2008 and starts at CDN $269.00, based on double occupancy. It includes overnight accommodation, breakfast for two, Royal Tea for two (including celebratory bubbly!) and a copy of the newly updated and beautifully illustrated Fairmont Empress coffee table book.
While visiting, guests can admire the newly laid oak tea lobby floors, and possibly purchase tea boxes and tea trays hand crafted from the oak recycled from the original floors. The original oak flooring put in 100 years of amazing service, if you keep in mind that The Fairmont Empress' Afternoon Tea has become such a tradition that the hotel serves 1,000 teas a day in high season, which is more than any hotel in London, England! When first served in 1908 Afternoon Tea cost $1.00 in high season while today it is $60.00 per person. Famous people who have indulged in Afternoon Tea at The Fairmont Empress include Bob Hope, Shirley Temple, Ginger Rogers, Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Streisand, John Travolta and John Wayne. The Tea Lobby front entrance has seen many members of royalty pass through its doors including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and Prince Edward during the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Photos of many of the famous people who have visited this graceful hotel are displayed through out its public spaces.
The Crystal Ballroom, the location for Victoria celebrations for the past 100 years, is also being renovated to provide a more updated yet elegant room for future celebrations. Other spectacular public rooms include the Bengal Lounge (1912) famous for its curry buffet and richly appointed Victorian "clubroom” atmosphere, and The Empress Room where guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner, with its lush tapestry walls that rise 20 feet to meet a uniquely carved ceiling which would be difficult to replicate today as its creation is a lost art. A new addition to the hotel in the 21st century is the 8,000 square foot, $6 million Willow Stream Spa.
And while the Fairmont Empress has been traditionally outshone at night by the spectacularly lit Legislature Buildings, local lighting experts, Lightworks, are currently outfitting the hotel in brand new birthday finery in the form of exterior lighting. This will illuminate the incredible architecture of the Francis Rattenbury designed building and provide the opportunity to change colours and intensity for special events. The new exterior lighting will be launched in spring of 2008, and will showcase the hotel in a way that is befitting an iconic hotel overlooking one of the most beautiful harbours in the world.
The Fairmont Empress is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, the largest operator of luxury hotels and resorts in North America. Fairmont celebrated the centennial anniversary of its brand in 2007. With its collection of fabled castles, secluded lodges, storied meeting places and modern retreats, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts opens the doors to some of the world's most celebrated addresses. With locations throughout ten countries, its 50 distinctive hotels -including The Fairmont Empress, Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Banff Springs, and London's Savoy- promise travelers rich experiences and lasting memories in unparalleled settings. Committed to growing its portfolio of world-class hotels, Fairmont has reflagged four hotels in Kenya and recently re-opened New York's famed Plaza Hotel. Future Fairmont Hotels & Resorts also include locations in Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Vancouver and South Africa. Fairmont Raffles Holdings International owns and operates over 120 hotels worldwide under the Fairmont, Raffles, Swissôtel and Delta brands, as well as vacation ownership properties managed by Fairmont Heritage Place.
For more information or reservations people may call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com.
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Media Information:
Tartan PR – 250-592-3838
Deirdre Campbell (250) 882-9199 (cell)
Sarah Milner (250) 882-1188 (cell)
The Fairmont Empress – 250-384-8111
Mai Lai, Public Relations Coordinator - 250-389-2720
