Victoria boutique hotel Abigail’s Hotel reports record summer and near sold-out fall as Canadians travel closer to home
Canada's top-ranked hotel finished the summer at 98 percent occupancy, is booked to near capacity through October, and
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Canada’s top-ranked hotel finished the summer at 98 percent occupancy, is booked to near capacity through October, and launches autumn breakfast menu this month
VICTORIA, BC, CANADA, October 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Abigail’s Hotel, the 30-room boutique hotel in Victoria, British Columbia named the number one hotel in Canada in TripAdvisor’s 2025 and 2026 Travellers’ Choice Awards, closed its summer season at approximately 98 percent occupancy, the highest in the hotel’s 95-year history. Bookings have not slowed with the season change. September occupancy has tracked with July and August, and the hotel is close to sold out through the third week of October.
The hotel attributes part of the increase to a shift in Canadian travel patterns. Return guests from within Canada rose over the summer compared with a typical year, while visitor numbers from the hotel’s core American markets of Seattle, Portland and California held steady. Victoria’s milder coastal winters have also produced a rise in extended stays of four or five nights, particularly among Canadian travellers who would previously have wintered in the United States.
“We are seeing Canadians rediscover Victoria as a place to stay for a week rather than a night, and that changes how we run the hotel,” said Allison Fairhurst, General Manager of Abigail’s Hotel. “At 30 rooms and with guests staying longer, we stop being Mr. and Mrs. Jones and start being on a first-name basis. That is the service standard we intend to protect as demand grows.”
Fall also brings a full turnover of the kitchen program. Head Chef Gerald is finalizing the autumn three-course breakfast menu, built around Vancouver Island’s fall harvest of root vegetables, pumpkin and local produce, with holiday variations including turkey eggs benedict served over Canadian Thanksgiving. The hotel’s evening service moves to fresh homemade soups for the colder months, and weekly floral displays shift to seasonal arrangements.
The pace inside the hotel changes as well. Guests arriving after Labour Day are typically couples and older travellers who book for rest rather than summer adventure tourism, and concierge requests drop as the share of returning and Vancouver Island guests rises. The library becomes the centre of the guest day, with board games, puzzles and reading by the fire. Guest rooms have electric fireplaces.
“September through November is the season this hotel was designed for,” said Fairhurst. “Dark mornings, rain on the windows, a fire lit in the library and guests who are in no hurry to leave the breakfast table. The oak tree at our front door turns red and locals stop to photograph it on their way past.”
About Abigail’s Hotel
Abigail’s Hotel is a 95-year-old Tudor mansion in Victoria, British Columbia, operating as a 30-room adults-only boutique hotel within walking distance of the Inner Harbour. Guest rooms feature fireplaces, jetted soaker tubs and claw-foot bathtubs, and every stay includes a three-course gourmet breakfast prepared daily from local ingredients. Abigail’s Hotel was named the number one hotel in Canada in TripAdvisor’s 2025 Travellers’ Choice Awards. More information is available at abigailshotel.com.
Christian Oldale
Media Representative – Abigail’s Hotel
+ +1 403-880-1811
email us here
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