Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa

Located across from historic St. Ann’s Academy on Humbolt Street, I’ve stayed at Parkside Victoria twice in the last year and realized that I haven’t written a word about it. The hotel, that also has residences, is one of the capital city’s newest accommodations and has LEED® Platinum Certification on top of its designer touches and amenities.

My first stay was in a 2-bedroom suite with my sister, my niece, and her friend. The girls loved the pool and went down every evening for a swim. My second stay was during a conference and I was on the harbour side of the hotel in a 1-bedroom suite.

The common areas are peaceful and warm with playful koi swimming through indoor and outdoor streams, plenty of plant-life, and a lounge area where residents and hotel guests can use courtesy iPads. There’s also a theatre room with nightly movie features.

The statues and some of the rare tropical plants you’ll find in the atrium were scooped up from Victoria’s now defunct Crystal Gardens so they tell an interesting story about one of the city’s legendary landmarks.

A common rooftop garden area and a penthouse amenities room for residents look out over the city and upon the building’s green roofs.

Each suite has a balcony with patio furniture, WIFI, a living room space with a fireplace, dining room table, and two bathrooms.

The only thing that I didn’t quite grasp was the lack of a door on the ensuite bathroom, attached to the main bedroom. There was a frosted half-wall so you couldn’t see the bathtub from the bed however the toilet wasn’t behind a door at all. If you’re in town for a romantic getaway, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to sit on the bed, warm by the fireplace, and look over to see your partner… right there.

Options or work-arounds would be to use the sink and tub in that bathroom, then use the other bathroom in the suite (with a shower and a full-length door) for anything else. The resort is impressive in all other areas. From the large indoor swimming pool and spa, to granite, slate, and natural limestone counter tops, and textiles made from low or non-emitting, non-toxic recycled materials.

I believe the Parkside is best-suited for travelers that would like all of the touches of home and who don’t mind missing some regular hotel staples (like room service or a full-service restaurant although there is a cafe downstairs). Full kitchens are available in the suites and it is within walking distance of dozens of restaurants — from The Old Spaghetti Factory to the Sticky Wicket, Brown’s, or Vista 18.

Other than the no-door issue in the master bathroom, I think the suites are comfortable, modern, and very spacious. Parkside is definitely another great hotel option in Victoria if you’d like a low-maintenance, high tech, no-fuss stay where you can cook your own meals in a home away from home.

Follow @Parkside_Vic on Twitter for updates, Victoria event information, and events they host themselves such as “Yoga on the Roof”.

Disclosure: cmp.ly/2 My first stay was on a media visit and my second was during Social Media Camp. As a speaker, my room was covered by the conference.