Destination vs. Downtown Accommodations
When you are looking for accommodations in Victoria, BC, you may be ambivalent about the lodging’s location. Downtown is where many tourist attractions are located, but if you opt for the noise and bustle of the city’s center, then you miss out on the serene beauty and majesty of British Columbia’s natural environment—which is perhaps the essence of a trip to the Island.
Victoria’s bed and breakfast, Birds of a Feather, is a destination in and of itself, offering luxury accommodations at “nature’s doorstep”. You could spend your entire vacation on site, without running out of things to do! Guests can relax on their own private decks or down on the inn’s private dock, they can explore the beachfront, hike in the surrounding old growth forests, or enjoy the complimentary use of the B&B’s kayaks, rowboats, or canoes in the lagoon, which joins with the Pacific Ocean but is safely protected from it.
The lagoon has been designated a migratory bird sanctuary and attracts wildlife, both avian (eagles, osprey, seabirds) and otherwise (seals, otters), which you can glimpse from indoors at the breakfast table or up close at the water’s edge.
The most marked disparity between a downtown hotel and a destination B&B is the unique experience the latter provides. Birds of a Feather’s decor has one-of-a-kind touches that guests (especially children) always remember, such as a rolling library ladder on a track that leads up to a loft, spiral staircases, and of course the gorgeous private balconies. Birds of a Feather has been purpose-built as a bed and breakfast, which means it not only has private units, but also separate entrances, so guests have complete privacy and control of their level of interaction with hosts and other guests. That being said, the “breakfast” aspect of the B&B gives guests the unique opportunity to meet and share stories with other travellers from all over the world.
The B&B offers an abundance of experiences and distinctive features, and you are still in close proximity—just a 15 minute drive—to Victoria’s downtown’s attractions: the inner harbour, parliament buildings, the Empress Tea Room, art galleries, and museums. With Birds of a Feather, you don’t have to choose between the scenic natural beauty of a destination locale and the convenience of a downtown location; you can have both—a peaceful coastal oasis with easy access to downtown!
