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1888 Chop House – Banff, Alberta

We delayed our anniversary a bit while we waited for COVID to settle down and when it did, we made it into 1888 Chop House inside the Fairmont Banff Springs for a dessert. We actually stayed at the hotel for this special occasion and even though everything was perfect and professional, I realized that staying home was where I wanted to be. We came downstairs from our room, masks and all and they seated us quickly by the giant fireplace. It was really lovely!! We ordered our fancy drinks and then ordered some late night desserts.

I knew once I sat down that I wanted to enjoy their Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake which was beautifully presented! The cheesecake was coconut which I loved, light and creamy but not heavy. The crust was an oreo crumb and it was the perfect vehicle as it added the texture of crunch!

Just for something different, we ordered the Baked Alaska which was awesome as there was that table-side interaction where they still did the flambe and it looked amazing! I know it doesn’t look great in the picture, but it had amazing ice cream and berry compote. When it’s simple, it has to be perfect and it was! I actually think they called it Baked Alberta, but I don’t have record of it so who knows!!

From our drinks and dessert experience here, I know we’ll have to book in for an actual meal! Hopefully in the near future as I would love to experience this chophouse and honestly it’s always our gift to each other, the Fairmont experience!

1888 Chop House

405 Spray Ave,
Banff, AB

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Fairmont San Francisco Bombay Suite – San Francisco, California

We had a layover in San Francisco, which was strategically planned such that we can work in an overnight at this beautiful hotel, and book an afternoon tea at their location. The location is quite convenient from BART, which brought us in from the airport. It is a short hike to the hotel, but it is uphill all the way.

We got checked into a suite, as requested – and we got their Bombay Suite which was a beautiful suite with a balcony that has a wonderful view.

Once you walk in the door, you’re in the living space, with a desk on the left with fresh ice in the ice bucket.

The living space is pretty spacious and under the TV has the stocked minibar, with complimentary tea and coffee. There’s a balcony that opens up off this room and we spent most of our night out there with their patio furniture enjoying our view.

In a separate room offers the bed and bathroom. We did upgrade to a room with a King bed, and once they switched us to a suite… the king bed was gone, which was too bad. I think the suite would be better with a larger bed. Regardless, the bed was very comfortable and the sheet set was as well!

The bathroom was quite standard, it didn’t have the wow factor, but yet we don’t spend the same amount of time in this room. It’s practical and functional, so that’s all that really matters. There are 2 Fairmont robes behind the door that we were able to use during our stay. We definitely took advantage of it too!

Overall, our stay was quite enjoyable, and it was our pleasure to experience this hotel. One of the most memorable part of this stay was their turn down service – they tucked in my stuffed animal and placed a post card of the hotel in the suite. Although I already purchased a post card, this one is definitely staying in my collection!

Fairmont San Francisco

950 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA
USA
415-772-5000

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Afternoon Tea: The Fairmont Empress Hotel – Victoria, British Columbia

We’ve been talking about having afternoon tea at all the Fairmont Hotels and when we got to stay at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, we tried to join them for afternoon tea without a reservation as we had no idea what time the ferry would bring us in at. We were really luck and got a spot, and it was a nice spot near the window too!

Once we were seated, we were brought the tea that we choose from a waitress that made this experience very memorable. She was absolutely amazing and we even wrote her a recognition card! But in conjunction with our tea arriving to the table, we were brought Fresh Strawberries with Empress Cream, which was really refreshing! We were pleasantly surprised as we didn’t think strawberries were in season just quite yet!

Right after we got our fresh berries, we got a beautiful 3 tier tray of food which was all amazing! We rank our Fairmont afternoon experiences and this was a really close runner up to the best! The food was amazing, the service was top-notch, and the atmosphere was breathtaking!

This amazing presentation had their sandwiches on the bottom tier, scones with empress cream and jelly on the second tier and topped with their dessert tray! I really enjoyed their delicate desserts and freshly made sandwiches. The scones were quite spectacular, but I think I enjoyed the empress cream the most!

So next time you’re in the area, be sure to talk through these doors and enjoy a wonderful and memorable experience of afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress! It’s definitely here to impress!

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Fairmont Empress Victoria – Afternoon Tea

721 Government Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 384-8111

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Fairmont Empress – Victoria, British Columbia

We decided to go to Victoria as I’ve never been there, so we decided to drive there which was quite a lengthy drive with a ferry ride, but it was definitely an awesome experience! We figured this is the only trip we will be taking here for the foreseeable future, so we decided to splurge and stay at The Fairmont Empress which has a beautiful view, and the location is quite central to unique places!

We stayed in their most economic room as it was a costly time to visit them, so the Fairmont Room was what we booked, but with a king bed. The room was beautiful and very comfortable as it offered a spacious area with a couch and a desk area.

Just across the way there’s another couch with their coffee and take maker! It’s the perfect place to stay for a wind-down if you don’t want to leave your room.

The bed and the room was really large and comfortable. The pillows was a delight to sleep on, and everything was clean and cozy, perfect for a rainy afternoon like the one we had during our stay!

The bathroom was pretty standard, it wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t small either. It offers everything you need, so it was jsut perfect!

Overall, our stay was magnificent. I think about returning all the time but it’s very expensive all around, so it’ll be a special trip every few years! The overall stay was magnificent and we had the best server during our afternoon tea experience. The only complaint would be valet – every time we needed our keys or wanted to drop it off, we would be waiting for 20 minutes for a door person to assist us.

Fairmont Empress

721 Government Street
Victoria, British Columbia
250 384 8111

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Roof Restaurant and Bar: Afternoon Tea – Vancouver, British Columbia

We really enjoy having Afternoon Tea as it’s a really special treat. Our favourite is enjoying them at Fairmont hotels, and this time we made an appointment at Roof Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the location is in downtown Vancouver.

It was actually just a walk-in reservation, but they were still able to seat us near the window in their dining room. The hotel was going through some renovations and sadly they have gotten rid of their gift shop. Otherwise, the hotel was beautiful! I now see if you go for afternoon tea now, it’s in a different restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, hosted at Notch8 – so I must try there next time!

Once we got seated, we got the tea selection menu and picked some our tea. Shortly after, they came out with Yogurt Panna Cotta with Macerated Fruits which was amazing. The Panna cotta was smooth, thick and creamy. It was then topped with the macerated fruits in alcohol, which wasn’t over powering! It was quite a wonderful start!

After we had the Panna Cotta, they brought out a plate of Asparagus Tartlett and Sausage Roll! The pastry was light and flaky and the filling was quite satisfying! We both really enjoy sausage rolls, so when they had some fresh ones, it was amazing!

Then, a beautiful 3 tier tray of goodies came and it was very elaborate! The top tier had some scones with some jellies and Devonshire cream, then the middle tier had wonderful desserts, and the bottom tier had some finger sandwiches. The food was amazing and the scene was breath-taking as well!

Our overall experience here was pretty good! The food was good, and the tea, service and atmosphere was pretty wonderful! The price of the afternoon tea was pretty average for the Fairmont hotels at about $50 per person.

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Roof Restaurant and Bar

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver,
900 W Georgia Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia
604 684 3131