Why choose a bed and breakfast?
While it may come as a surprise, bed and breakfasts are actually comparable in price to hotels - and in off seasons, their rates often drop dramatically. Bed and breakfasts offer all of the amenities (and even the luxury, in some cases) that hotels offer while still being affordable, so what your decision comes down to is this: are you looking for mere accommodations, or would you like your lodging to be part of your travel experience?
What sets a bed and breakfast apart from average accommodations is the "breakfast" half of the equation. While more and more hotels are moving toward providing a “continental breakfast,” a place like Fairholme Manor offers you a full, homemade, gourmet meal each morning, served in a sunny dining room or out on the porch. What you’re getting is the combination of a stellar meal and the peaceful getaway atmosphere - with none of the bustle of a crowded hotel lobby or the ordinariness of a Denny’s breakfast. At Fairholme, you start your day with homemade maple cranberry granola and fresh fruit and then move on to a hot entree, such as eggs Benedict, baked raspberry French toast, or lemon ricotta pancakes, served with Canadian back bacon. Fairholme’s breakfasts are so prized that the owner, Sylvia Main’s recipes have been featured in magazines and collected into a book!
Bed and breakfasts have a completely different atmosphere than hotels. At Fairholme Manor, you get the convenience of a downtown location (walking distance to attractions), while being just far enough removed that you can relax in a luxurious, cottagey environment. Fairholme is situated in a quiet residential area on the periphery of downtown, which puts you in close proximity to Victoria’s Inner Harbour and other tourist attractions, but the locale is much more picturesque and calming than an urban centre, as it is nestled amongst garden foliage on an acre of park-like property.
Bed and breakfasts have all of the perks of hotels plus the personal touches and local knowledge of the owners. Fairholme has the features you would expect of the five-star boutique inn it is: luxury spa and romance packages, gorgeous views of ocean and mountains, executive/penthouse suites—with the bonus of offering a personalized, unique experience that you can’t get from big chain companies.
Fairholme Manor combines a homey feel with luxury; seclusion with easy access to downtown; privacy with personalized attention; the country feel of pastoral, idyllic gardens without leaving the city; and the delightful old world feel of a historic mansion with contemporary, new world touches (such as the conscientious selection of organic ingredients in breakfasts). You get the best of all worlds!
