style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify;">VICTORIA, BC (October 9th, 2018): Victoria’s Magnolia Hotel & Spa is thrilled to be announced as the #6 Top Hotel in Canada (with a score of 97.06), and leading hotel on Vancouver Island, in the Condé Nast Traveler 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards, announced earlier today. 

“This is an incredible way to round out a landmark year at the Magnolia Hotel & Spa and we are honoured to be recognized by one of North America’s leading travel authorities,” said Bill Lewis, general manager of the Magnolia Hotel & Spa. “Not only did we open our own restaurant, The Courtney Room in the spring and receive a coveted place in the enRoute Best New Restaurant 2018 contenders list, we are also celebrating the hotel’s 20th anniversary on October 15th, with a dinner in partnership with Champagne Taittinger.” 

The Magnolia Hotel & Spa placed among some impressive company, including Fogo Island Inn (Newfoundland, #1 / 98.39), Rosewood Hotel Georgia (Vancouver, #5 / 97.62), Thompson Toronto
(Toronto, #18 / 93.73). 

According to Condé Nast Traveler editors: “It’s the little things that set apart this swanky spot abutting Victoria’s Inner Harbour and downtown. Like those trademark metallic tubes of L’Occitane products for weary business travelers, fluffy signature robes for which we’d happily jet cross-continent, and, of course, the bittersweet pillow treats that quickly diffuse any travel grumpiness. Rooms are spacious smoke- and pearl-hued… we suggest you splurge for a diamond signature corner room, with high ceilings and a gas fireplace, and front-row views of the impressive, stone-clad Parliament building (especially charming when it’s lit up at night).” 

The city of Victoria received recognition as #14 Best Small City and Vancouver Island ranked #4 Best Island North America. The Magnolia Hotel & Spa team would like to congratulate Tourism Vancouver Island and Destination Greater Victoria, as well as the Oak Bay Beach Resort (#12 / 95.76) and The Fairmont Empress (#19 / 93.66). 

The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry and are commonly known as “the best of the best of travel.” Nearly half a million Condé Nast Traveler readers submitted a recording-breaking number of responses rating their recent travel experiences of the world’s cities, islands, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, airlines and airports, to provide a full snapshot of where and how we travel today. 

The 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards are published exclusively on Condé Nast Traveler’s website at www.cntraveler.com/rca and celebrated in the November issue on newsstands nationwide on October 16. 

To discover what makes the hotel one of the best in Canada, book your next stay in Victoria by visiting www.www.magnoliahotel.com or calling 1.888.MAGNOLIA.

em>The Magnolia Hotel & Spa unveils a modern, classic dining room.

The Courtney Room, Victoria’s newest dining destination, opens this week in the lobby of the Magnolia Hotel & Spa following a four-month restaurant renovation. With Executive Chef Sam Harris at the helm, guiding a menu that honours the very best of land and sea, The Courtney Room upholds the level of timeless hospitality characteristic of the award-winning Magnolia Hotel & Spa, which was named Travel + Leisure’s #1 City Hotel in Canada in their annual World’s Best Awards last year.

“We are very excited to see our vision for The Courtney Room come to life this summer,” says Bill Lewis, General Manager at Magnolia Hotel & Spa. “We look forward to giving guests a taste of our Island’s best ingredients in our elegant new dining room and restaurant.”

Chef Harris’ menu will enliven local and seasonal products with a classic French twist, in celebration of local farmers and flavours. The ingredient-driven menu allows each dish to convey a sense of place, highlighting produce sourced and foraged from as close as possible to the restaurant, including Umi Nami Farms, Madrona Organic Farm and Wildcraft Foraging. An Arrendoinox Maturmeat fridge allows the team to both dry age and cure local meat, resulting in dishes such as smoked garlic sausage with mustard spaetzli, cured steelhead with celeriac and pickled shimeji mushrooms and an extensive dry aged protein menu, featuring various steak cuts, Cheam View Ranch pork chop and local lamb rack. Rounding out the menu, seafood towers are prepared barside and guests can enjoy side striped shrimp cocktail, rockfish meuniere, with a selection of vegetable dishes and sides.

A Chef’s Tasting Menu ($74 per person with the option to add wine pairings and a caviar service) includes five courses of seasonally inspired dishes. The front of house team includes seasoned hospitality professionals, many with Relais & Châteaux experience. Adrian Gatt leads the team in the role of Food & Beverage Manager, bringing an accomplished resume that includes The Pointe Restaurant at The Wickanninish Inn in Tofino and Claridges in London. Wine Program Director Anna Romeyn, a member of the International Sommelier Guild and BC Hospitality Foundation sommelier scholarship recipient, brings boutique hotel dining experience from both the Sidney Pier Hotel and the Hotel Grand Pacific.

The Courtney Room’s interior takes stylistic cues from grand Parisian hotels and classic French bistros alike, evident in its tiled entrance way, soaring ceilings and bronze beaded curtains. Textured wall coverings frame Art Nouveau-style light fixtures and focal abstract expressionist artwork by local artist, Blu Smith, as well as brasserie-style leather banquette seating. The elegant gray marble bar serves as the perfect canvas for a range of classic French and original crafted cocktails made with local spirits, a flight of BC beers, ciders on tap, and a custom glass oyster station.

Moving upstairs, the room develops into a more formal dining space, boasting Frette table linens, vintage-style lighting, brass accents and a palette of smokey grey, taupes and elegant earthen hues. The elevated feature wine room houses a varied collection, showcasing bottles suspended on floating plinths.

An approachable wine list includes selections from BC, France and an international range, as well as Le Verre de Vin wine preservation system offering 23 wines served by the glass, including Unsworth Vineyards, Checkmate Artisanal Winery and local treasures Sea Star Vineyards.

The Courtney Room offers genuine hospitality, day and night. Come and discover a true taste of Vancouver Island, combined with French flair and a warm welcome in Victoria’s newest dining destination. For dinner, lunch or brunch reservations, call 250-940-4090 or visit www.thecourtneyroom.com.

Note for editors: high res images can be viewed here, and Chef Sam Harris is available for interview.