Motels in Victoria BC in the Burnside-Gorge/Mayfair Neighbourhoods

Choosing to stay at motels in Victoria BC generally offers better value for money. The ones on this list are located outside the downtown area, all conveniently on public transit (daily pass is just $5). Motels in Victoria BC are suitable for anyone wanting to stretch their travel dollars and can be especially handy for large travelling groups (such as sports teams) or for visitors who plan to have a vehicle and want a good base location for their daily adventures. 

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The following motels in Victoria BC are located in the neighbourhoods of Burnside-Gorge and Mayfair 

  • Red Lion Inn & Suites
  • Robin Hood Inn & Suites
  • Sandman Hotel Victoria
  • Travelodge by Wyndham (Gorge)

For hotels and motels located in other parts of Victoria, refer to the pages below.

Accommodations in downtown Victoria BC
Accommodations in the airport, Saanich Peninsula and Sidney regions of Victoria BC
Accommodations in the neighbourhoods of Fairfield, Rockland and Oak Bay, Victoria BC
Accommodations in the Western Communities, Sooke and Malahat regions of Victoria BC

Accent Inns Victoria

Accent Inns Victoria is located at the Victoria/Saanich border just outside of the downtown area. Greater Victoria is comprised of 13 municipalities and you basically won't notice when you leave one municipality and enter the next - it is a seamless transition. 

Accent Inns Victoria has got super-convenient access to bus routes and is good proximity to the main thoroughfares of Douglas and Blanshard Streets. While you could walk downtown, it is nearly 5 kms to the Inner Harbour and would take an average walker approximately 60-75 minutes. You would be much better off taking the free shuttle or hopping on the local transit. For just $5 you can buy a day pass that will allow you to hop on and off as many buses as you want in a day.

Visitors to Accent Inns Victoria will find one of the best burger joints in town - Bin4 - located just next door and the recently expanded Mayfair Mall across the street. Mayfair is the largest mall in Greater Victoria with anchor tenants such as The Bay, Indigo Bookstore, Roots, Eddie Bauer, SportCheck, LLBean and many, many more. You could literally spend hours shopping at this mall.

Also nearby is another shopping destination called Uptown. Uptown is an outdoor mall style venue where you will find numerous small boutiques as well as large retailers such as WalMart, BestBuy, Michaels, Whole Foods and PetSmart. Free parking onsite.

Amenities:

  • Pet-friendly
  • Bike friendly
  • Motorcycle friendly
  • Free continental breakfast
  • Free WiFi
  • Free newspaper in the lobby
  • Free parking
  • Free bike rentals
  • Free shuttle downtown
  • Kitchen facilities
  • Laundry facilities on site (coin operated machines and same-day dry cleaning service)
  • Fitness centre
  • Accessible
  • Special rates for sports teams
  • Medical and compassionate rates
  • BCAA member discounts
  • More Rewards points (partners with Save-on-foods)

Policies

  • Pets are allowed at a cost of $20 per night; room restrictions apply
  • Children are welcome however there are no cribs or roll-away beds available
  • If your plans change, you can cancel for free 

What does "bike friendly" and "motorcycle friendly" really mean?

Did you do a double-take wondering what it means for an inn to be "bike friendly" or "motorcycle friendly"? I certainly did.

Here's what I found:

  • Bike friendly - all Accent Inns (not just this one in Victoria) have ground floor rooms you can store your bike in, a wash and tuning station with professional-grade stand with cleaning rags and a tool kit at your disposal for any repairs you may need
  • Motorcycle friendly - All Accent inns also provide secure motorcycle parking, a heavy-duty bike-friendly chain and lock combo, all-weather cover for your ride and a bike washing station including use of cleaning rags. 

Oh, and a free Bike Love sticker! If I was coming into town on two wheels, I would definitely want to stay here!

Guest Comments

Overall most guests of Accent Inns Victoria give the property a good to excellent rating. They find it clean with helpful, friendly staff. Guests with pets especially liked the welcome package that contained things like dog treats, poop bags and a bandana. Some people found the location a bit noisy with traffic/sirens and recommend you bring ear plugs. Others found it quiet. It may depend on where your room is located.

Arbutus Inn

The Arbutus Inn is not an upscale hotel in the heart of downtown but it is comfortable, affordable and convenient. If you're willing to walk a little further, then you can save yourself some money and still see some of the most popular sites in Victoria. The Inn is a 52-room, 3-storey non-smoking property located on the corner of Burnside and Douglas. With its location on a main thoroughfare, some guests may find it loud and busy.

The Arbutus Inn is located approximately 15 minutes walking distance to Victoria's Chinatown with its colourful shops, delicious authentic restaurants and beautiful architecture. Chinatown marks the beginning of the downtown area. If you continue walking approximately 15 minutes further, you will come to the Inner Harbour with our historic Parliament Buildings and the Royal BC Museum. If you tire of walking you can always hop on a pedicab (seasonally) or use local transit. A $5 day pass will allow you to hop on and off as many buses as you want. 

Also nearby in the opposite direction is Victoria's largest indoor shopping destination, Mayfair Mall. Mayfair has free onsite parking and boasts numerous desirable stores such as The Bay, Roots, Eddie Bauer, LL Bean and Indigo Books and many, many more. 

  • 2898 Douglas St., Victoria
  • 250-386-1000
  • 1-888-546-4432
  • arbutusinn.ca

Amenities at the Arbutus Inn

  • Rooms equipped with microwave, mini fridge and coffee/tea maker
  • Free parking
  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning
  • Wake-up calls (but really, who needs this on vacation!)
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Complimentary breakfast at Ricky's All Day Grill*

*The Arbutus Inn references a complimentary breakfast at Ricky's All Day Grill (which is conveniently located across the street) but it is listed as a "bed and breakfast special" and may have been an off-season offering. I recommend you inquire about the complimentary breakfast at the time of your booking to see if it is currently being offered.

Policies

  • Check in time is 3:00 PM until midnight; early check-in is available for a fee and subject to availability
  • Check out time is 11:00 AM; late fees will apply if you check out later than 11
  • $150 deposit is required on check-in.
  • Their policy references extra person charges however it doesn't indicate how much that is, or whether the posted rate is based on single or double occupancy. 
  • The property is stricly no smoking.
  • No pets permitted.

Days Inn Victoria Uptown

The Days Inn Victoria Uptown is located on the beautiful Gorge Waterway just north of downtown. The name Days Inn Victoria Uptown is somewhat confusing for locals since we now have the Uptown Shopping Centre but it is nearly 3 km away, so it's not overly common to associate the two together. If you were to ask a local where this particular hotel was located, they likely couldn't tell you but if you ask for the Days Inn on the Gorge, they'll know exactly what you mean.

The hotel is situated in a bit of a residential area with low-rise apartment buildings pretty much lining the Gorge in this area. But there are still good amenities close by including Heckler's Bar & Grill and Glo Restaurant & Lounge - both just down the street (one to the east and one to the west from the hotel).  Also is the very popular Galloping Goose Regional Trail. The "Goose" as it is affectionately known as to locals, is an extensive trail connecting Sidney to Sooke. Hop on your bike and you can either head towards town or cruise out towards the peninsula or western communities. The trail is also friendly for people walking.

Another very popular and convenient activity in the area is the Harbour Ferry. These small electric boats run seasonally and make regularly scheduled stops between various spots along the Gorge, the Upper Harbour District and Inner Harbour including the very popular Fisherman's Wharf, Spinnakers Brewpub and of course, right downtown. Get details on schedules and fares on their website

The hotel is in good proximity to the newly expanded Mayfair Mall which is the largest indoor mall in Victoria. There you'll find shops such as The Bay, Roots, Eddie Bauer, LL Bean, Indigo Bookstore and numerous other stores and boutique shops. The hotel is situated on the #11 BC Transit bus route.

Amenities:

  • Water views from some rooms
  • Pet-friendly; off-leash parking across the street from hotel
  • Kitchen facilities
  • Indoor swimming pool
  • Fitness studio including Peloton bike
  • Men's and women's dry sauna
  • Bicycle rentals 
  • Complimentary use of tandem bike (2-hour slots)
  • Air conditioned
  • No elevators
  • Smoke-free property
  • Free WiFi
  • Free on-site parking; can accommodate buses, RVs and trucks
  • On-site restaurant - Old Coachman Eatery
  • On-site licensed pub - The Loft

Policies

  • Must use a valid credit card to reserve a room
  • Any required deposits are charged to the card in advance of check-in day
  • On arrival, credit card and photo ID must match credit card on file
  • Check-in is 3:00 PM or later
  • Check-out is by 11:00 AM; late check-out may be possible based on hotel availability
  • Minimum of 48 hours cancellation notice required to avoid charges
  • Extra guests $10 per person
  • Pet charges: $20 per pet per night
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Rollaway/extra beds available for a fee

Guest Comments

Overall the majority of guests enjoyed their stay at the Days Inn Victoria Uptown, providing an average rating of good. They found the rooms clean with the amenities they expected although somewhat small in size. Some guests felt the walls were not well insulated and found that sound travelled easily. They liked the proximity to the dog park but weren't crazy about the fact that there was no elevator. They liked the free parking but found there was not enough of it. Generally people found the location convenient and would stay again next time they are in Victoria.

That's it for my listing of motels in Victoria BC. I am continuing to write extensive reviews on the remaining motels in Victoria BC and add them on a regular basis. Please check back again to find reviews of the remaining properties.

Check out these other pages for different types of accommodation throughout Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island:

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