Just had a wonderful stay at this adorably appointed 115 year old historic hotel. The place oozes charm, cleanliness and classic engaging service. This is more the cute pensione you stumbled upon while traveling than the Waldorf Astoria. Yes it’s creaky and artsy and imperfect. That’s its charm. It is situated in a fun neighborhood central to all things Victoria. Unsure where to eat after a day exploring? Check out the pub and restaurant downstairs. I found the food hearty, delicious and reasonably priced with a big locals following. Again this is not a place where you are sold on those high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and the air conditioning unit operated via remote and a 60inch tv - I love those places too. In fact there is no ac, you probably won’t need it as the windows open easy and the place is shaded by old growth trees. The beds are well cared for and comfortable and the sheets crisp and soft. The rooms are small, bathrooms bigger and appointed with true glass vessels from which to drink. So if you want those uber high thread count sheets and all that it comes with, there are some beautiful hotels in Victoria, but if you want to get a slice of history and experience maybe just a little bit of that classic Victoria charm you could do a lot worse than landing your tired self at The James Bay Inn. Cheers.

A quiet and charming hotel. We stayed in a smaller room and it was cozy and comfortable. The hotel feels so warm and full of history. The staff was friendly and welcoming. Each floor is uniquely furnished with antiques; everywhere you look you find something interesting, from Tiffany style lamp shades to Emily Carr reproductions. The pub food was delicious and service was excellent (the hot turkey sandwich was just like we make at home, the cranberry sauce was the best I have ever tasted, the chowder was wonderful). This hotel is everything a quaint historic property should be. We look forward to staying again, possibly in a larger suite.

Pretty much in the centre of town 3 minutes walk from the Parliament building and main museum. James Bay has a great pub below. We stayed in one of the attached villa suites, with a kitchen which was full featured full sized oven, microwave fridge freezer. The suit had nice furniture and beds, really comfortable stay.

The hotel has very friendly staff! They helped very good with checking in and checking out and all the questions we have. There are some things to be pointed out though. There is no elevator in this hotel. Ofcourse they offer to help. So that is not a problem. But the outside stairs from the parking lot to the lobby is a nice surprise if you arrive at the hotel though. Same for the next level in the hotel. But as I said, they offer help. What was also a surprise is how small the bed was. For 2 persons it is really tight. What was a very big plus for us is the walking distance to the city centre. That is absolutely a plus for this hotel. And the hotel is located in a residential area. That is really nice.

We arrived to meet Roy at the front desk. How much fun and organized was he!! First impression was amazing. The room was so beautifully Victorian and cozy. Then we went to the pub, and we met Cory. WOW. She was hilarious, fun, had the room totally under her complete control. Went there both nights because of her. We wanted to take her home!! And it gets better … we went to the restaurant for breakfast both mornings. I didn’t get the name of our waitress, but she was not only adorable (originally from Alberta), and had been at JB Inn for 6 years. She was adorable, and absolutely wonderful. Your staff is what makes your hotel what it is. Keep treating them well, because they are the reason for your success. We will never stay anywhere else as long as you have these folks. Truly outstanding experience. 12 out of 10.