Hemingway's By the Sea

My husband and I stayed at this B&B for the first two nights of our honeymoon and loved it. Illona, the innkeeper, was very kind and helpful. She directed us to all the site seeing spots in Victoria. She even took a few minutes in the morning to draw us a map because we really wanted to go to the beach. The room was extremely clean and the food was delicious. Illona even made extra for my husband who is a big eater! Our room was cleaned every day. We stayed in the hemmingway suite which was very nice. We had a fridge and microwave in our room and our own private belcony. We would stay at this B&B again on our next visit to Victoria!

Hemigways is located in the Esquimalt area and a very short walk to the ocean. We arrived prior to the check-in time and warmly greeted by Ilona with cake and tea. We stayed in the Kenya room - first room to the left at the top of the stairs. We could see the ocean from our window and Ilona had explained to us prior to booking that the B&B is not oceanside. This was my husband's second stay in a B&B and he thought the room was a fairly good size. The room also had a mini fridge, so that was nice to keep our drinks cool. Room also came with a table, 2 chairs, TV, cable and internet connection. Bathroom was straight across the hall from the bedroom and was for our exclusive use. Hubby would have preferred to have an in-suite bathroom, but it really wasn't an issue for our stay. I just reminded him that we weren't staying in a hotel - it is someone's home. Ilona provided us with bottles of water on our first excustion and we re-filled them every morning. She also provided maps on how to get to our destinations in the quickest time possible. She recommended a few things to do and see and was a gracious and friendly hostess. The breakfasts were excellent. There were 3 nicely set tabled areas and on some of the mornings, all 3 were in full use with the guests. Breakfast is set for 9:00am, however Ilona was flexible when some of the guests came down a little early for breakfast. She also has a nice patio area to sit and take your coffee before breakfast. Over the course of our stay we ate toast, raisin toast, scrambled eggs, pancakes, crepes, french toast, rice pudding, hard boiled eggs, and an assortment of fresh fruit. When I explained that I didn't like pancakes, Ilona immediately said she would make me some eggs or something else that I may like. I declined and told her the toast was good enough, but she worried that I would still be hungry :-) Really a lovely woman. We really enjoyed our stay and wouldn't hesitate to return to this B&B

What a find! We will definitely stay here again the next time we're in Victoria, BC.

Very nice Innkeeper. The room was beautiful. From other reviews I was expecting a view, but there was no view. I thought it was expensive for the location and the breakfast. The photo's of the breakfasts are misleading.

We enjoyed our stay, the hostess Ilona was above and beyond with her hospitality and she was gracious to our two children. The beds were very comfortable and the suite was clean and tidy.

The ower, Ilona, has interesting stories of her husband's travels around the world emulating Ernest Heminway. The B&B has artifacts from around the world. We hope you enjoy Hemingway's; we did. Henry & Linda

Inn keeper very kind however there are no microwaves as advertised in any of the rooms and only one room has a kitchenette, the advertisement states they all do. Inn keeper pushes an ACAIberrry product and sends it to yoru E-Mail and talks about it incessantly. Innkeeper starts stereophonic music at 9:30 AM so forget about sleeping in. Towels feel like they have never seen a dryer sheet in their life. Rugs in room with only real fireplace and there is only one is over 10 years in age. No ottoman for feet as in picture, DVD was broken and had to be rplaced as was coffee maker. Nice person, no common customer comes first business sense and false advertisement on microwave in room is a big no , no to this B and B veteran.

We stayed in the Serengetti room which was a large suite and very comfortable. Our hostess was delightful and served whatever we desired for breakfast. An easy drive into Victoria and a short walk to view the ocean.

Ilona is the sweetest person I've ever met. She takes an interest in her guests and she made sure to recomend the perfect things for me to do. I ended up having a great time Kayaking because of her recomendation.

revision - should have been all five for outstanding! This is one B&B you should add to your list of favorites!

The hospitality we received was wonderful. Our hostess, Ilona, if she has the time, can be engaged in delightful conversation about her friend's trips with Ernest Hemingway, from which this B&B gets its name. Ilona gives excellent tips about travelling the island as well as Victoria. The B&B is close to a pleasant walk along the ocean, to a marina, and to a bus stop, but a good walker might enjoy walking into town. The walk will take them past a replica of Anne Hathaway's house, the delightful English Inn & Resort, formerly the Olde English Inn, and delightful homes with beautiful gardens. The weather is usually within a comfortable range year round, so the walk along the ocean could be enjoyed most days of the year by anyone who truly enjoys the outdoors in any kind of weather.

We called at the last minute and were cheerfully accomodated. Ilona gave us great advice on the best beach hikes on the drive north to explore the coastline. The home is fascinating, full of wonderful things collected from all over the world. The international couples we met there in the evening were enjoyable. Ilona's breakfast was so much more than we had expected, or ever received at any other B&B. Breakfast alone would be a great reason to stay at Hemmingway's by the Sea. We left feeling like family and will definitely return there to stay on our next visit. SC, California