Best Bed & Breakfasts of Victoria

Prior House Inn

Prior House Bed & Breakfast Inn
offers six spacious and elegant suites and extensive common areas that include: foyer with fireplace, parlor, library with books, videos, DVD’s, dining/ breakfast room, terraces.
Main features of Prior House Inn:  

•Heritage Tudor–Style Manor built for Edward Gawlor Prior who was a Premier and Lieutenant–Governor of the Province of British Columbia.
•Highest Ratings: Automobile Association 4 Diamond, Canada Select 5 Star.
•Spacious, high ceilings, terraces, private patios and extensive gardens.
•Blended with heritage style, modernized spacious elegant suites with spa tubs to pamper our guests.
•Chef prepared sumptuous breakfasts, afternoon tea with freshly baked scones.
•Included in the room tariff: parking, internet access, local telephone calls, breakfast, afternoon tea, sherry, use of video and dvd library.
•Baby Grand piano for our guests to enjoy.

Recapture the graciousness and charm of the past at this historic Tudor Manor built for the English King's Representative in the very center of Victoria- the lush and quiet, garden district of Rockland.  

This grand Bed & Breakfast Inn has the finest amenities featuring suites with fireplaces, spa whirlpool baths, ocean & beautiful garden views, cable televisions, dvd players and fully equipped entertainment bars.

Prior House B&B Inn is beautifully restored and designated heritage manor  with spacious parlours, library, stone terraces, dining room complete with Venetian Chandeliers and gardens of quiet luxury with peaceful sitting nooks a plenty.

A professionally trained Chef will prepare your sumptuous breakfasts and afternoon teas, complimentary to our guests.  The delicious scones and preserves are our specialty.

Prior House B&B Inn is located within Victoria's Rockland area, a  turn-of-the-century park like district only a 15 minute walk to the heart of downtown or to the Oak Bay Village.   We are next to the beautiful Government House Gardens, 3 blocks from the Abkazi Gardens, 2 blocks from the historic Craigdarroch Castle, 3 blocks from the Art Gallery and 5 blocks from the always interesting Antique Row and the best restaurants that Victoria has to offer.

Weddings
With our gardens, terraces, and spacious interior, Prior House is ideally suited for small weddings with up to 25 people in attendance.  Our preference is to provide accommodation to the bride and groom and wedding guests in addition to the wedding ceremony. We assist with wedding planning with arrangements for a wedding commissioner, cake, champagne (or other beverages), photography.

Breakfasts
Enjoy our sumptuous Chef-prepared breakfasts in the privacy of your room, private patio or in the breakfast/dining room.  Catered to individual taste, preference, and diet.  Breakfast includes tea/coffee, juice, muffins/croissant/cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, and entrée.  Prior House breakfasts include eggs benedict, Belgian waffles, potato latkes, mushroom/spinach crepes.

Afternoon  Teas
Afternoon teas are a 20 year tradition at Prior House and are served in front of a crackling fire with our signature scones hot out of the oven at 3 pm.

Gardens
The estate grounds have extensive English Style gardens featuring beautiful perennial borders, a European purple beech tree, and boxwood hedges.  The Prior House gardens match the seasons with a usual early spring bloom that features the daffodils and tulips, then summer with brilliant azaleas, rhododendrons, and dahlias.  Government House grounds with extensive gardens, formal flower beds, and woodland trails are just 5 minutes walk from Prior House Inn and are open to the public.  No admission fee.  

Architecture
The architect of Prior House was W. Ridgeway Wilson known for other large buildings in Victoria.  Notable architectural features are the extensive use of granite rock and stone terrace balustrades, large carved projecting exterior brackets, lavish use of quarter sawn white oak in the entrance halls and dining room, old growth oak and fur flooring throughout. The estate grounds have extensive English Style gardens exhibiting beautiful perennial borders.

History
Edward Gawler Prior, a former Premier of British Columbia, built this Tudor-style manor from 1911-1913. Throughout this elegant home, there were 20 rooms, a garden level ballroom with a sprung hardwood floor, a stone archway leading to the garden and ten fireplaces. Prior was later appointed Lieutenant Governor by King George V and served until his death in 1920.

The house has passed through 6 owners, one of which was the Norfolk House Private Girl’s School. This is the family home of the present owners since 1989 where they raised their children. The manor was restored in the early 1990’s by the current owners, retaining original fixtures and fittings throughout. The gardens have undergone extensive rebuilding and have received several awards.

Prior House Inn is a designated heritage building.