Victoria Hospitality Awards winners

Meet the winners of the Victoria Hospitality Awards—those who’ve redefined service and set a new standard for excellence in the city’s vibrant hospitality scene.

The winners of the Victoria Hospitality Awards embody the very best of the city’s hospitality, with their thoughtful approach and unwavering dedication to guest experiences. Their accomplishments reflect the unique character of Victoria, elevating service to something memorable and inspiring. Discover how they’ve shaped hospitality in ways that leave a lasting impact.

Ellen Mayberry: Lure Restaurant & Bar

“I nominated Ellen because I am always delighted and surprised by her authentic warmth and obvious pleasure she takes in her work. I am a fairly regular customer at the hotel, and she always remembers my name and my normal breakfast order. She always projects a bright bubbly personality and that is not always easy in the morning. She also goes the extra mile, and I feel well taken care of even if that means just giving me space to work as I eat or bringing me a to go cup for my coffee without me having to ask. Honestly, it's difficult to put into words exactly what she does but she conveys a sense of warmth and authenticity in how she takes care of people that is very rare. Her big personality and great service makes for a great start to the day and makes being away from home that much easier. She is a real credit to herself and the hotel.”

Keith Taylor: Chateau Victoria Hotel and Suites

"Four generations of ladies (ages 9 - 89) stayed at the Chateau Victoria at the end of September. Keith Taylor made each one of us feel important to him and made us feel special. He made our trip worry and stress free offering advice and all the help right down to offering to personally drive us to a destination in downtown Victoria when the hotel shuttle service was not available, and he realized that our oldest lady certainly would not be able to walk to far. His kindness and hospitality especially impacted my Grand-daughter who at nine years old had never stayed in a city. His speaking with her eye to eye and treating her like her opinions, questions, and concerns were as important to him as the adults. She felt special and wanted to show her appreciation, giving him her prized crab shell she found on the beach after he talked about sea life and mentioned he liked crabs. This was not a small gesture because she had never seen a crab shell, but one she wanted to do to thank him. This shows how his kindness and hospitality was a positive impact on her and all of us on our multi-generational visit. All five of us left Victoria looking forward to someday returning, because we had such a positive experience. To this day my Grand-daughter is still telling friends and family all about our trip and the nice "hotel master" as she nick-named him. Keith Taylor deserves recognition for doing his job extremely well, for caring about all guests, and for making guests want to return to Victoria and it's wonderful hospitality because of their experience with Mr. Taylor."

Victoria Hospitality Award Winner, Hardeep Parmar

Hardeep Parmar: BC Ferries

“I have been on these ferries 4 times now. I have watched this man administer excellent customer service and help tourists and locals alike. He walks the elderly off the boat, carries off luggage and goes above and beyond his duties. Today my car was broken into, and I had no money to get home. Hardeep gave me money for the fare and gave me use of his phone for me to make other arrangements. What a guy! But really, you should look at the Brentwood Bay Facebook page or the Brentwood Bay Ferries Facebook page. You will not believe how wonderful this guy is. Thank you.”

Eshu Karwal: Days Inn Victoria Inner Harbour

“Eshu is quite pleasant, and most helpful and welcoming at all times. He was working on our arrival and at least one other day while we stayed here. He greeted you in such a welcoming and friendly manner and made you feel like a VIP at all times. When you passed through the lobby, he always acknowledged you, asked if he could help, and what he could do to make your stay more comfortable and enjoyable. He had the most contagious smile, and made his guests feel right at home. He would give his guests reason to book here again, a great ambassador for Wyndham!!”

Monique Duclos: Visitor Centre

“Monique went well and truly over and above and beyond what would be expected of your volunteers. I don't know if you recognize your volunteers in any special way, however we would like to nominate her for Volunteer of the month or year award as a result of her incredible assistance to our medication emergency needs. She was like an angel on earth and we very much appreciated all she did for getting our prescription and medication. We were visiting from Australia and had another wonderful holiday in your country because of her help.”

Jason Thorne: Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites

"I would like to nominate Jason Thorne, Front Desk Agent of Chateau Victoria. On June 16, 2023, one of our staff, Jason, was checking in a guest. He was worried that he would not be able to get a room. It appeared this guest was a pilot for Kenmore Air, and he was stranded. All he had was a passport and nothing else. He left his wallet in Washington State. Jason assured the guest there would be no issue, so he continued to check him into a room. Jason then used his own credit card for the payment of the guest. The guest was thankful and went to his room. He was able to return to work the next day and all was well."

Lynn Jordan: Days Inn Victoria on the Harbour

"For the last 10 years I've stayed at this hotel; Lynn has been a friendly and reliable person. Lynn has always gone above and beyond, in ways that puts her service above anyone I've encountered in the last 25 years on the road. When my daughter was 8 weeks old and my wife joined me on a business trip; in a bind, we needed to freeze some breastmilk or else it would need to be dumped. Lynn not only made sure our breast milk was able to remain frozen; she also made sure my wife had water, some simple snacks and to this day; always asks how my wife and daughter are. This level of care, give-a-damn and service was something we found very rare in the over 60 nights per year on the road. Thank you, Lynn. You have no idea how much it means to truly be treated like a guest. And not just another transaction. You're a rare star in a universe of noise."

Janus Liu: Inn at Laurel Point

“Janus is a sterling representative of the Inn at Laurel Point and Victoria. My wife and I were assigned a suite that did not meet our expectations during this first trip to Victoria from Florida. The daytime manager apologized for the location of our suite but told us he had no remedy. We were extremely disappointed and thought we would have to depart Victoria (and our hotel) with a bad experience with which to remember Victoria. Fortunately, Janus learned of our situation and extreme disappointment while we were out exploring Victoria and having dinner. She spent a few hours trying to track us down until we returned to our suite at which time we connected. She also apologized for our situation and told us she had some options with which to "save our day". She personally escorted us to two other suites and let us choose what worked best for us. After we made our selection, she came back to our suite and helped us move to the new location which fully met our needs and desires. Janus's exceptional customer service skills, attention to detail, and pleasant outgoing personality were evident throughout this late evening encounter. She successfully turned a potential "black eye" situation for the Inn at Laurel Point and Victoria into a very positive experience that we will surely share with our friends and the Thrifty Northwest Mom blog/Facebook so that thousands of their readers will hear of our great experience. This was only possible through Janus's dedication and outstanding example of a hospitality "pro"!”

Oleksandr (Sasha) Mylnar: Parkside Hotel & Spa

“Sasha was part of the check in team for my recent visit to The Parkside. Although I only dealt with him over the phone, he was instrumental in changing a reservation that needed some serious last-minute juggling; he was gracious, helpful, personable and - in a time when we so desperately need it - funny and kind. I felt like I was speaking to a friend, not a hotel employee. My entire life, and that of my family, has been spent in the service industry, and Sasha's ability to 'read' me over the phone is a quality we rarely find today. I am just sorry I don't have a last name to 'go with', but I hope you can find this talented young employee!”

Glenn Waddingham: Chateau Victoria

“I was on a work trip, and this was my first time staying at the Chateau Victoria. This lovely gentleman saw me in the parking lot lugging a super heavy oversized box, so large I could barely get my arms around it, let alone the weight, and rushed outside to see if I needed help. I kindly refused and asked for a luggage cart. He helped me get the box onto a cart, then waited while I took a work call, and guided me and the luggage cart with my cargo to the building down the street where my HQ is located. He did it with joy and took a route that cut my walking commute in half. We arrived to my HQ together on foot and with the hotel’s luggage trolly hauling my heavy cargo. We chatted in a conversational way, and he educated me about the hotels amenities and his perspectives on nearby tourist attractions. To Glen - you're doing it right. You made me feel so taken care of and you went above and beyond for me just by being yourself. It felt genuine and effortless. Thank you for being you. You're an asset to the industry.”

Jintana Landino: Siam Thai Restaurant

“This person was a great server for us tonight. She made personal suggestions for our orders, made sure we were served fast enough, and served us with a great smile, making us feel warm and welcomed. She carried an authenticity that is often rare in the hospitality industry, and we are glad we chose the restaurant for our dinner.”

Eva Thornton: Irish Times Pub

“A group of 20 of us booked to attend the Irish Times at 8am on a Sunday morning to watch the Arsenal v City football game. Normally, the pub would have been closed at this time after the Liverpool game, but we had a special arrangement. When we turned up, the pub had closed but Eva agreed to open to us, to arrange for food service, and made us feel welcome. Despite the entire situation being a complete surprise to her, she was professional, helpful, and welcoming. It was a true step above what others might have done in the same situation.”

Geoff Brannon Victoria Hospitality Award Winner

Geoff Brannon: Huntingdon Manor Hotel

“The Maintenance Manager at the Pendray Inn Tea House & Huntingdon Manor is always on call and a rush away whenever we need assistance despite of time of the day or night. Pendray being a heritage property and Huntingdon Manor being an older property, it is challenging to keeping up to the best standard and it require constant attention. Geoff and his team are a valuable asset to our two properties as well as to the Hospitality industry of Victoria BC."

Dindo Abella: Inn at Laurel Point

“I had just gotten back from a day of sight-seeing walking 12km. I went to my room and my room key was not working. I tried several times to get the door to unlock. Dindo happened to be coming around the corner with a few bags of laundry and asked if I needed help. I explained my situation and I'm sure he seen the look of fatigue on my face when he told me I would probably have to go to the front desk to get a new card. Just wait he said.... he got on his walkie talkie with his supervisor and asked her to check the name on the room. I gave him my information and when his supervisor came back with the name, he was able to let me in my room. I could've cried I was so relieved to not have to carry all my stuff and coffee and water bottle down to the front desk. He definitely did not have to unlock my door, but he did and made my day :)”

Destination Greater Victoria is honoured to be based on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples of the Songhees Nation and Xwsepsum Nation, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.