Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza Hotel

The valet was quick and efficient, and I appreciated the convenience. The hotel was quiet despite its central location, and my room was spotless, spacious, and had everything I needed. The bed was incredibly comfortable. The Best Western Carlton Plaza is right in the heart of downtown, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and the Inner Harbour. The staff went above and beyond to make me feel welcome. The front desk team were friendly, professional, and ready to help with directions or local recommendations.

I've stayed twice at the Best Western in Carleton with my family for more than a week each time, in a one-bedroom suite. The front desk staff are extremely friendly and know Victoria well. They can suggest where to eat, walk, and shop. They also have complimentary umbrellas to borrow if it rains, along with valet parking. This is my go-to family-friendly Best, Western hotel in Victoria.

I stayed 2 nights and slept poorly both times because of the noise and outdated appliances. Some rooms have minor renovations, but the towels were extremely old, looked dirty, and had holes in them. The shower pressure was low. The door had no soundproofing and the walls felt paper thin. I could hear people walking and talking in the hall at midnight. After showering, the bathroom humidity switch turned on automatically and ran for at least an hour. Turning it off didn't help, since it switched itself back on as soon as it sensed humidity. I raised this with the front desk and was moved to a one-bedroom room with a kitchen. That was worse than the first night. The fridge compressor made a loud noise every 15 mins, around the clock. Rain hitting the flashing made a constant dripping sound, and the ceiling smoke alarm had a blind light on. I could still hear all this with earplugs in. For $300 cad/2nights, these things really affected my sleep. I asked the front desk about the problems and requested the hotel waive 2 night parking. They eventually agreed. I also felt it was important to raise the concerns with the manager, Chris. I spoke to him by phone and was shocked by his response. He was cold, rude, and unprofessional. He said the hotel had already waived the $40 dollar parking fee, and in a cold tone said he knew about these issues but guests were expected to deal with minor problems in a hotel. Management knows about the problems but isn't taking steps to fix them. It feels like they're just taking guests' money, which is selfish. Why stay here when there are other hotels nearby? Terrible management, and unfortunately, the hotel chain's employees have to work for it.

We return to this hotel whenever we visit Victoria because it's clean, well located, and very good value. This Christmas, we worried that places might be closed on the public holiday, so we asked reception for help. Even though it was late, they took the time to share useful information with us. A special thanks to 'Sreekanth' for his excellent service. He helped make our Christmas in Victoria wonderful. We'll definitely be back next year!