We stayed at the club for two evenings and fortunately brought clothing that was approiate for the dress code. The atmosphere is one of an old British club with the furnishings and staff to compliment the building. The staff was wonderful and this is one lodging we will return to again and again. Not for everyone, but if you enjoy this atmosphere you will be back.

As we were travelling around Canada and would be staying in 10 different hotels, we were looking for something different, but not too pricey, in Victoria and we were not disappointed. As stated on other reviews the rooms do not have new furniture but our bed and linen were exceptionally comfortable and we had no trouble with housekeeping. We were aware of the dress code but as we didn't spend much time in the public rooms it didn't affect us. What made this hotel so nice was the rooftop garden (on the second floor) which overlooked the harbour. It was open Mon-Sat and had free tea/coffee making facilities from 7.30am. Very reasonably priced lunches were also served there. This is a gentlemans club and it was nice to gain the experience of staying in one as opposed to a chain hotel.

I had high hopes for the Union Club based on the description and previous reviews.

I was disappointed with several things. The club setting meant that all the niceties of a hotel were not there including signs where the complementary breakfast was or door signs to let the maid service know that your room was ready for being made up. As a consequence, the maid service only cleaned up my room one of the two mornings. When I checked out I asked about it and they said "Thanks for bringing it to my attention" but didn't offer a discount for the inconvenience of having wet towels to use a second morning.

The maids didn't knock before entering--you'd just hear a key letting themselves in to drop off a phone book or other various item.

Additionally, the bedding was thread-bare and the sheets had several holes.

On the plus side, the location was great and the rates were reasonable compared to the Empress.

Bottom line, if you want the location, go for it, but don't expect to feel like you are taken care of as well as any other 3 star hotel.

This place is superbly located in the inner harbor, next to the Empress Hotel. It's a beautiful building, the rooms are well decorated, the beds are comfortable, and breakfast is tasty. From looking at their website, I realised this was a members club, though you don't have to be a member to stay there. There's a library, billiards room, bar, and activities. However, what I didn't know before arriving was that there is a dress code. You could walk through the lobby and up to your room in sneakers and jeans but you couldn't use the other rooms unless you were properly dressed. Perhaps I should have read some more on the website. I might not have stayed there. But given that most of the other hotels in Victoria near the inner harbor are much more expensive, and the more affordable hotels are a little further afield, the Union Club is a sensible choice. Just be aware of the policies.