Hotel Zed graciously supplied us with an overnight stay in exchange for an honest review of the property and experience.

I travel a lot, mostly for work but often just because I genuinely enjoy it. I love a day spent exploring new cities and finding great local restaurants (because its always all about food for me). Sometimes though, it’s easy to forget what treasures you already have in your own backyard. So when Hotel Zed reached out to offer me an opportunity to experience their Victoria BC hotel I went for it and TBH I’m really glad I did.

I don’t live in Victoria, but I don’t live very far either so I don’t usually stay overnight. Hotel Zed is located just outside the downtown core, but near a ton of restaurants and shopping and in an area of town that is easy to get around in.

The hotel itself has recently undergone remodeling and is a bright, colourful oasis located across the street from a huge shopping centre (shopping is a top three activity for me too). The lobby is bright and welcoming with several different lounge areas that offer guests the opportunity to check out some old school vinyl albums, write their very own masterpiece at the typewriter station, play boardgames or help themselves to a variety of refreshments. If that doesn’t float your boat, no worries. There’s also a pool with a sweet slide, a hot tub and ping pong lounge. A PING PONG LOUNGE.

If for some reason you would much rather go out and explore you can borrow a bike or a longboard from the hotel, which is a great idea if you intend to participate in the curated Weed Walk (more on that in a minute).

The Rooms

Amenities and location are important, sure. But so is the room that you’re staying in and mine did not disappoint! There were tons of fun little details in the retro decor, from old fashioned lamps, alarm clocks and fans to bright, cheerful walls this room made a big impact on me and I spent a ridiculously long time taking pictures of lamps.

Snacks for Stoners like me

Best of all, when I arrived there was a package of candy (Airheads and other nostalgic treats) sitting beside a big box of DOUGHNUTS from one of the best bakeries in town! A box of doughnuts!!! It’s like they knew a pothead was coming to stay.

The Weed Walk

When Canada legalized adult use cannabis back in October of 2018, Hotel Zed was ready. They embraced the obvious fact that Canadians love their cannabis and instead of sweeping it under the rug they leaned into it by creating a Weed Walk.

The Weed Walk package starts off with recommendations for great dispensaries in the area and also offers suggestions for activities such as exploring the Galloping Goose trail or checking out some wonderful local bookstores. Finally, in case the doughnuts aren’t hitting the spot the Weed Walk suggestion list also includes some incredible local eateries.

Ok but how Did I sleep?

So now that I’ve established that the lobby, amenities, location and room were all top notch and thoughtfully designed, let’s talk about how I slept.

This bed was super comfy. It was so soft (although it could have been a touch bigger) and cosy that I had a hard time rousing myself to go do any of the fun activities. I slept like a log, I tell you and at the end of the day thats what really matters in a hotel.

Hotel Zed is priced pretty reasonably and would allow for quick impromptu getaways or thanks to the central location, for extended visits. If you’re not headed to Victoria anytime soon, there is another location in Kelowna that is 100% for sure on my to-do list.