Victoria’s Rosemead House Marries Historical Charm With Contemporary Flair

For decades, residents of Victoria, British Columbia, associated 429 Lampson Street with the Olde England Inn and the neighbouring Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a thatched-roof replica of Shakespeare’s wife’s birthplace with on-site costumed interpreters. Sadly, the Esquimalt tourist attraction’s charms faded. The Olde England Inn closed in 1997, and the cottage was demolished and torn down in 2017.

However, a new chapter in Victoria accommodations history is being written. After struggling to find a new identity as development plans fell through, the restored boutique hotel recently reopened as Rosemead House.

That name is what the Edwardian house designed by Samuel Maclure was originally called. Built in 1906, Rosemead House, just 10 minutes west of downtown Victoria, originally served as the home of Yorkshire-born realtor Thomas Harry Slater and his family. Maclure, an architect born in New Westminster, also designed the British Columbia capital’s Government House and Hatley Castle.

Olde England Inn (1967). Courtesy of Royal BC Museum.

Olde England Inn (1967). Courtesy of Royal BC Museum.

Climbing the steep driveway to this stone heritage mansion is, in its own way, an apt metaphor for the 10-year journey of bringing back Rosemead’s romance in contemporary style. “Dramatic revitalization” would be an understatement. Developer Lenny Moy, the founder of Aragon Properties, has spent more than $13 million on the 4.3-acre property, with 14 antique-filled, one-of-a-kind rooms in the original house and another 14 rooms in a new wing. The dark, fusty feel of yesteryear is gone.

English antiques dominate Moy’s collection, which is so extensive that much remains in storage in an Esquimalt warehouse. In addition to vintage furniture from the Dorchester Hotel and tableware from the Savoy Hotel in London, Rosemead House’s 13-foot-tall iron gates were purchased from the set of the hit TV series The Crown.

Guest rooms deftly blend heritage and new-school comforts. In the high-ceilinged, wood-beamed Lancaster Room, a triangular alcove features a chaise longue next to windows with a serenely beautiful panorama of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. Impressionist-style city paintings, china dragons, and a full-length gilt-framed mirror are juxtaposed with the king-sized bed’s $23,000 Duxiana mattress and the bathroom’s space-age heated Japanese toilet.

There is, on balance, more whimsy and less kitsch here than in the past. A giant pink rose sculpture adorns the wedding garden’s pavilion, while curious deer graze beside a nearby stone gazebo.

Olde England Inn (1967). Courtesy of Royal BC Museum.

Depending on your entertainment tastes, Rosemead House conjures up various cultural associations beyond the easy Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland go-tos. The Bennet house in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightley comes to mind. Computer adventure game buffs might harken back to the 1993 Broderbund classic Myst.

Culinary tastes of all sorts are well satisfied at Janevca, the bustling in-house restaurant. Surrounded by dark wood panelling, faux cherry blossoms burst from a giant central tree, supplementing the lush garden views outside. Chef Andrea Aldridge taps into her Filipina Jamaican heritage while simultaneously emphasizing local, organic ingredients. Wood-fired cooking is integral. From the smoky textures of grilled gem lettuce and coal-roasted cauliflower to the tender perfection of Haida Gwaii halibut and the pure decadence of crème brûlée, Janevca’s dishes are as hearty as they are tantalizing.

The Rosemead House project may reveal a slight shift toward reemphasizing Victoria’s British heritage, a long-standing strategy that fell out of favour in recent years. The city’s tourism marketing today leans more into its burgeoning restaurant scene, outdoor recreation options from whale-watching to kayaking, and Indigenous culture.

Regardless, in Esquimalt, Rosemead House represents yet another revitalization of a long-time blue-collar community best-known for its naval base, home to Canada’s Pacific Fleet. For both locals and visitors who crave a luxurious escape that is redolent with history, this entrancing hotel represents a new landmark opportunity.

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