Want Clubby Cachet? Stay at a Private Club

Growing numbers of travelers are staying at these old-school institutions, swapping the hotel experience for one that they say offers culture, history and a sense of belonging.

When Kwame Campbell, 48, a real-estate conference producer, travels to Providence, R.I., for events at his alma mater, Brown, he stays at the Hope Club in the College Hill neighborhood, chartered in 1876. “I love it,” he said. “It is like an Edith Wharton novel, one of those turn-of-the-century mansions.”

Mr. Campbell said he enjoys the sense of history, though room modernizations can make for unusual configurations. “My shower had a frosted window overlooking the hallway,” he said. “It was definitely a moment out of ‘The Shining.’ ”

As more boutique hotels offer a retro, club-like experience, some travelers have discovered that they prefer the real thing: lodging overnight in private, 19th-century clubs. So-called city clubs offer culture, history and a sense of belonging under one landmark roof, and, although it might sound counterintuitive, are often cheaper than hotels. The Hope Club, for example, starts at $110 a night.

Occupancy rates in city clubs, while lower than hotels (61 percent versus 69 percent in 2017) are on the rise overall, according to Jonathan McCabe, a consultant to the club industry who is the former general manager of the Union League Club of Chicago. “The Union League Club of Chicago, Union League Club Philadelphia, The Yale Club in New York and the New York Athletic Club are all chockablock full in their guest rooms,” he said.

The catch — which is also a great part of the appeal — is getting in.

American city clubs, many affiliated with elite universities, date back a century or more and come with some questionable historical baggage. Early city clubs excluded women, Jews, African-Americans and other minority groups.

These days, nearly all are coed, diverse and far more inclusive than they once were. The Princeton Club of New York accepts not only Princeton alumni but graduates and faculty of 16 associate schools, including Villanova, William & Mary and Bucknell; the Cornell Club-New York, to which Mr. Campbell belongs, admits members who are graduates of Brown, Tulane and Notre Dame, among others. Some clubs offer annual membership for under $1,000 a year to young applicants. Members can dine, read, drink or go to programs at their home clubs, and receive a major travel perk: They can lodge overnight in similar clubs worldwide at member rates.

City clubs, by virtue of their long history, can charge low room rates because most are exempt from federal income tax. They are often located in city centers, in areas where comparable hotels might charge twice the rate. The Los Angeles Athletic Club, which rents rooms to the public starting at $249, has been in its downtown home since 1912, before downtown Los Angeles’s golden age and its more recent resurgence with the addition of the Nomad and the Ace to the local hotel scene.

Some city clubs like the L.A.A.C. have opened their rooms to the public because of economic circumstances, realizing they needed to increase occupancy. But they must walk a delicate balance. To avoid tax penalties, social clubs cannot derive more than 15 percent of their gross receipts from nonmember use.

The East India Club in London is near St. James Park, Buckingham Palace and Pall Mall. Patrick Williams, 52, a marketing vice president and Irishman living in New York, stays there through his membership in the Stephens Green Hibernian Club in Dublin.

The East India Club dates to the mid-19th century and was founded by servants of the East India Company and commissioned officers of Her Majesty’s Army and Navy. “It’s an old-fashioned part of London that’s right in the heart of the hedge-fund and private-equity industries,” said Mr. Williams. “There is also something rather James Bond-esque about saying, ‘I’m staying at the East India Club in St. James Square.’” But the East India Club does not have Bond-level luxury prices: a single with a shower is 87 pounds (about $113).

Modern clubs like Soho House in New York City were founded in the tradition of 19th-century clubs, and their members include young, media-savvy professionals who find athletic and university clubs too stodgy. Soho House has an international club network of its own, with 23 “houses” globally, 14 of them with bedrooms to rent for the night. All can be booked by members and nonmembers.

Natacha Tonissoo, 32, a London-born Brooklynite who works in travel public relations, joined Dumbo House in Brooklyn for $3,200 a year so she could utilize Soho House’s other locations. On a spring trip to London, she visited the White City Club, located in the former headquarters of the BBC, and used the gym, pools and sauna.

Why not save the annual fee and stay at a hotel? “It’s the access, the exclusivity and the amenities,” she said. “I’ve met people in similar industries and made business contacts. A hotel is a one-off experience, no matter how aesthetically pleasing it might be.”

To be sure, Airbnb has hurt city clubs, just as it has hurt hotels. The 2008 economic downturn was also a challenge, as membership rolls thinned. In recent years, many city clubs realized they were not maximizing revenue from rooms and launched multimillion dollar renovations. The University Club of Milwaukee, which merged with a country club, renovated and updated its rooms in 2015. The Detroit Club closed its 1892 building for four years and now has 10 new bedroom suites, in contrast to a few sparse rooms before, plus whirlpools and saunas.

Private clubs that open rooms to the public take measures to ensure that guests know the rules in advance; most have dress codes and other regulations. The Los Angeles Athletic Club sends its house rules in confirmation emails and on a card given guests at check-in that reads: “Conduct yourself with dignity, grace and courtesy at all times. Appropriate attire is expected. Smart casual, a collar shirt, no baseball caps, no shorts for evening use …”

Though some competitive hotels (think the Ace) have out-clubbed the clubs by offering an elite feeling, rich aesthetics and social events, they are nonetheless not private. Expensive does not necessarily mean exclusive. “We like being members of a club,” said Jason Kaufman, author of “For the Common Good? American Civic Life and the Golden Age of Fraternity,” which examined blue-collar fraternal organizations between the Civil and First World Wars. “We’re liked and accepted, and we benefit from the kindness of strangers who share our affiliations.”

“The reason people stay in private clubs,” said Mr. McCabe, the industry consultant, “is so they don’t have to be with the great unwashed masses, the proletariat. I was at the Four Seasons in Chicago for high tea and there was a man wearing a shirt that had the F word on it. And my grandchildren were with me.”

For other travelers, the appeal is the attention to service. “Nobody is looking for a tip or a handout, and is really not supposed to take one,” said Marsha Goldstein, 73, a retired tour-company owner and member of the Union League Club of Chicago who has stayed at private clubs all over the world. “They have set the bar very high for service, and if you don’t get it, you need to be vocal. It’s critical to clubs’ success to have you be vocal if you’re unhappy.”

Private clubs also offer safety, a factor that deters some solo travelers from Airbnb, as well as networking opportunities. “I really think city clubs are going to explode in the next decade — at least the ones who decide to put business connections and security at the forefront,” Gabe Aluisy, who hosts a radio show about private clubs and wrote a book on private club marketing, wrote in an email. “You won’t get a personal introduction to a key business contact in a city from a hotel concierge, but you might from a private club manager or membership director who knows the membership intimately. And with security concerns all over the world, private clubs are a comfortable refuge where patrons have been vetted.”

Robin Lee Allen, 34, a private-equity fund manager and Babson College alum who belonged to the Princeton Club of New York, moved from New York to San Francisco in 2016 and used reciprocal privileges at the 19th-century University Club of San Francisco, atop Nob Hill. He threw his 33rd birthday party in its red-walled Black Cat Bar, which features memorabilia from the now-defunct Press Club of San Francisco, and stayed over after his friends left. His room, he said, resembled “a Westin. But you’re paying for opening the door and knowing nothing weird will happen when you’re walking around the club in the middle of the night. It really isn’t about ostentatiousness or even showing off. It’s about knowing that as you walk in and out, people will recognize you by name and by face.” Mr. Allen is moving to France soon for a work assignment and switched to Harvard Club of Boston because of its wide reciprocal network.

Of course, private clubs are not for everyone. Children are not always welcome. Cellphone and laptop use is often permitted only in certain locations, sometimes as small as a closet. Dress codes might prohibit jeans, flip flops and baseball caps. Then there is the elitist history.

Mr. Campbell, the Brown alum, who hails from the Golden Isles of Georgia and is a first-generation college graduate, said this did not bother him. “The Hope Club was probably no blacks, no Jews at one point,” he said. (It was.) “But things have changed. You need to exercise your right to use those clubs and have access to them because it’s a right that you’ve earned. It’s a sense of belonging someplace where you formerly did not belong and claiming it. It’s my form of protest, to be the black person who shows up.”


World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Whisky That Was Made in 1926 Sells for Record-Breaking £850,000 in Edinburgh

A Bonhams porter shows the bottle of Macallan Valerio Adamai 1926 whisky to packed auction house in Edinburgh today. The whisky was bottled in 1986 having been stored in a vat for 60 years previously

The world’s most expensive bottle of whisky – described by experts as the ‘Holy Grail’ – has been sold for nearly £850,000 at auction.

The 60-year-old Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 sold for a record-breaking £848,750 when it went under the hammer today at Bonhams Whisky Sale in Edinburgh.

Although 12 bottles of the vintage whisky were produced, it is not known how many of them still exist.

Bonhams auctioneer Charles Graham-Campbell takes bids during the sale of this whisky.

The bottle (right), which was expected to fetch between £700,000 and £900,000 ended up being sold for a record-breaking £848,750

One is said to have been destroyed in an earthquake in Japan in 2011, and it is believed that at least one of them has been opened and consumed.

Since the auction was announced earlier this year, Bonhams has been receiving inquiries from across the world, particularly China, for the tipple.

Bonhams Whisky specialist in Edinburgh, Martin Green, said: ‘I am delighted at this exceptional result.

‘It is a great honour to have established a new world record, and particularly exciting to have done so here in Scotland, the home of whisky.

‘Bonhams now holds the record for the three most valuable bottles of whisky ever sold at auction.’

The whisky was bottled in 1986 having been stored in a vat for 60 years previously.

Bonhams’ auction house in Edinburgh was packed out for the sale of the whisky today. Martin Green, Bonhams’ whisky specialist Martin Green said he was delighted with the result of the auction

Although 12 bottles of the vintage whisky (pictured) were produced, it is not known how many of them still exist. When they were bottled in 1986 Macallan commissioned world-famous pop artist Valerio Adami to design a label for the 12 bottles. Valerio Adami is an Italian artist famous for painting bold, flat forms outlined in thick, black lines, in a style reminiscent of comic art

The price keeps on rising at Bonhams’ auction house in Edinburgh where the whisky – made in 1926 – fetched a whopping £848,750 at auction

The whisky was expected to fetch between £700,000 and £900,000 at auction.

Macallan commissioned two world-famous Pop Artists, Valerio Adami and Peter Blake, to design labels for a very limited edition of 24 bottles -12 of the Adami and 12 of the Blake labels.

Valerio Adami (born 1935) is an Italian artist famous for painting bold, flat forms outlined in thick, black lines, in a style reminiscent of comic art.

He is among the most acclaimed of 20th Century Pop Artists.

The previous record for a whisky sale was held by another bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong in May.

It was sold for a world record-breaking price of £814,081 – the most paid for a bottle of Scotch whisky at public auction at the time.

Harvard Club Considers a Change, and Some Think It’s the ‘Worst Thing Ever’

Members of the Harvard Club are upset about a proposal to turn the majestic Harvard Hall, designed by the famed architect Charles McKim, into a dining room. Credit: Ramsay de Give for The New York Times

On the wood-paneled walls of Harvard Hall, the majestic heart of the Harvard Club in Midtown Manhattan, hang portraits of Teddy Roosevelt and other notable graduates. The head of an elephant, a gift to the club, hovers in an alcove where members luxuriate on plush leather couches to read and sometimes nap.

It is a place of elegance and quiet contemplation, and as rarefied spaces go, there are few more rarefied. “I see it as Harvard asserting its primacy as an early American institution,” Barry Bergdoll, a professor of modern architectural history at Columbia University, said of the room.

But when the club’s leadership proposed turning Harvard Hall into a dining room, the sniping among members had all the gentility of a barroom brawl.

“I have been called a fascist dictator,” Michael Holland, the club president, told more than 200 unhappy members during a meeting on Sept. 12.

Harvard Hall has been used for dining before, from 1905 to 1915. Credit: Harvard Club

The crowd booed. “I am not defensive,” he said.

According to people in attendance and a recording of the meeting obtained by The New York Times, one member accused Mr. Holland of sending misleading emails. People clapped when a person called for the club’s leadership to resign. Still others questioned why a change was necessary given the club’s overall financial health.

Depending on whom one talks to, the proposed change to Harvard Hall is either a vast conspiracy to turn the esteemed club into a catering-venue-for-hire or an attempt by the leadership to stem losses in its food and beverage business.

It is not uncommon in the genteel world of New York private clubs for members to weigh profit and convenience. But the members of the Harvard Club seem to be taking this proposal personally.

Ivan Shumkov, an architect, called it one of the most sacred spaces in New York, having been created by an architectural icon, the Harvard alumnus Charles McKim. “If we destroy Harvard Hall,” he said that night, “I think it will be the worst thing ever.”

While refugees of the Yale Club, for example, have long complained it is more corporate than clubby, the Harvard Club, on West 44th Street, has maintained a familial appeal. The membership, roughly 13,000, is made up mostly of faculty, graduates and their spouses. There is a gym with squash courts and guest rooms decorated with university memorabilia for overnight stays. Every year the club holds its own Christmas tree lighting. New York residents pay as much as $2,147 annually in dues, with nonresidents and newer graduates paying less.

A chandelier, decorated with the university shield, in Harvard Hall. Credit: Ramsay de Give for The New York Times

What makes the ruckus at the Harvard Club particularly sensitive is Harvard Hall itself. Mr. McKim built the club, adding Harvard Hall, with its blush-colored French stone walls and two walk-in fireplaces, in 1905. He and his firm, McKim, Mead & White, designed some of the most celebrated Beaux-Art architecture in America, including the University Club of New York, much of Columbia University, the Pierpont Morgan Library and the Boston Public Library.

“It is quite distinct in New York,” Mr. Bergdoll said of Harvard Hall. “It is meant to represent Harvard.”

Like many fights, the one at the Harvard Club started over money. Mr. Holland, the owner of a private investment firm who like other club officers is a volunteer, said that three years ago, the club instituted 22 recommendations to shore up its finances. One recommendation not pursued at the time was to move the a la carte dining service from the dining room, with its airy windows and high balcony, into Harvard Hall. The idea was not unprecedented; Harvard Hall hosted diners from 1905 to 1915.

Since those changes, losses in the club’s food and beverage business have persisted. A mere 8 percent of members accounted for 50 percent of a la carte dining revenue last year, suggesting the dining room is underused.

In February, the club hired Julia Heyer, a restaurant consultant whose firm has worked on projects at Grand Central Terminal and for Brooklyn Brewery. Mr. Holland said she proposed that club dining be moved to Harvard Hall and that two kitchens be separated to improve efficiency. At the same time, the current dining room, which is more spacious than Harvard Hall, could be rented out for larger weddings and banquets, generating more revenue.

The changes didn’t seem too drastic to Mr. Holland. “It’s just moving the furniture,” he said. “It’s not an earthshaking change in how the rooms are used.”

Many members, though, had a different take. In early August, three former committee members of the club sent an email to the board of trustees. The men, Jonathan David, E. Theodore Lewis Jr. and Charles Lauster, laid out reasons the proposal to turn Harvard Hall into a dining room should be rejected.

They warned that the use of the main dining room for banquets and special events would “negatively effect the ambiance of the club” and “eliminate Harvard Hall as a place of quiet enjoyment for members and guests.”

“We are not opposed to making changes that could place the Club on a sounder financial foot,” they wrote. “But we view the current proposal as ill-considered, insufficiently researched and unnecessarily disruptive.”

Mr. Holland said the authors commented without knowing all the facts. (In an email, Mr. David said the three men declined to comment.) Herbert Pliessnig, the club’s general manager, said in an interview that the club planned to hold only an additional five to 10 events annually if the proposal were adopted.

The current dining hall could be rented out for more events if dining were moved to Harvard Hall. Credit: Ramsay de Give for The New York Times

Mr. Holland said of the men: “They really care about the club. How they go about it is their business, whatever they do.”

Their email was widely shared among members, particularly the club’s special interest groups, who frequently meet to discuss topics like American literature, politics or history.

Some were concerned that they would have limited access to quiet rooms if the Harvard Club rented out more space to outsiders. Others were displeased that lunch would no longer be served on the balcony of the main dining room, a favorite gathering spot, if that room were turned into an event space. Mr. Holland said he has received hundreds of emails, mostly in opposition.

One of those letters was from Seth  Herbert, a former vice president and senior international counsel at Estée Lauder who has been a club member for 25 years. He said in an interview that he had left the Yale Club (he has degrees from both schools) because it no longer felt like “home” and that he worried the same would happen to the Harvard Club. “I’m very ambivalent about the proposal,” he said. “It is a major decision that affects the culture of the club.”

Mr. Holland said there would be no decision on Harvard Hall without a vote of the members. He and his team have held three meetings to present the plan. At the first one, on Sept. 7, they laid out two options: members could choose to make Harvard Hall a dining room or they could not. If they opposed the change, annual dues could increase by as much as 10 percent, according to the presentation.

The Sept. 12 meeting, judging by the recording, was particularly tense. Among other accusations, one man told Mr. Holland that an email sent to members with the headline, “Enhancing Your Member Experience,” mischaracterized the seriousness of the proposed change. Most people didn’t read past the first sentence, the man said.

By the third meeting, on Sept. 18, “it was more mixed, but still emotional,” Mr. Holland said. “A couple of times I had to explain that we are volunteers and we are trying to do good.”

Why Foodies Should Visit Victoria, British Columbia

The following article was featured Forbes Magazine’s Travel Guide on August 6, 2018.

Delicious Victoria TOURISM VICTORIA

When considering Canada’s best food, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal undisputedly clinch the title. And if you press further, destinations like Prince Edward Island and Quebec City shoot up as contenders. But there’s one Canadian city that’s quietly vying for epicurean attention: Vancouver Island’s Victoria.

Victoria’s food scene gets eclipsed by nearby Vancouver, but British Columbia’s capital has long earned its culinary cred: it was home to Canada’s first brewpub; it has a neighboring wine region; it serves one of the best high teas in the country; it boasts the nation’s oldest Chinatown; and Canada’s first chocolatier started here.

Dig in to find out why you should taste your way through the Pacific Northwest’s oldest city.

The Magnolia Hotel & Spa THE MAGNOLIA HOTEL & SPA

WHERE TO STAY

For our Victoria culinary tour, we checked into The Magnolia Hotel & Spa, and not just because the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel has an excellent location mere blocks from the Inner Harbour or because of its plush, sophisticated accommodations.

The 64-room boutique hotel offers fun self-guided itineraries for guests called Curated Trails, a number of which revolve around food and drink. Here are highlights from Magnolia’s Culinary Trailblazers, Craft Brewery and Tea-riffic Trails tours, plus some other delicious spots we found along the way.

Duck at The Courtney Room LEILA KWOK

WHERE TO DINE

The Courtney Room

The first stop is at the hotel’s chic brand-new restaurant that debuted in April. Come for fine dining or to soak up the sun on the new patio, which gives a glimpse of the domed capitol building, one of Victoria’s most-recognized sights. Then linger into the wee hours at the white marble bar for Midnight in Oaxaca cocktails (Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej mezcal, lime, habanero bitters, mint, cucumber) and the irresistible potatoes Courtney (duck fat tater tots accompanied by onion dip).

At dinner, order the seasonal tasting menu to see how chef Sam Harris spotlights local ingredients in French dishes. A tender Yarrow Meadows duck breast is covered with crispy skin and comes with carrots, turnips and pickled rhubarb. Local halibut goes decadent with a pool of airy, ethereal whipped béarnaise and tarragon.

Add on the caviar service. The sustainable, organic Northern Divine pearls, chives and creamy “dip” (garlic, garlic and onion powder, crème fraîche, egg yolk, grapeseed and olive oils, lemon juice) on top of a housemade chip was one of the best bites on the menu. And opt for the vino pairings — you’ll get a nice sampling of the local Cowichan wine region.

A Sampling from Olo JENNIFER KESTER

Olo Restaurant

The cozy space basks in a warm glow from its orange-yellow walls and birds-nest-like lighting fixtures. The food goes for an artful presentation, but it’s just as homey as the environs.

The addictive deep-fried semolina cubes with garlic mayo will have you requesting a second round. The vegetable platter gets an upgrade with a deeply smoky white bean hummus. For a seafood-heavy dish that won’t weigh you down, choose the sablefish collar with clams, potato, kale, daikon and shellfish butter.

Dobosala Cantina & Ride Thru DOBOSALA CANTINA & RIDE THRU

Dobosala Cantina & Ride Thru

Chef Kunal Ghose firmly established himself in Victoria’s food scene with popular restaurants like Red Fish Blue Fish and Fishhook. For his April-opened venture, he embraced Dobosala’s location fronting Pandora Avenue’s new bike lane and went with a fast-casual concept that has the only ride-through window in the city.

But it’s worth parking your two-wheeler and taking a seat inside the industrial eatery to savor Ghose’s bright, flavorful Indo-Pacific fusion. Try the crispy pakora with kimchi crema and tamari-tamarind ponzu; “squimp” onigiri — rice balls with Humboldt squid, Tofino shrimp, sockeye belly sashimi and horseradish mayo; and the adobo-gochujang chicken stuffed in a tortilla cone. Wash it down with a housemade mango-hibiscus iced tea.

Fresh, Handmade Pasta at La Pasta LA PASTA

Victoria Public Market at the Hudson

At the small public market, save your appetite for La Pasta, which debuted in May. The spot churns out handmade pasta daily. Order the comforting carbonara with toothsome spaghetti and porchetta bits or the fusilli pesto topped with generous dollops of fresh ricotta. But first begin with antipasti like fried artichokes with lemon aioli for some brightness as well as the rich arancini.

Or venture over to Very Good Butchers. The first vegan butchery on Canada’s west coast, it specializes in plant-based “meat.” Try a dish featuring the smoky seitan bacon or the “pepperoni,” which gives more of a kick than its beef-and-pork counterpart.

Kid Sister Ice Cream

Hidden along Chinatown’s photogenic Fan Tan Alley — Canada’s narrowest street — sits this scoop shop. You can’t go wrong with from-scratch ice cream like the luscious salted caramel in a house-baked waffle cone, but the parlor is known for its paletas (Latin American popsicles upgraded with fresh fruit and fun ingredients) in creative flavors like quince Creamsicle; mango, black currant and lime; and mocha cheesecake.

Fairmont Empress’ Tantalizing Tea FAIRMONT EMPRESS

WHERE TO DRINK

Fairmont Empress

Half a million cups of tea are poured annually at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel, whose afternoon ritual has been a Victoria tradition since 1908. Don’t let the date fool you: the modern room overlooking the harbor makes for one of Canada’s best tea experiences.

Thoughtful details abound: the china bears the same timeless purple-and-pink pattern that King George VI and Queen Elizabeth chose for a 1939 dinner party they hosted at the hotel; the menu arrives in an elegant wooden box that also holds samples of each high-quality blend; the housemade strawberry jam uses local berries, honey from the hotel’s beehives and lavender from its rooftop garden; and servers are warm, welcoming and ready with just the right recommendations.

Even if you’re not one for tea, come for the Empress 1908 gin. The hotel’s small-batch, butterfly-pea-blossom-infused pour possesses an indigo hue that turns lavender when you add citrus or tonic. The color-changing G&T is a must for your Instagram feed, but also for its great taste, with juniper and grapefruit notes.

Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. JENNIFER KESTER

Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.

The brewery launched in 2001, but it added the city’s first tasting room in April. Head there to sample the easy-to-drink Blue Buck or Robert Service Stone Fired Ale.

But everyone will find something to sip here. Check out the all-natural house sodas — i.e., made without syrups or other artificial sweeteners — like the effervescent, Creamsicle-like Dare Devil orange.

Little Jumbo

Seek out a small neon elephant above the Pacific Transfer Building sign, enter and go to the end of the hallway for this restaurant/bar. The brick-walled, pressed-copper ceiling space is an inviting local favorite for well-crafted cocktails.

Follow the Victorians and ask for A Convicted Melon (Altos tequila, Campari, hibiscus, honeydew melon, local Olive the Senses coconut balsamic, Bittermens molé bitters) or the Gin and Tea (Boodles Gin, Silk Road’s Alchemist’s Brew and Berry Victoria teas, lime and flowers).

Silk Road Tea SILK ROAD TEA

WHERE TO SHOP

Silk Road Tea

In this tea-loving city, there’s no better souvenir than local leaves. Tea master Daniela Cubelic makes exquisite blends at her Chinatown shop. You’ll notice that Silk Road teas appear all over the city (including Little Jumbo, The Courtney Room and rooms at the Magnolia).

Pick up health-targeting teas, like the antioxidant-boosting Beau-Tea-Ful Skincare (white and green leaves, rooibos, calendula, lemon balm, peppermint, lemongrass, lavender) or sinus-relieving Allergy & Hay Fever Defense (take the green tea, peppermint, nettle, holy basil, rooibos and eucalyptus blend three weeks before allergy season to prep your immune system). Or try the 8 Immortals, a special reserve oolong with floral notes that’s supposed to help longevity.

Rogers’ JENNIFER KESTER

Rogers’ Chocolates

While you can purchase Rogers’ chocolates all over Canada, Charles “Candy” Rogers started his business in Victoria in 1885. His first confection, the Victoria Cream, launched his career as the country’s first chocolatier.

Pop into the original Government Street shop, which seems frozen in time. Staff dressed in starched white button-down shirts and black ties stand ready to sate your craving from the wood shelves and glass cases filled with chocolates. The must-buy sweet is Rogers’ Victoria Cream, wrapped in a waxy pink-gingham paper. Enrobed in dark chocolate, the discs are made with fresh cream and fruits and don’t contain any additives. Our favorite was the not-overly-sweet, nut-studded hazelnut.

Jennifer Kester is Forbes Travel Guide’s Executive Editor. Her finger is on the pulse of the latest in luxury travel, spanning hotels, food, culture, top destinations and more.

Athenaeum Club – 150th Anniversary Offer

A proud resident of Collins Street, Melbourne, for 150 years, the Athenaeum is one of Australia’s oldest and finest clubs. They take pride in their heritage and traditions, yet are contemporary in their outlook.

The Athenaeum Club’s location, service, facilities and first-class dining reflect their Australian and international reputation as a welcoming place of relaxation and good fellowship in a busy world, and their members are proud to bring their guests into the Club to enjoy the fine ambience the Athenaeum Club is renowned for.

This year, the Athenaeum Club, Melbourne celebrates its 150th anniversary and invites Union Club members to help celebrate this significant milestone.

During the month of August the Athenaeum Club’s charming accommodation rooms are available for only, $150 per night.

If taking advantage of this offer for accommodation, why not make it even more special by dining in the elegant mixed dining Athena Room.

Reservations for accommodation or dinner can be made:

The Ultimate Guide To Experiencing Everything THE PLAYERS Championship Has To Offer

THE PLAYERS Championship, hosted in Ponte Vedra, Florida at the TPC Sawgrass, is amongst one of the most anticipated golf events of the year. Its prestigious credibility stems from their grand host course, record-breaking winners, and family-friendly vacation location. The golf tournament also features the largest prize fund set at $10.5 million from 2015 to 2017.

Past notable winners include Tiger Woods (2001, 2013) and the legendary Jack Nicklaus (1974, 1976, 1978). And, just last year THE PLAYERS’ notability grew even more when the South Korean golfer, Kim Si-Woo, became the youngest to win the tournament at just 21-years-old. THE PLAYERS Championship 2018 offers more than just a golf tournament if you can make it a week-long stay. Below is a glimpse into the world that awaits you if you decide to attend. If you weren’t considering THE PLAYERS Championship before, we’re sure you’ll want to fly out to Ponte Vedra, Florida come May 8 – 13.

1. THE PLAYERS CLUB VIP EXPERIENCE

The TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse will be reimagined as THE PLAYERS Championship invite-only, ultra VIP experience for those seeking unparalleled hospitality. You’ll have weekly access to the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse during practice and tournament rounds; a private viewing space on #17 Tee and #18 Green Tuesday through Sunday; premium food and beverages included. Additionally you will receive a $500 shopping credit provided per ticket to shop from the TPC Sawgrass Pro Shop featuring premium brands and unique merchandise offered only at this location. Upon your valet arrival, a bottle of champagne will greet you to commemorate your presence. Guests of THE PLAYERS Club are issued their tickets individually for each tournament day with more information available upon request.

2. THE SUITES AND LOUNGES WITH IMPECCABLE VIEWS

“We have built the Disneyland equivalent for golf fans,” shared Jared Rice, Executive Director of THE PLAYERS. He and THE PLAYERS team have dreamed up impeccable renovations to The Stadium Course. You can experience the prestigious golf tournament through a world-class lens from one of the many lounges spread throughout the grounds. The Turn, located on the 18th Fairway with outside views of #18 Fairway and Green, and inside views of #9 Fairway, offers a full premium bar and tasty food available for purchase. It also features HD TV feeds, open indoor and outdoor seating, climate controlled interiors, and private restrooms. “THE PLAYERS Championship is truly unlike any other sporting event in the world,” said Rice. “Fans have a front row seat to watch the world’s best professional golfers play one of the most iconic courses in the game, but this tournament is so much more than just great golf—it is the social event of the year. There’s something for everyone at THE PLAYERS, and it is our goal for fans to walk away from their time here saying, ‘That was one of the best experiences of my life.’”

3. WILLIAM HILL ESTATE WINERY TASTING

William Hill Estate Winery is the official wine of the tournament and will be showcased at THE PLAYERS Championship. Its stylish and contemporary tasting room, The Wine Lounge, found in their Napa Valley estate location, will be recreated on site. Wines will include Napa Valley Chardonnay, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast Chardonnay, and North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon.

4. THE DELECTABLE VENDORS

Tournament grounds will feature local vendors throughout in support of community businesses. The roster will include Argentinian bites from Mama’s Kitchen and Tex-Mex from the fan favorite, TacoLu, also known as Tacos on 12, on game day. The affluent foodie will be thrilled to know that the Four-Diamond award-winning restaurant, Restaurant Medure, will be present to satisfy their refined cravings.

5. EXPERIENCE THE SAWGRASS MARRIOTT

When it comes to convenient accommodations close to TPC Sawgrass, look no further than the Sawgrass Marriott. Its unmatched privileges include complimentary rides to the golf course via shuttle, or scenic golf cart excursions upon request. Access to the hotel’s “The Living Room” is included which includes featured complimentary snacks and beverages such as coffee and wine.

The resort is surrounded by dreamy greenery, a remarkable lagoon with exotic wildlife, waterfalls, bonfires, family-friendly games, and a large pool surrounded by lounge chairs. Three restaurants can be found on the property, a Starbucks, and a large plush lounge. Their private beach club is also accessible via their shuttle. You’ll receive a free one-year magazine subscription to Golf Digest, a complimentary happy hour reception on the deck, and more.

6. TRANQUIL THERAPY SESSIONS IN THE CITY

Share the same masseuse expert as your favorite golf player at the tranquil Massage Envy as they are the official massage therapists for the players. Their preferred service is the stretch and massage, which helps maintain  the body’s health and flexibility during the tournament. The spa is only 11 minutes away from the Sawgrass Marriott.

7. TOURING THE HISTORICAL WONDERMENT OF ST. AUGUSTINE

Exploring the city of St. Augustine during your downtime is definitely something to consider. You’ll only be 40-minutes away from the beach and historical landmarks like the Castillo de San Marcosand the oldest surviving Spanish colonial in America, the González–Alvarez House.

Posh New Philly Club to Target City’s Emerging Youthful Elite

Artist’s rendering of lounge with terrace at the members-only Fitler Club planned at 2400 Market St.

When it was known as the Marketplace Design Center, 2400 Market St. was a lightly trafficked building in what remained a fringe neighborhood at the far west of Philadelphia’s central business district.

Hospitality financier David Gutstadt now wants to turn part of the building, which will also soon host Aramark Corp.’s new world headquarters, into a center for the social lives of the city’s emerging business, tech, and cultural elite.

Gutstadt’s $50 million-to-$60 million plan for what’s to be called the Fitler Club, unveiled at a press event Thursday, involves fitness facilities, fine dining, hotel rooms, coworking offices, event spaces, and other amenities encompassing 75,000 square feet over parts of the building’s lower three floors.

It’s a local take on the new wave of high-end private membership clubs – such as those making up the London-based Soho House chain – that are popping up in some of the world’s more prosperous cities. It underscores Philadelphia’s rising fortunes.

The decision to place it at Center City’s far-western edge overlooking the Schuylkill, meanwhile, highlights central Philadelphia’s shifting center of gravity toward University City.

Gutstadt, whose background includes working on hotel deals at Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley, as well as a stint devising a hospitality concept for a venture involving Related Companies and the Equinox fitness chain, said he hoped his Philadelphia club would the first in a national network.

His plan has attracted about 75 financial backers, including basketball hall-of-famer and former naval officer David Robinson’s Admiral Capital Group, he said.

“Why should we have to wait to import something? Why can’t we do something great that’s for Philadelphians, by Philadelphians?” he said. “Why don’t we get the best example of something first here, then we can be an exporter?”

The Fitler Club is scheduled to open in early 2019. It will enter a market long dominated by old-line establishments, such as the Union League and the Racquet Club, spaces filled with elaborate chandeliers, oriental rugs, classical statuary, and oil paintings.

“When you look at the aesthetics and you walk in and you see 100 years of presidents of the club and a majority are old white men, I think the younger demographic says, ‘I don’t want to join my father’s country club; I want my own identity,’ ” said Zack Bates, chief executive of Newport Beach, Calif.-based members’ clubs consultancy Private Club Marketing.

The Fitler Club will feature food and beverage services managed by Vetri Family restaurant group co-founder Jeff Benjamin, with chef Kevin Sbraga, whose since-shuttered eateries include the fine-dining namesake Sbraga and the Fat Ham.

Also onsite will be a 14-room five-star hotel; a coworking center with 20 private offices, and 65 single-desk workstations; more than 10,000 square feet of event space that will spill out onto a deck over the Schuylkill; a fitness center with a 75-foot lap pool; and a screening room that will feature first-run films, Gutstadt said.

“The whole theory is, you want people to activate the space all day, all night,” he said. “So what are the elements you can use to keep this space activated?”

The club’s management plans to build up its membership in phases, growing from an initial cap of around 1,000 to about 2,500 in coming years.

It will be priced in line with similar clubs in other cities, Gutstadt said. That translates to initiation fees of $1,500 to $2,500, plus monthly dues of $250 to $500, Bates said.

The number of Philadelphians able to afford those fees may be small compared with the likes of New York, Miami, and West Hollywood, Calif., But it’s growing: The number of Philadelphia households earning more than $100,000 a year increased 25 percent to 85,455 in 2015 from five years earlier, according to calculations based on U.S. Census data.

Jacob Cooper, a managing director with brokerage MSC Retail in Philadelphia, said he thought there would be solid demand for memberships from long-term residents and recent transplants seeking a place to have most of their social, business and exercise needs met under one roof, in like company.

The club will be well-placed on the Schuylkill waterfront to draw members from those in medical and technology fields in University City — which includes sites proposed to Amazon.com Inc. as potential locations for a second headquarters — as well as from the emerging business leaders in western Center City, where Comcast Corp. continues to expand, Cooper said.

Gutstadt happens to be the son-in-law of Philadelphia real estate entrepreneur Carl Dranoff, among the city’s first contemporary developers to discover the Schuylkill waterfront, and he previously worked for Lubert-Adler Real Estate Funds, a co-owner of the 2400 Market St. building.

But he said the location rose to the top of list on its own merits during the six months he spent scouring Philadelphia for the right site.

“It really is the new center of Center City,” he said.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Kentucky Derby

As far as live horse racing track competitions go, the Kentucky Derby is the crown jewel of live horse races. Since the official race is almost here, we want to share some Kentucky Derby facts so that you can impress your friends over a refreshing Mint Julep.

10 KENTUCKY DERBY FACTS

The Kentucky Derby Has Never, Ever Been Canceled

The Run for the Roses has lived through some hard times in American history. But since its founding in 1875, the race has never been canceled. Come rain or shine, come depression or war, come what may, there will always be a race on the first Saturday in May.

Space is Limited

Only 20 of the best of the best thoroughbred racehorses compete every year. When you compare this to the number of horses born every year, that’s less than one percent of horses that get a chance to run.

Extravagant Hats Are a Deep-Rooted Tradition

Kentucky Derby facts aren’t all about the horses. The founder of the first race in the Triple Crown series wanted this event to compare to Paris Fashion Week. To this day, women come dressed to the hilts. Every year gets more and more fabulous.

Female Horses Don’t Always Run the Live Horse Racing Track

One of the more troubling Kentucky Derby interesting facts for owners of female thoroughbred horses to hear is that only three fillies have won the competition.

Horse Lovers Know How to Party

Kentucky Derby facts for kids that could get them excited about the festivities is that for over 60 years, there are two weeks of parties, parades, and events before the great race. Those familiar with the scene call it the Kentucky Derby Festival.

Triple Crown Winners Are the Most Physically Fit Thoroughbred Horses

Racehorses in Kentucky are strong athletes. To win the Triple Crown, a horse must take first in three competitions all held within the same month. Can you imagine the kind of energy that takes? Some interesting Kentucky Derby facts trivia you could spread is that only 12 horses have ever been honored as Triple Crown winners.

It Costs a Pretty Penny to Enter

It’s not polite to talk about money, but when talking about Kentucky Derby facts, we’ll make an exception. If all deadlines are met, it costs over $50,000 to enter the race.

Mint Julep is the Official Drink of the Race

A hot day at the live horse races requires a refreshing beverage. Mint Juleps are the official drink of race lovers. Attendees drink more than 120,000 of these things during their visit at the track.

You Can Win Big

On top of a sweet blanket of roses, Derby winners take home $2 million. That’s a nice chunk of change.

People Bet Big

When it comes to Kentucky Derby facts, it’s no surprise that people bet big. But would you be impressed if we told you people bet nearly $209.2 million in 2017?

A lot of luck and just $1 could’ve made you $75,974.50 richer at the 2017 Derby. All you would’ve had to do is pick the top four horses in the 2017 Kentucky Derby in the correct order.

36 Hours in Victoria, British Columbia

The following article recently appeared in The New York Times:

On lush Vancouver Island, this urban jewel offers innovative restaurants, gorgeous parks and gardens, and museums that celebrate the area’s many cultures.

The Inner Harbour, with the majestic Parliament buildings in the background. Credit Ema Peter for The New York Times

This compact, eminently walkable city, set amid the breathtaking beauty and bounty of Vancouver Island, is lauded as one of the world’s top smallurban destinations. Beyond the picture-perfect downtown waterfront, British Columbia’s capital is an exhilarating blend of cultures, from Canadian and First Nations to Chinese and European (especially British). There are three universities, thriving arts and cultural institutions, significant historic preservation, a celebrated local food scene and Canada’s mildest climate: That means year-round forest visits, biking and golf; gardens galore (daffodils in February); even beehives downtown (at the Fairmont Empress hotel; atop the Harbour Air floating terminal). There is wildness too: “bear jams” disrupting traffic, cougar sightings and soaring eagles, towering ancient trees, log-strewn beaches and distant snowy peaks.

Friday

1) 3 p.m. EARLY DAYS

The blocks north of the Empress and west of Douglas Street, including Chinatown, comprise the Old Town. Start at Bastion Square and Wharf Street, overlooking the harbor, where James Douglas founded Fort Victoria in 1843 as an outpost of the Hudson’s Bay Company. This area became the heart of commerce, industry and government, swelling in size after the 1858 Fraser Gold Rush drew thousands of immigrants. Next to the Old Victoria Customs House is a grassy overlook with a display telling the history of British settlement and the indigenous Lekwungen people. Check out the lively Bastion Square pedestrian area of shops, restaurants and cafes, music and markets; then, on Government Street, browse through Munro’s Books, situated in a century-old bank, and founded in 1963 by the Nobel Prize-winning Canadian writer Alice Munro and her then-husband. Detour through Trounce Alley (note the 125-year-old gaslights), then walk east on Fort Street to La Taqueria to snack on Mexican tacos amid festive music and colorful tiles. A juicy carnitas taco with pickled red onions and salsa is 3 Canadian dollars, or about $2.35, and a Baja fish taco with cabbage, salsa and chipotle mayonnaise is 6 dollars; wash it down with Mexican fruit soda or local beer.

Munro’s Books, situated in a century-old bank, is a book lover’s paradise. Credit Ema Peter for The New York Times.

2) 6 p.m. ON THE WATERFRONT

The Inner Harbour is where seaplanes, water taxis, kayak outfitters, whale-watching tours, restaurants and festivals can all be found. Sit under the trees and watch the boats and passers-by; then head to the chateau-style Fairmont Empress, one of several luxury hotels built across Canada by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company at the turn of the century. Don’t miss the Q restaurant and bar, with its coffered ceiling, gold and purple accents and portraits of Queen Victoria. An elaborate British tea is served daily in the spacious lobby. The nearby majestic Parliament buildings were erected in 1898 to boost the capital’s profile after Vancouver became the railway’s western terminus. Open daily for touring, they are spectacularly illuminated at night. Thunderbird Park on Belleville Street is a quiet spot among the trees, where a regional First Nations house and totem poles were recreated by the Kwakwaka’wakw master carver Mungo Martin in the 1950s.

3) 8 p.m. THE ART OF DINING

Stepping inside Little Jumbo feels like a warm embrace: The exposed brick, aged wood and glowing copper ceiling take you back in time. The restaurant, which has received accolades for everything from design to food and drinks, is a homage to two New York City saloon owners in the 1860s who championed the art of dining and mixology. Dinner for two — try the warm Halloumi cheese salad, spicy Fernet-roasted nuts and grilled lingcod — including choice British Columbian wines, costs about 131 dollars.

The 19th-century Old Victoria Customs House exemplifies the Second Empire architectural style. Credit Ema Peter for The New York Times

Saturday

4) 9 a.m. URBAN OASIS

Fol Epi bakery is known for its wild-yeast breads, made from milled-on-site organic flours and baked in brick ovens. Choose from an array of loaves, pastries and quiches, then think ahead to a packable lunch of sandwiches. Walk down Douglas Street to Beacon Hill Park: This 200-acre oasis is to Victoria what Central Park is to New York City. The landscape varies from manicured and natural gardens to forest, swampland, lakes, Garry oaks and camas fields (originally planted by the Lekwungen, who harvested the edible bulbs), and includes a children’s farm and a 127-foot totem pole. Great blue herons nest in the towering firs and peacocks strut; relax and listen to birds fussing and fountains gurgling. Make time to tour the nearby Emily Carr House (6.75 dollars); the Victoria-born painter of forests and First Nations scenes spent her childhood gamboling in the park.

5) Noon. ALONG DALLAS ROAD

This scenic stretch on the southern shore of the city, from Fisherman’s Wharf to beyond Ross Bay Cemetery, draws walkers, joggers, bikers and dogs. Have a picnic, clamber down to the beach or simply marvel at the water views and roadside homes. Start at Ogden Point, where interpretive kiosks tell about the Breakwater and the Unity Wall murals painted on both sides, depicting Coast Salish First Nations culture. Walk out to the lighthouse, watching for sea otters and seals. Farther east, past Clover Point, cross the road to Ross Bay Cemetery. This rambling, peaceful resting place of many of Victoria’s notable citizens is also where you’ll find some of the city’s oldest heritage trees, cuttings from which were planted all over the young city (see treesofvictoria.com). Look for deer lying on the spongy grass among the weathered obelisks, statuary and stones in this wondrous place.

Seven modern gallery spaces adjoin an 1889 mansion to form the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Credit Ema Peter for The New York Times

6) 2 p.m. TO THE GARDEN

From the cemetery, head to the exquisite Abkhazi Garden, tucked away on a quiet block behind rhododendrons and Garry oaks. The tranquil gardens, with their several distinct outdoor “rooms,” were designed to harmonize with the rocky glacial outcroppings and native trees on the hilly property, which includes rock ponds (with mallards and turtles) and the 1950s Modernist summerhouse and former home (now teahouse) of the couple whose love story started it all. Suggested fee: 10 dollars (includes guide).

7) 4 p.m. AFTERNOON ART

At the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, seven modern gallery spaces adjoin an 1889 mansion that once served as the museum. On permanent display are works by Emily Carr and an impressive Asian collection and garden — second only to that of the Royal Ontario Museum. There are amber and ivory carvings, a Japanese Shinto shrine, and a Chinese Ming dynasty bell presented to Victoria in 1903. Admission is 13 dollars.

The Bastion Square pedestrian area is filled with shops, restaurants and cafes. Credit Ema Peter for The New York Times

8) 6 p.m. CHINATOWN

The 19th-century gold rushes and Canadian Pacific Railway construction drew thousands of Chinese immigrants to Victoria, where they settled above Johnson Street. Today, Canada’s oldest Chinatown is a National Historic Site, a small, colorful (especially red, for luck), vibrant community of narrow streets and alleyways, shops and restaurants, beyond the resplendent Gates of Harmonious Interest. The Victoria Chinese Public School, built in 1909, is still used to teach Chinese language classes. Climb the stairs to the top floor of the Yen Wo Society building to see the oldest active Chinese temple in Canada, honoring the sea deity Tam Kung.

9) 8 p.m. DOWN TO EARTH DINNER

Olo (meaning hungry in Chinook) serves up serious farm-to-table fare with a nod to the region’s cultural diversity. The space is comfortable and rustic, with warm light emanating from hanging spheres of loosely wound wooden strips. A recent meal included crisp Hakurei turnip salad, garganelli pasta with a meaty sauce, and a dreamy dessert (rhubarb, salmonberries, elderberry ice cream, fennel macaron), with local wine (about 140 dollars for two).

Agrius, which opened in 2016, is known for its organic, local menu. Credit Ema Peter for The New York Times

Sunday

10) 9 a.m. BRUNCH FOR BREAKFAST

When it opened in 2016, Agrius garnered rave reviews for its organic, local menu. Now the restaurant serves brunch, with hearty buckwheat and rye pancakes, egg dishes (cured salmon scramble with fennel, capers and cream cheese), house-made lamb sausage and pork belly, kale and mushroom Benedict, vegetable pâté, even fried oysters (9 to 21 dollars). In fine weather there is pleasant outdoor seating along a pedestrian way.

11) 11 a.m. ROYAL BC MUSEUM

You could spend hours in this stellar repository of natural and human history, with its singular collection of British Columbia First Nations archaeological materials, as well as provincial archives. The First Peoples gallery includes a totem hall and ceremonial house, an interactive language display and a collection of Argillite (black shale) carvings from Haida Gwaii, while the Old Town recreates period streetscapes and trades — a cannery, hotel, sawmill — even the 1790s ship quarters of George Vancouver. Admission: 17 dollars.

12) 1 p.m. DRIVE UP THE COAST

Beyond the cemetery, Dallas Road takes other names but continues along the dramatic rocky coast through neighborhoods such as upscale Oak Bay, where you’ll find art galleries and British-style pubs and teahouses. Stop at Willows Beach for a walk or a swim, then continue north past the University of Victoria to Mount Douglas Park. You can hike or drive up; either way, the panoramic view is remarkable: across Haro Strait to the San Juan Islands, toward downtown, or across rural Saanich. Hungry again? Head back to town for Foo Asian Street Food, where a hearty, steaming bowl of curried noodle stir fry with pork and shrimp, prepared while you watch, costs 14 dollars. Alternatively, the charming Venus Sophia Tea Room serves organic teas and sweets — Cream Earl Grey with scones, cream and jam costs 14 dollars — and vegetarian lunch items.

Victoria, British Columbia’s Quaint Capital, Finds a New Cool

The following article recently appeared in The Wall Street Journal:

Hipness has infiltrated picturesque Victoria, where wine bars and pot now mingle with Edwardian manors.

HOMECOMING QUEEN – Q Bar at Victoria’s revamped Fairmont Empress Hotel.

By Taras Grescoe

THE VIEW of Victoria’s Inner Harbour hasn’t changed much since Rudyard Kipling described it as a mix of Sorrento, Hong Kong and the Isle of Wight “with some Himalayas for the background,” during his lengthy sojourn at the grand Empress Hotel in 1908. Ships still dock beneath the massive columns of the Canadian Pacific Railway terminal, though the steamships have been replaced by high-speed ferries on the three-hour run to Seattle.

For years, mainlanders dismissed the city on Vancouver Island’s south coast as a picturesque haven for honeymooners and retirees, “the newlywed and the nearly dead.” But lately, Victoria has developed a hipper side. Tech companies now occupy brick warehouses, craft distilleries share streetfronts with traditional tea rooms, and marijuana dispensaries are popping up among the old Edwardian mansions. At times it feels like a Portland North, set amid the architectural glories of a one-time imperial outpost: a mashup of traditional and alternative, with a sneak-up-sideways charm.

The historic heart of Victoria’s walkable downtown is Bastion Square, where the city was born as a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post in 1843. Now lined with pubs and home to a popular Sunday farmers market, the square’s oldest buildings date to the 1860s, after the discovery of gold on the Fraser River transformed little Fort Victoria into a boomtown thronged by American miners and outfitters.

Prepping at Agrius. PHOTO: RUSH JAGOE

The Cantonese migrants who followed them from San Francisco founded Canada’s first Chinatown, and on Fisgard Street, the neon signs of the Don Mee Restaurant and the Fantan Café continue to lure patrons to old-school feasts of Szechuan seafood and sweet-and-sour pork. Fan Tan Alley, whose three-foot-wide entrance forced the local constabulary to enter single file when raiding its louche gambling and opium dens, now houses vendors of used records, handmade chocolates and Dr. Martens boots.

The streets around Lower Johnson, a strip where prospectors once spent their gold in saloons, brothels, and outfitters’ shops, have undergone a similar transformation. In the district, redubbed LoJo, brick facades are now home to chic boutiques and specialty shops like Silk Road Tea, a mix of day spa and high-end tea room. Off Yates Street, Little Jumbo restaurant channels the district’s past with a down-the-hall entrance and speakeasy vibe, where an aperol-and-absinthe cocktail makes a bracing prelude to delicate local oysters and lightly grilled lingcod.

Change has come even to the venerable Fairmont Empress hotel. After a two-year, $40-million-plus renovation, the trademark ivy has been stripped from the facade—the family of raccoons who called it home had to be relocated—transforming its former flag deck into a terrace with a privileged harbor view. A rooftop garden now yields the herbs and edible flowers on the menu at Q at the Empress, and four beehives on the grounds hone the honey served with scones and clotted cream at high tea.

There is still plenty of old Victoria to savor. The hotel’s unapologetically colonialist Bengal Lounge has been left untouched: punkah fans still sway from the mahogany-inlaid ceiling over murals of dhows and elephant-borne rajahs on the Ganges. And the corridors of the sixth floor—where guests continue to report sightings of the ghost of a chambermaid who plunged to her death in the 1930s—are still as crooked and atmospheric as ever.

The Milkman’s Daughter, a décor shop in Victoria’s Chinatown. PHOTO: JANIS NICOLAY

By contrast, Victoria’s alternative side thrives in the funky Fernwood neighborhood east of downtown. In the last decade, neighborhood associations have spearheaded the transformation of the buildings around Fernwood Square. An old Methodist church became the multi-staged Belfry Theatre; the Fernwood Inn, a former dive bar, was reborn as a pub serving local ales and ciders. The once-rundown building across from the Inn now houses the Crossroads, an espresso bar that has become an unofficial community meeting place, and the relaxed Stage Wine Bar, where one can dine on small plates of cauliflower pakora, Salt Spring Island mussels, and gnocchi.

A stroll in the surrounding streets takes visitors past book exchange boxes outside century-old Arts-and-Crafts bungalows, a community garden on the former grounds of a schoolhouse, and an ice cream parlor called Cold Comfort offering “Hoyne’s Dark Matter,” an improbable but successful combination of vanilla ice cream and brown ale.

A 10-minute walk south of downtown is the tranquil James Bay neighborhood, site of the childhood home of Emily Carr. It has been turned into a museum commemorating the life of the author and painter, who returned from a trip to France to create striking, Post-Impressionist takes on northern Pacific landscapes. View Carr’s deeply Canadian canvases of listing Haida and Gitxsan totem poles in the nearby Royal B.C. Museum.

In the Rockland neighborhood, perched on the highest point within the city limits is Craigdarroch, a late-19th-century castle built for Scottish railway-and-coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. The Downton Abbey-style splendor of its parlors, paneled with Spanish mahogany and Hawaiian koa, give way on upper floors to unadorned walls and bare floor boards. Dubbed “King Grab” by a local newspaper, which cast him as more robber baron than genuine royalty, Mr. Dunsmuir died a few months before the castle was completed, and never lived there.

The fifth-floor turret, with a view of ocean breakers and snow-capped Mount Baker, looks out onto what is probably Victoria’s greatest urban asset: the tip of Vancouver Island on which it perches. Its location in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains means sunny and dry summers (windmill palm trees grow in local front yards), and access to spectacular north Pacific ecosystems start right from downtown.

Victoria Distillers’s gin-based Empress & Tonic.

An excellent way to explore those outdoor wonders is by rented bicycle. Heading west out of downtown on the Galloping Goose and the Lochside Trail, well-marked and level bike routes follow old railway right-of-ways. Along the way the outdoor terrace of Sea Cider provides a stop for a light lunch, with high-octane ciders produced from the 50 kinds of heirloom apples that grow in the surrounding orchards. Farther down the end of the trail is Victoria Distillers, a craft distillery in Sidney, 15 miles north of downtown. A tasting of Empress 1908 gin, infused with dried flowers from Thailand that make it turn from deep indigo to pink when tonic is added, is a welcome reward for a long afternoon of pedaling.