Newsletter – Fall 2008
In This Issue:
- Abigail’s Hotel Voted #1
- What’s Happening at Abigail’s
- The Pearl Spa Special
- Events Around Town
- Chef’s Secret Recipe
- From Our Guestbook
Abigail’s Hotel is pleased to announce that we were recently voted the “#1Bed and Breakfast” for the 9th consecutive year and the “#1Boutique Hotel” for the 2nd consecutive year by the Victoria News Group’s “Best of the City Awards” !!
Abigail's Hotel is also proud to accept Westjet Airlines Up Magazine Value Award for 2008, congratulating us on providing great value!
What's Happening at Abigail's
Staff Update
Congratulations to our Manager Wes Wong and his wife Efa on the birth of their son Kenan on July 7th, 2008, and to Christian Leon and his wife Kristi on the birth of their twins Marcus and Oscar on September 25th, 2008.
The Culinary Experience
 To enhance your visit in Victoria, stay with us and we will be proud to provide your group with a new and unique culinary experience. The staff at Abigail’s Hotel can arrange for a private culinary presentation for intimate groups of up to approximately 15 people. For your entertainment, you will enjoy an interactive cooking class showcasing local BC cuisine, which is presented by local chefs. We will also introduce and serve top award winning BC wines.
On September 4th, the staff at Abigail’s Hotel was excited to host a culinary demonstration for members of Tourism Victoria, Tourism BC, as well as many tour operators who were visiting from Japan. Our guests were impressed with the selection of BC wine, as well as the cooking class presentation of delicious West Coast Cuisine. For information about upcoming events, please contact us at sales@abigailshotel.com.
Let us help you plan your next getaway to Abigail’s Hotel on beautiful Vancouver Island. Dining, wild-life tours, kayaking, whale-watching, theatre events, concerts or spa services at our Pearl Spa are just some of the activities that we can help you plan to make your spring getaway one to remember. Call us toll-free at 1-800-561-6565 or visit our website www.abigailshotel.com to make your reservation!
Families and businesses come together to help a local school.
 On September 20th Abigail’s Hotel was proud to take part in the 1st Annual Festival of Families at South Park Family School. A fundraising effort for the school's programs, operating costs, and to help build a new playground. The festival included two stages of live entertainment, activities for children of all ages, a gourmet and kid-friendly food court, a craft market, and a community corner showcasing various non-profit organizations. Our chef, Ray Elrick, served a delicious West Coast Seafood Bouillabaisse which consisted of local Mussels, Clams, Wild Salmon, and Halibut, served with a Tomato, Basil and Saffron Sauce.
October 17th & 18th - Abigail’s Hotel proudly presents “Red or White?” a weekend filled with culinary delights. |
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 Event Schedule:
Friday, October 17, 2008 at 5:30 pm
An introduction to Dr. David McArthur who will share wine appreciation tips and several of his favorites.
Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 5:00 pm
"Red or White?"... A Wine Tasting Extravaganza
Relax, mingle, and learn while we showcase the top award winners of the Okanagan Wine Festival. Indulge in a selection of scrumptuous appetizers, paired with many selections of the Best of BC wines, including an ice wine of course!
This evening will be hosted by the University of British Columbia's wine expert, Dr. David McArthur.
Tickets only $75.00
A wonderful addition to your wine tasting weekend may be an "Urban Forage by Foot", with culinary expert Kathy McAree of Travel with Taste! This supplementary three hour tour will also be available to our guests on Saturday, October 18 at 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.
The cost is $80 per guest.
Special weekend room rates available for all participants! |
Abigail's Summer Contest Winners!
Congratulations to Lawrence and Jennifer Roberts of Chilliwack, BC for winning the BC Day Festival 150 Contest and to Tom Jacobsen for winning the Abigail's Hotel 2008 Olympic Challenge! They each receive gift certificates towards their next stay.
Fall Getaways for Travellers in the Know...
Let us help you plan your next getaway to Abigail’s Hotel on beautiful Vancouver Island. Dining, wild-life tours, kayaking, whale-watching, theatre events, concerts or spa services at our Pearl Spa are just some of the activities that we can help you plan to make your fall getaway one to remember. Call us toll-free at 1-800-561-6565 or visit our website www.abigailshotel.com to make your reservation!
Pearl Spa at Abigail’s Hotel
Fall Spa Special
Enhance your stay with any of our Fall Detox Packages which includes...
Flowering Herbal Tea Service and Ion Cleanse Detoxifying Foot Bath
with either
Pamper Your Back Treatment
or
Body Buff Sugar Scrub with Full Body Massage
or
Body Buff Sugar Scrub and Eminence Eight Greens Facial
Packages from $120 - $215 |
Events Around Town
March 13th, 2008 to January 11th, 2009 - The Royal BC Museum proudly presents their latest exhibit “Free Spirit”. This 10,000-sq. ft. exhibition showcases more than 400 artifacts, specimens and documents. Free Spirit documents the story of British Columbia as seen through the eyes of ordinary and extraordinary British Columbians, glimpses into the lives and locations that have shaped this province. The exhibition celebrates the province through the stories of BC’s First Peoples to its newest citizens, from the early European surveyors to today’s high-tech visionaries, and from the pillars of the province to its legendary eccentrics. In the Mighty 90 Drive-In Theatre, a giant 1950s carbon-arc drive-in projector will flicker to life with movie travelogues from the 1940s to the 1970s. Actors and storytellers interact with visitors to animate the exhibition through words, music and demonstrations.
July 8, 2008 to November 2nd, 2008 – A Star to Steer By at the Maritime Museum of BC shows the evolution of celestial navigational instruments and pays homage to the ancient mariners who expanded human culture around the world. A Star to Steer By looks at five maritime cultures and their impact on the world. Chronologically, the first group the exhibit features is the Austronesians (Primarily the Micronesians and the Polynesians) and their settlement of the Great South Sea. Using low tech navigational instruments, but having an intimate knowledge of the stars, ocean swells and currents and other natural phenomena, these people were able to settle a third of the earth’s surface. A Star To Steer By then examines the Phoenicians and Greeks, the Arabs and Chinese and finally western navigation and exploration starting from Henry the Navigator in the 15th century and ending with Cook and Vancouver at the close of the 18th century.
October 2nd to October 8th, 2008 - The Victoria International Improv Festival consists of three days of performances by local, regional, national and international improvisational theatre companies. Daily ensemble workshops allow participating performers to learn from each other, in addition to a three hour Introduction to Improv workshop offered at no cost to the public. The workshop will be led by the associate artistic director of the Canadian Improv Games.
October 11th, 2008 – The McPherson Playhouse proudly present Kris Kristofferson. Kristofferson has reached living legend status, but that hasn't changed or hindered his creativity. His current CD, This Old Road contains eleven gems that explore love, gratitude, aging, war, and his ever-present theme of freedom.
October 12th, 2008 - The Royal Victoria Marathon is one of the most popular and scenic running events on the west coast. It attracts runners and walkers from all over Canada and the United States. The RVM is listed as one of the Top 10 destination Marathons in North America and a “Must-Do 26.2” – Run Far Away Close To Home (Runner-Up) by Runners World Magazine. Shorter racing options on Sunday, October 12 include a Half Marathon, 8K Road Race, and a 1.2K THRIFTY FOODS Kids Run. The four racing events will attract close to 10,000 participants.
October 16th to 25th, 2008 – Pacific Opera Victoria presents Thais by Jules Massenet - In French with surtitles. Through a brief encounter, two people change one another forever. The most beautiful woman in fourth century Alexandria, the courtesan Thaïs, lives a life devoted to luxury and eroticism – until she is confronted by Athanaël, a monk obsessed with saving her soul. Already beginning to fear death and the loss of her beauty, Thaïs repents, choosing spiritual love and everlasting life. But the zealous monk discovers too late that his feelings for her are sensual rather than spiritual.
October 27th, 2008 - Enjoy an evening of grand illusion with David Copperfield performing at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
November 3rd and 4th, 2008 – The McPherson Playhouse proudly presents the Moscow Ballet performing Sleeping Beauty.
November 6th, 2008 – Four time Grammy Winner Lenny Kravitz performs at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
November 11th to December 14th, 2008– The Belfry Theatre presents Brilliant - The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla. The Electric Company’s unique brand of visually stunning storytelling has astounded audiences around the world. Brilliant! is an exuberant ride through the life of Nikola Tesla, the inventor whose visionary work and ideas (wireless communication, robotics) continue to shape and light our world today. Filled with immense charm, acrobatics and a tap dance battle between Edison and Tesla, Brilliant! is a dazzling look at the fleeting nature of fame.
November 22nd, 2008 – Santa Light Parade - The coloured lights illuminating over 50 entries in this wonderful evening holiday parade make this a perfect start to the holiday season. Over 40,000 spectators watch this popular annual event which is fun for the whole family.
December 13th, 2008 – Sarah Brightman performs at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. Since her landmark role in Phantom of the Opera, Sarah Brightman’s success has been assured. Using her powerful voice to enchant with an elegant mystery, she has mastered her own form of pop, and switches identities from classical to rock like no other vocalist working today. An anomaly in popular music, she is a siren soprano who can scale operatic heights and rework classics by bands like Queen. Her talent has earned her over 150 gold and platinum awards in 34 countries, and Sarah is the only artist to hold #1 spots on the Billboard classical and dance charts simultaneously. She has sold over 26 million albums worldwide.
Chef’s Secret Recipe for the Fall – Apple Spice Cake |
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Cake Ingredients: 
¼ cup butter
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup sour cream
¼ cup apple juice
1 ¾ cups all purpose flower
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ginger (ground)
¼ cup crystallized ginger (chopped)
Cake Preparation:
Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla, then add eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream and apple juice. Combine butter and egg mixture with juice mixture. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Then add chopped ginger. Mix together dry ingredients with wet ingredients and pour into a greased tube pan. Baked for 35 to 40 minutes.
Topping Ingredients:
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter (melted)
2 cups apples (peeled and finely chopped)
Topping Preparation:
Combine brown sugar, melted butter and apples then spread over cake mixture. Bake at 350 degrees.
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From Our Guestbook
We were delighted to be back here for the second time. We stayed in the Country Garden Room then and loved it. We celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary this time. The staff could not be better and the service was superb. Would love to come again! Maybe next year. Victoria is a wonderful place to spend time. We travelled from Calgary and saw some spectacular scenery. We feel at home here and would love to live here.
England – August 2008
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What a delightful little room! The bed was great and we needed the sleep! The entire room is so filled with charm. We love the two-way fireplace. This is our 41st Anniversary and when we decided to spend it in Victoria. Abigail’s was our 1st Choice! We spent our 25th here also. The food is spectacular and the staff is tremendous! Thanks for 3 days of great memories!!
Colorado – August 2008
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This is our first visit to Victoria and Abigail’s has made it a most magical one. Thank you for the pampering and special attention to all of the little details. We will definitely see you again.
Seattle – August 2008
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An impressive room with excellent service and a sincere warmth and welcome amongst the staff. We have of course enjoyed the breakfasts “Feast unto themselves!”
England – August 2008
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To Everybody: You will enjoy this hotel as much as I did. Like everybody, the bathtub is magical, the beds are comfortable and breakfast is delicious. Thank you.
California – July 2008
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What a beautiful hotel. We feel very fortunate to have found this treasure on the internet. Everything about our stay (room, hotel facilities and especially your outstanding staff) exceeded expectations. We love the area and have enjoyed 3 beautiful days exploring all that Victoria and the island has to offer. Thank you.
Massachusetts - September 2008
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Abigail’s Bed & Breakfast Boutique Hotel is rated five stars by Canada Select and has recently won several awards, including Victoria’s best small hotel by Frommers, and “The #1 B & B and #1 Boutique Hotel– Best of the City” by Victoria News Group readers’ poll. Abigail’s Hotel is pet-friendly.
Phone: (250) 388-5363 or 1-800-561-6565
Fax: (250) 388-7787
Email: innkeeper@abigailshotel.com
Web: www.abigailshotel.com
Abigail’s Hotel - 906 McClure Street – Victoria – British Columbia - V8V 3E7
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