If you like an accommodations that – in its own words – likes to 'rebel against the ordinary' then you'll love the Zed, an eccentric motel that has been given a tongue-in-cheek retro makeover, complete with rainbow paintwork and free VW-van rides to downtown (a 20-minute walk away). The rooms are also fun: 1970s phones, bathroom comic books and brightly painted walls.

Loaner bikes and free coffee are provided via the front desk and there's also a great diner if you're hungry.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Victoria attractions

1. Johnson St Bridge

1.23 MILES

Victoria’s much-loved bascule bridge across the Inner Harbour reopened in March 2018 with a handsome new streamlined structure replacing the steel-and…

2. Bastion Square

1.39 MILES

This square once held a jail, gallows and a brothel. Many of its scrubbed stone buildings are now restaurants, boutiques or offices. There's also a summer…

3. Victoria Bug Zoo

1.58 MILES

It’s not big, nor are its resident critters (although some of them are alarmingly colossal by insect standards); however, this diminutive indoor ‘zoo’ is…

4. Miniature World

1.64 MILES

Tucked along the side of the Fairmont Empress Hotel, this huge collection of skillfully crafted models depicting important battles, historic towns and…

5. Fisherman’s Wharf

1.67 MILES

A waterfront walk from the Inner Harbour (or, better yet, a short hop by mini-ferry) delivers you to this floating, boardwalk-linked clutch of houseboats,…

6. Robert Bateman Centre

1.71 MILES

Colonizing part of the Inner Harbour's landmark Steamship Terminal building, this gallery showcases the photo-realistic work of Canada's most celebrated…

7. Christ Church Cathedral

1.72 MILES

This early-20th-century Gothic-revival cathedral is one of Victoria's most attractive buildings. The third Anglican cathedral to be built in the city, the…

8. Royal BC Museum

1.79 MILES

Arguably the finest museum in British Columbia and carrier of a ‘royal’ prefix since 1987, Victoria’s flagship sight mixes the cream of BC’s provincial…