History of Parkside
Situated just one block from the Victoria Conference Centre and two blocks from the Inner Harbour and Provincial Legislative buildings, Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa's home is steeped in history and culture.
Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa was completed in summer 2009. The beginnings of the project date back as far as 2003, when the Pearson family believed that Victoria was a prime location for a new resort-hotel.
The Pearsons had decided, at one time, to convert the adjacent property — the former site of St. Joseph's Hospital (later the entire city block was home to Victoria General Hospital) — to a boutique resort hotel of about 40 suites. The hospital foundation began to sell off two thirds of the land to finance their new extended care facility, Mount St. Mary Hospital.
The old St. Joseph's building, although a grand character building filled with charm and potential, provided more challenges than opportunities in its potential conversion to a fine resort-hotel property.
As a result, the Pearsons exercised an option on the adjacent land, which was merely a parking lot at the time, and began the planning stages for Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa.
The concept was to design a building which would fit aesthetically with St Joseph's and the surrounding neighbourhood, and would be integrated as "Victorian," but not dated or old. The three-storey glass & green roof atrium, use of rock and stone in and around the building and interior and exterior water features would bring the "inside out, and the outside in."
The project's completion is one of great pride for the Pearsons, their staff, and the owners who have purchased suites at Victoria's most anticipated resort-hotel.
