Hot List 2026: Rosemead House
Originally published in Condé Nast Traveler
Why book Rosemead House?
You get the best of two very different worlds. Inside, it’s a sumptuous, British manor house reverie filled with Victorian writing desks, patterned textiles, and grand Dutch Master-style oil paintings. But step outside, and you’re near Vancouver Island’s forest trails, rocky shores, and whale-watching waters.
Set the scene
Rosemead House sits on a quiet residential street in Esquimalt, just west of Victoria and a 25-minute floatplane ride from downtown Vancouver. Step into the dark, wood-panelled lobby and you’re met with a welcoming fireplace, enormous floral arrangements, and a central staircase ascending to a photogenic mezzanine library. Just off the lobby, dandyish city visitors sip elderflower-spiked Pimm's Cups beneath a seasonally shifting artificial tree canopy at restaurant Janevca. Live piano soundtracks the chatter of couples who married here decades ago during the building's past life as the Old English Inn, back now to celebrate anniversaries in considerably more glamorous style.
The backstory
The original structure that is now Rosemead House was a private home circa 1906, designed by Canadian architect Samuel Maclure in the Tudor Revival and Arts and Crafts styles, and built with the help of English and Scottish artisans. It later became the Old English Inn, a local institution that had seen better days by the time owner-developer Lenny Moy's Aragon Properties purchased it in 2016. Around then, Moy became infatuated with the style and hospitality of historic British luxury hotels like The Dorchester and The Savoy, where he stayed while visiting his daughter, who was attending London’s Central Saint Martins College. "We knew we had to do something special to pay homage to the design and to the history," of Rosemead’s bones, says Moy, who even purchased a warehouse outside London to house the 5,000-plus antiques he personally selected from over 200 auctions to eventually ship and fill Rosemead House with bona fide British charm.
This story originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, April 2026. To read the full story, click here.