Tea sippers at the Empress hotel will be able to catch a glimpse of something never before seen at the National Historic Site: a Zamboni making its rounds grooming the ice.

The Empress plans to install an ice-skating rink on its front lawn, overlooking the Inner Harbour.

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And it will be a big rink — about 18 by 27 metres — covered with a tent in case it rains.

The rink is scheduled to be open Nov. 20 to mid-January. Public skating will be on offer weeknights from 5 to 9 p.m. and weekends from noon to 9 p.m.

Admission for two hours will be $10 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under. Skates will be available to rent at $5 a pair.

For groups, the hotel will arrange office skates, holiday parties and even break-and-skate meeting options. Planned activities include Sunday Skates with Santa, Christmas Eve Skating with the Elves, Skate ’n’ Date nights and family skate afternoons.

Owners Nat and Flora Bosa, Vancouver developers and philanthropists, bought the iconic hotel in June and view the rink as “an early Christmas gift to the residents and visitors to Victoria as part of the renovation plan that is currently being developed,” a statement said.

For more information, call 250-995-3668 or go to fairmont.com/empress-victoria/promotions/skating.