Hotel lovers who visit Vancouver will notice that an abundance of Fairmont properties, four in total, call the city home. Three of them are located within not more than a couple blocks of each other in the downtown and harbor areas. Given their close proximity, we were curious if they were able to maintain their own unique identities, or if all were essentially one large hotel under the same brand. Below, we take a look inside each to find out what makes them unique.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is the city’s flagship Fairmont. Like many of the epic Fairmonts in Canada, Hotel Vancouver looks like a castle, an image retained from its glory days as a railroad hotel. It is located in the center of downtown, a characteristic that distinguishes it from the two other downtown properties (the harbor is a 10-minute walk). The enchanting nature of the property and its architecture attracts both business and leisure travelers, and we think its the best value of the three downtown properties given its tendency to be significantly cheaper than the other two. It recently underwent a $ 12 million renovation that saw the addition of a new restaurant, Notch8. This weekend’s rates start at $ 344.
Fairmont Pacific Rim
The Fairmont Pacific Rim is the newest of the Fairmonts, opening back in 2010 when the Olympics were held in Vancouver. It is the only one of the four to be labeled as 5-star, and the only one with a proper spa, so you can expect a more resort-like feel than at the others. The Lobby Lounge and Terrace is the dominate space, sprawled across the common area of the ground floor. Specializing in sushi, chilled seafood, and live music, it’s our pick and recommendation if you want to have happy hour or dinner in one of the Fairmonts. We also insist some time at the rooftop pool for a combination of harbor, mountain, and city views. This weekend’s rates start at $ 501/night.
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
While still a luxury-oriented hotel, the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel focuses much of its effort on being sustainable. Its green initiatives, such as rooftop herb gardens, honeybee hives, electric car charging ports, and sustainable food choices on its menus, have earned it recognition as a 5 Green Key hotel. That focus on the environment plays nicely to its location right on the water, providing easy access to nature – bike paths and scenic mountains views – as well as the adjacent downtown area. Definitely ensure you have a room that faces Burrard Inlet and, like at the Pacific Rim, you’ll want to pencil in some time at the rooftop pool and catch the view. This weekend’s rates start at $ 501/night.
Fairmont Vancouver Airport
The Fairmont Vancouver Airport has been recognized as one of the world’s best airport hotels, and we agree. It’s location one floor above the terminal is incredibly convenient (i.e. no shuttle ride), providing views of the runway. It has all the amenities of a downtown city hotel, including bathtubs, bathrobes, and room service. It is one of the few airport hotels we’ve come across that combines truly luxurious comforts with first-rate convenience (we went down to check our bags, then came back up to the room to relax before going through security). The train runs directly from the airport to downtown Vancouver (25 minutes), making it a realistic option to get the best of both worlds on an extended overnight layover. This weekend’s rates start at $ 289/night.
Disclaimer: Will visited the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the Fairmont Airport Hotel as a guest of Fairmont.
[Photos: Fairmont/Will McGough]