Vancouver is known for its waterfront, which surrounds the downtown peninsula on three sides. If you want to sleep by the water, plan a stay at one of the city’s top luxury hotels, the Fairmont Pacific Rim, and you’ll relax in high style.
Here’s the scoop:
Located opposite the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver’s downtown financial district, the luxury hotel fronts one of the city’s most celebrated streetscapes, with unobstructed views of the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park, and Coal Harbour.
Guest Rooms and Amenities
The hotel’s 367 guest rooms range from a standard Fairmont Room, to a Signature Room with views of the mountains and harbor, to various suites and specialty rooms.
All rooms feature Stearns & Foster luxury beds, twice-daily housekeeping services, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, LCD TVs with Bose sound system in bathrooms, alarm clocks with iPod connectivity, thick cotton bathrobes, and Wi-Fi (complimentary for members of the hotel’s frequent stay program).
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One of the top room choices is the Signature Ofuro Room, a 500-square-foot oasis with a sweeping view of the harbor and mountains. You can enjoy the panorama while you soak in the deep jetted tub, set by the windows in the expansive marble bathroom.
Pool, Spa, and Recreation
Aside from enjoying the luxurious comforts of your room, the best way to unwind at the Fairmont Pacific Rim is to head for the hotel’s hidden-away outdoor pool at the Willow Stream Spa. Stretching out on one of the poolside lounge chairs on the deck, with sweeping downtown views, should banish any travel-related stresses.
You can also borrow one of the hotel’s BMW electric bicycles to explore the city, and consult with the property’s “Bike Butler” for advice on where to go and what to do. The Fairmont Pacific Rim also has a well-equipped fitness facility.
Dining and Drinking
The hotel’s signature dining room, Botanist, emphasizes ingredients from around the region, from its creative breakfasts and brunches, through lunch and more elaborate dinners. Botanist is known for its inventive cocktails, too, like the rainforest-inspired “Candy Cap Magic,” which blends mushroom rye, vermouth, and spiced maple, or the “Pretty Bird,” a bubbly mix of gin and berries, served in a bird-shaped glass.
For more casual dining, grab a pastry or a sandwich (with coffee or a glass of wine) at Giovane, an Italian café and wine bar on the street level. In the stylish Lobby Lounge and RawBar, where there’s live music every night, you can stop in for a drink or a selection of sushi and other seafood from the raw bar.
Whichever way you choose to spend your time at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, even if it’s just staring out the windows at the expansive waterfront views, you can’t go wrong at this downtown Vancouver luxury hotel by the sea.
See more details and check rates, which typically start at about CAD$420 per night, at the official website for the Fairmont Pacific Rim. You can also compare rates and book through an OTA such as Expedia or Booking.com.
Original article by Jill K. Robinson of Danger Jill Robinson, who was a guest of the Fairmont Pacific Rim and Tourism British Columbia during her stay in Vancouver. Updated review by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos courtesy of the Fairmont Pacific Rim.