Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

We stayed at Fairmont Vancouver Airport after arriving on a 14 hour international flight with our toddler, and unfortunately the check in experience left a very poor impression. Prior to arrival, I had contacted the hotel explaining that we would be landing around 7 to 8 a.m. with an exhausted child. I was offered a guaranteed 10 a.m. check in for an additional $70 room upgrade fee, and was told they would try their best for anything earlier if possible. I completely understood that earlier access was not guaranteed. However, upon arrival, the front desk interaction was surprisingly rude and dismissive. The staff member repeatedly insisted our arrival time was noted as 9 to 10 a.m., despite my written communication clearly stating 7 to 8 a.m. It honestly felt like I was being argued with rather than helped. At one point, I tried asking whether there may have been any other available room options, particularly one with an airplane view for our toddler. Before I could even finish my sentence, while exhausted and slightly delirious from lack of sleep after our long flight, I was cut off mid conversation. The staff member raised her voice, made dismissive hand gestures, and said verbatim, “there is NO room, doesn’t matter what you are suggesting.” The interaction felt unnecessarily cold and hostile. What frustrated me most was the inconsistency regarding the upgrade fee. We were eventually told that the only available room was actually a standard room, not the upgraded room we had paid extra for, yet we were also told the $70 could not be refunded because, as the staff member stated verbatim, “you committed to the 70 dollar upgrade.” That was disappointing. If the upgraded room was unavailable, it does not seem reasonable to still retain the upgrade charge while providing a downgraded room instead. I understand hotels cannot always accommodate early arrivals, especially when occupancy is high. Had that simply been communicated kindly and transparently, I would have understood completely. The issue was primarily the dismissive attitude, contradictory communication, and lack of professionalism during check in. The hotel itself is convenient for airport travel, but this interaction significantly affected our experience.

What a fabulous hotel! Big rooms, high ceiling, large windows. We were luckily enough to have a corner room, so had a dual aspect. The staff were great and the whole stay was a lovely experience. We are Fairmont converts.

My wife and I usually make our own travel arrangements and were skeptical about booking a trip with transfers, hotel and cross country train travel included but based on the reviews for Canadian Rail Vacations, we said “Why not” and booked it. This review is about the hotel only. The Canadian Rail Vacations (CRV) review is separate. Our trip began in Vancouver and while we had been there before, we were not familiar with the Fairmont Hotel on Georgia Street. But the Fairmont brand name is legendary with travelers and we were excited to be staying at one of their properties. As we arrived, Thomas at the front door had our bags out of the car before we knew it. Even our driver was amazed! After taking care of the driver, Thomas had a few questions for us and directed us to the front desk. The young lady checked our reservation and directed us to the 9th floor as CRV had reserved us rooms in the Gold section of the hotel. On the 9th floor we were greeted by Bella who became our new best friend. She was a combination of friendly and professional. That’s pretty rare in our fast paced - get you in and out world. Bella took the time to explain the historic hotel to us, described the hotel amenities and gave us a tour of the Gold lounge. The lounge was exclusive to Gold guests and served breakfast, pastries, afternoon tea, evening snacks and light dinner and after hours treats. We lost track of all the offerings! It also had a honor bar with beer, wine and liquors. Our favorite part was the excellent coffee machine that produced every type of coffee imaginable. While we were just there for 2 nights, this room became our favorite place. The Staff was always present replenishing the offerings but never intrusive. Bella advised our room was ready so we headed around the corner. The room was large and well appointed. There was a honor bar in the room with drinks, snacks and coffee pods. As experienced travelers, we knew to close those doors and stay away! The room had a corner chair with ottoman, a small dining table, an amazing amount of storage, robes, an iron & clothes steamer, hotel stationary and a safe that would easily accommodate a laptop. It was one of the best equipped rooms we’ve ever had. The bath was adequate with over head and handheld shower heads. We found both the water pressure and hot water to be excellent. In what seemed like no time, Christian delivered our luggage and like Bella, educated us about the hotel and gave us suggestions on things to do and places to go. And the 1st evening we were surprised with chocolate covered strawberries in honor of our anniversary. Each evening a young lady that came by offering turn down service and asked if there was anything we needed. The hotel is full service with a beautiful restaurant, bar and high end shops. Being right in the middle of town, there are numerous shops and restaurants within an easy walk and like most major cities, Vancouver has its own beauty and issues. We enjoyed the lounge multiple times and it became our base to start the day and unwind in the evening. On the day we (sadly) checked out, Raunaq asked about our next destination (we had told him about our train trip to Toronto) and he gave us information about the Fairmont property in Toronto and how historic and beautiful it was. The checkout went smoothly and Raunaq wished us safe travels and return soon. To say the Fairmont Staff is incredible would be a huge understatement. From the beginning with Thomas, Bella, Christian, Raunaq and everyone we encountered but couldn’t catch their name, each and every one was so pleasant and welcoming. Each one was a great Ambassador for Fairmont and treated us like friends and honored guests. Needless to say, Fairmont will be our choice for our future Canadian travels. Every experience we had was 1st class and we would recommend this property without a single hesitation. Many THANKS to the Fairmont Team for an exceptional experience. Sincerely, L&J Henderson NV

Nice hotel, lovely staff, good facilities and excellent food. The hotel did not when asked replenish simple items such as coffee - otherwise it would be a 5. Normal range of shops, parking is available and convenient for the waterfront.

I have stayed here 3 times for personal vacation for the value with a mix of higher-end service. The lobby can get very busy and noisy if other events are happening. Notch8 breakfast menu has changed since last booking and was a dissapointment -- no breakfast buffet option or additional side orders. Bar tending staff and service during the evenings is still excellent. I also ended up booking a pedicure at Spa Solea, however, a mandatory 18% service charge was added and the total. Non-Gold guest rooms and their quality are showing age. If you want turn-down nightly service and higher-end luxury, stay at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia for the 5 star experience.