A Coastal Escape: Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Review
Vancouver is a lovely city all year round but the warmer sunny months are definitely the best to visit. Personally late spring and early fall are my favourites times to go. It is not too hot, not too crowded and hotels are not yet too expensive. Now that I have changed jobs and have a more flexible work schedule I am able to go over to Vancouver more. Vancouver has no shortages of Fairmont’s, each with their own style. Hotel Vancouver, which is referred to as the castle in the city, lives up to that reputation with rich, dark tones and an old world charm. Fairmont Pacific Rim is the newest of all the hotels and boasts bright white marble, with shades of deep green and brighter wood to give a pacific north west vibe. Fairmont Waterfront is light and bright with floor to ceiling windows, has a rooftop pool with ocean views and two rooftop gardens showing the focus of the hotel towards the outdoors.
About the Hotel
I have done a previous review on a stay at Fairmont Waterfront. This was quite a few years ago and soon after COVID. Since then, the hotel’s restaurant menu has changed, they have expanded their cocktail program, and the gold floor lounge has been reopened. The hotel’s convenient location on the harbourfront close to Hullo Ferries and the sea plane terminal next to the Waterfront Skytrain station makes it the ideal spot to stay in if you are travelling over from Vancouver Island or want an easy hotel to access downtown from the airport. Given that we are headed into peak travel season I wanted to try an updated stay at the hotel and share a review.
Address: 900 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 3L5
Phone Number: (604) 691-1991
Website: https://www.fairmont.com/waterfront-vancouver
Check-in Time: 3:00 PM
Check-out Time: 12:00 PM
Disclosure: Thank you Fairmont Waterfront for collaborating on this post. All thoughts and opinions are always my own.
Apologies for all the photos, there was just so much to share!
About our room
We stayed in the Fairmont Gold Harbourview King room. The views from the room were stunning. The room had a window facing towards the convention center as well as a second window facing the water towards the harbour and the cargo terminal. Even the bathroom had a giant window with a water view! The room was quite spacious and a great option for a longer stay.
The highlight of our room was the welcome cocktail kit. Fairmont Waterfront has teamed up with Wayward Distillery to create the West Coast Wild Gin. This gin is made from fermented honey from the hotel’s rooftop, and traditionally harvested local botanicals including juniper, nootka rose, bull kelp, spruce tips, cedar, and lavender. We got the recipe to make the hotel’s apiary rosemary gin smash. This was such a fun way to start a trip away! I was impressed that the honey flavour came through in the cocktail. It was light and refreshing.
The Gold Floor
The gold floor lounge is located on the ninth floor of the hotel with rooms on the eighth and ninth floors. Although the indoor space of the lounge is the smallest of the three downtown Fairmont Hotels, they are the only Vancouver location with a large outdoor patio. For myself I love the outdoor patio. It is the perfect spot to sit and have a snack at any time of the day.
The gold floor serves breakfast, afternoon tea, hors d'oeuvres and dessert. The hotel had a great variety of food in the lounge during my stay. A favourite of mine were the scones.
Amenities
Rooftop garden
The hotel has two rooftop gardens, one on the water side and one on the city side. There are rooms with small outdoor patios that exit into the gardens. Although on a lower floor the benefit of a garden room is that they are on the same floor as the pool.
I prefer the rooftop garden which faces the city. This garden gets the morning sun. There are benches set amongst the foliage which are the perfect spot for a morning coffee. You can also explore the hotel’s garden which contains the ingredients they use in various cocktails and dishes.
I loved getting a morning coffee and sitting amongst the flowers.
Pool
The hotel has an outdoor pool that has ocean views. The pool deck has both loungers as well as tables and chairs to sit and enjoy the sun or a bite to eat. During the warmer months, the hotel has a poolside bar serving both drinks and food. The poolside cocktails are delicious.
Gym
On the same floor as the pool is the hotel’s gym and hot tub. The gym is small but has a good variety of machines and
Dining
Arc Restaurant and Bar
With floor to ceiling windows overlooking Vancouver harbour and mountains, Arc restaurant is a beautiful space to enjoy a meal. The restaurant prides itself on using ingredients and herbs from their gardens.
Weekend brunch at Arc is a fantastic deal. It is a “bottomless brunch” where you can enjoy multiple servings of delicious dishes such as their pulled pork Benedict, lobster Mac and Cheese, baked apple and croissant skillet or pancakes all for only $65. They also have a mimosa tasting flight which I have not tried yet but would love to one day.
I also love their happy hour which has an oyster and bubbles deal of six oysters and sparkling wine for $25. The adult happy meal combo of a martini with fries is also a fun addition to a happy hour menu.
During the warmer months I love eating on the Arc has a patio. The patio gets the evening sun so it is a perfect dinner spot.
Poolside Dining
Even if you are not taking a dip in the pool the hotel has tables in the gardens or pool area where you can enjoy a bite to eat. The poolside restaurant offers pizzas from Arc along with cocktails, wines, and beer. The views of the mountains from the pool deck are gorgeous. It is the perfect place to enjoy a warm summers day.
Arc restaurant x hype chocolate pop up
For the summer ARC Restaurant has partnered with HYPE Chocolate for a pop-up featuring artisanal ice cream. The pop-up, located on the patio of ARC Restaurant. The salted chocolate ice cream features sea salt from Vancouver Island. The pop up will have a rotation of different flavours over the summer. HYPE Chocolate’s signature seasonal B.C. berry cups topped with warm, velvety chocolate is also available. During my visit I opted for the berries. I live off of B.C. strawberries and blueberries in the summer. I chose to top mine with milk chocolate. Dark chocolate and matcha chocolate was also available. This was the perfect sweet treat for an afternoon walking around Vancouver.
We had an amazing stay at Fairmont Waterfront. If you are heading to Vancouver, I highly recommend checking them out for a stay or dining. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful. I would say for cost, comfort, staff friendliness and location Fairmont Waterfront and Hotel Vancouver are two of my favourite hotels in the city.
Photos: Hayley Alice Photography and Escape Ordinary
xx Sam
