Thursday, October 21, 2010

Where to Stay in Vancouver: Fairmont
Pacific Rim – A Room With A View

Fairmont Pacific Rim - Vancouver - Harbour View - Canada Place from room During my recent trip to Vancouver, I spent my first night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. It’s the newest of the Fairmont hotels in the city: practically next door to that OTHER Fairmont, the Fairmont Waterfront – and just down the street from the OTHER OTHER Fairmont, the historic Hotel Vancouver.

I confess that I’m kind of partial to the chateau-style Hotel Vancouver – with it’s Ionic columns and Italian marble ceilings – because of its history as a great railway hotel (Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway) that has hosted kings, queens and governors general.

But with a harbour view like this, one could get used to staying at the Pacific Rim. Heck, I’d even move to Vancouver if I could wake up to this every morning.

And I have to say that I got very good service from all the people I dealt with - starting with the curb-side check in, right through the the car service that took me to my next location. For a poor freelancer like me (more used to hostels than hotels), it was almost overwhelming - in a good way.

Hint for travellers: If you stay at a Fairmont hotel, join the President’s Club. It’s free and will get you free local phone calls and free high-speed Internet when you stay at any Fairmont Hotel. Otherwise, Internet is $13.95 a day.

http://www.fairmont.com/pacificrim