Fairmont Pacific Rim

A sleek, modern grand hotel across from the Canada Place cruise ship terminal, the 377-room Fairmont Pacific Rim offers resort amenities and exciting view rooms.

• The location across from Canada Place and cruise ship terminal
• The handsome contemporary design of rooms and public spaces
• The rooms with Japanese soaking tubs overlooking Burrard Inlet and mountains
• The Raw Bar for fresh sushi and sashimi

Of the three worthy Fairmont hotels in Vancouver, the Fairmont Pacific Rim is the show-stopper. Fairmont’s newest property opened in 2010 in a high-rise tower (the top floors are luxury residences) across from the new Canada Place Convention Centre with its “green” living roof and just a few steps from the Canada Place cruise ship terminal, making it incredibly convenient if you’re taking an Alaska cruise. The Pacific Rim is far more luxurious than the nearby Fairmont Waterfront and eschews the traditional ambience of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver downtown. It’s as up-to-date as a hotel can be, with all the amenities you could possibly want, including an outdoor pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a spa. It has a sleek, glamorous quality but the staff couldn’t be friendlier or more helpful.

The glam-factor hits you when you enter the dramatic, marble-clad lobby with its huge windows and long, low, central fireplace surrounded by invitingly comfortable sofas and chairs. A bar-lounge and the new Raw Bar, serving fabulously fresh sushi and sashimi, anchors one end of the lobby. The lounge becomes a happening scene on summer nights and weekends, with live local bands and performers. Giovane Café and Wine Bar, the hotel’s Italian-inspired cafe/bakery/deli, is a quiet, casual spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee and pastries and has a wonderful gourmet-food market.

The rooms at the Fairmont Pacific Rim are large, airy (though you can’t open the windows) and beautifully designed, with superbly crafted finishes of marble and American walnut, floor-to-ceiling windows, desks with built-in outlets and iPads, great beds, and evening turn-down service. For a special experience, book one of the suites with a freestanding Japanese-style soaking tub that looks out over Burrard Inlet and the North Shore mountains, or one of the suites with a balcony and outdoor fireplace. You can upgrade to the Fairmont Gold level, a hotel within the hotel, with complimentary breakfast and afternoon hors ‘d oeuvres served in a special 20th floor lounge with its own staff.

On the sixth floor there is a large outdoor pool and bar-cabana. The Fairmont’s signature Willow Stream Spa offers a complete menu of pampering treatments, and the health club has every kind of equipment you could want.

Anyone overnighting in Vancouver before heading off on an Alaskan cruise; business travelers seeking a full-service hotel with convenient in-room amenities; individuals and families looking for a contemporary, resort-style hotel; romantics who like their rooms with a Japanese-style soaking tub and a view.