Fairmont Waterfront

I was really looking forward to a special stay at this hotel - a nice treat in the midst of Covid - but I was really disappointed. The front desk staff left me standing there while they finished a chat, and then weren’t very friendly. The room was just so-so. It was clean and the bed and linens were nice, but the pillows were terrible and there are only two per bed. For an upper class hotel and the prices they charge, I expected FAR more. At $56, parking is extortionate - though if you pay in the parkade it’s slightly less. I wouldn’t go back here - it’s not worth it. The Bayshore is much nicer - more up to date and you feel like you’re in a special place, for about the same price.

Nearly 20 years we have been staying at the Fairmont during PDC. Thought we would try it for our 24 year wedding anniversary. The Waterfront is not what it used to be. Such a disappointment. Lack of communication between staff and covid protocols not being followed. On a good note the restaurant is fantastic! . We will be back to ARC soon. Thank you for our wonderful anniversary dinner.

We visited the Fairmont Waterfront for a much needed staycation and were pleased with our experience overall. Front desk staff are courteous and friendly as per usual Fairmont high standards. Check in was swift and easy; and we were given a Harbour view upgrade as a courtesy. Fairmont also leads the way in setting Covid safety standards, and this visit was no exception. Room was clean and well appointed, and we enjoyed the view of the Harbour. Front desk responded professionally and promptly to our requests. Restaurant experience was also great, with Covid precautions well observed. We always felt safe while dining at the Arc. Great downtown and waterfront location. Close walking distance to all the main areas and directly across from Canada Place On our day of departure, we requested a late checkout, and front desk didn't hesitate to grant even though we are not high status Accor members. Nice touch and appreciated In summary, anyone planning a visit or just a quick staycation will not be disappointed with the stay and level of service at this prime located property. We will be back again for another staycation hopefully sooner rather than later.

We stayed at Fairmont Waterfront and generally had a good stay but some points need improvement and in this price range, given the quality of the competition within Accor and also with other hotel chains, it makes me unsure about the value proposition. I would consider returning for short stays but I am not sure I would recommend it for longer stays where I value having extra space and modern hardware, despite the excellent service we received. I booked the entry level room and as Accor Diamond I received a 2-category upgrade to a Deluxe Partial Harbour View room which was in the corner of the building. I guess this is more generous than the standard one-category upgrade but the dollar value was modest and the issue is that it can appear stingy relative to other hotels in Vancouver such as JW Marriott which upgrades elite guests liberally to suites. The bathroom was large and very bright due to the window which occupied a big portion of the wall. The bathroom was far bigger than the cramped bathroom in Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (FHV) where we stayed a couple of weeks earlier but overall the quality of the finishes at Fairmont Waterfront left to be desired. Some parts of the bathroom were renovated but the shower was in a bathtub and the bathtub was very worn out. The heating unit on the wall was also stained and parts of the wall above it were peeling off. Le Labo toiletries were in large 90ml bottles rather than small bottles which is great, and also with my name printed on them like what some of the highest quality Fairmonts of the world do for example Istanbul and Québec City, among others. By contrast, FHV only had the small bottles and no name printed. The bedroom was also very bright with large windows on two walls which was a benefit of having a corner room and it made the room feel more impressive than the one at FHV. As per the name of the room type, there were views of the harbor but only from one window and we had to look on the side; there were no water views from the bed itself. Electrical power was only on one side of the bed which is a minor issue that should be remedied for a modern luxury hotel. Breakfast was available either in the restaurant or brought to the room in a bag which is inferior to the traditional room service roll-away tray we had at FHV. The quality of the breakfast menu was competitive relative to other hotels in the city but the free Diamond breakfast and the Virtuoso breakfast benefit were limited to one item only, unlike at JW Marriott where guests can order whatever they want. The breakfast timing was wonderful however because we were allowed to order until 2pm which is a great way for Fairmont Waterfront to differentiate themselves. I was not particularly disturbed by the breakfast boxes but for dinner, the in-room dining boxes left the food presentation to be desired. For example one fish dish was a very small portion and looked naked and lost in the big box, and was not cheap by any means. Staff gave us the Accor welcome drink vouchers proactively at check-in and I was impressed by the quality of the wine list at the bar which made those vouchers more valuable than at the vast majority of Accor hotels. They also poured 9 oz glasses rather than 6 oz glasses so they were generous - a couple of wine glasses could easily be worth over 50 CAD based on some of the list prices. During our stay the service was great, and in fact it was one of the few Fairmonts in recent memory which did not bungle the redemption of LifeExperiences certificates and also they did it one day before departure unlike some hotels which refuse to handle it in advance, only to spin their wheels at the last minute and end up delaying my departure. Wifi worked without interruptions but it was slow with speeds of less than 2 Mbps. This is highly questionable for a luxury hotel particularly when occupancy was not even high, considering the price range of Fairmont Waterfront. There is no reason they should not be able to offer the same speeds (or better) as FHV. Overall the stay had some strong points and some weaknesses, that said since I value suite upgrades I thought JW Marriott was a better choice. For stays where I don’t mind not having a suite then Fairmont Waterfront can be a good option but they need to bring their rooms up to a better standard and they need to upgrade their wifi to justify the price point in my opinion. Bottom line this hotel is mostly valuable for short stays due to the excellent welcome drinks, the 100 USD food credit (depending on booking channel), and the Diamond breakfast on weekends, but for longer stays during weekdays this hotel is possibly not an ideal fit for me.

A short family trip to Vancouver, we were met by a very welcoming staff all throughout this great hotel. We chose a harbour view room, which we highly recommend. The entire property was sparkling clean, and staff were respective of distancing and all health protocols. The gym was an added element that helped to make our stay relaxing and enjoyable. Thank you to the entire team for giving us a great get-away!