For the first hotel stay of my quick trip to Japan & Korea, I spent a night at the 386-room Fairmont Vancouver Airport. While I don’t usually stay at Accor properties, I had heard great things about this hotel, and figured I should check it out.
Continue reading: Review: Fairmont Vancouver Airport (YVR)
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Most folks here probably don’t need this perk, but staying at this property also gets you Priority Security passes (just ask the front desk for them).
One of the unique services at this hotel is the fish valet. Apparently enough people passing through the hotel have been fishing in British Columbia, and the fish valet will store the fish in a freezer until the guest is ready to fly.
I'm curious as to who is the market for such a huge and high priced airport hotel. Do they host a lot of conferences there or something?
I would think the average airport hotel guest would:
- Only stay for one night
- Check in after 6pm
- Check out before 9am
While this would be a dream for housekeeping, surely this average guest would be quite price-conscious given all they really need is a quiet and conveniently located bed.
If someone is looking to splash out on a fancy hotel, would they stay at an airport?
I stayed here for one night in October, at the end of weeklong trip in western Canada, before my flight back to Boston. Also in a Gold Runway view room. We arrived around 4 pm after a quick flight from Victoria (where we stayed at the Fairmont Empress), so we had some time to check out the lounge, had dinner in the restaurant, and a quick, hot breakfast in the lounge the next morning. It was a relaxing end to a busy trip, and worth the splurge - I love the Fairmonts in Canada.
Fairmont is such an odd brand. I've stayed at four properties. The one in Austin is basically a Westin. The one in Toronto, the Fairmont Royal York, is a hotel factory. While some bits are nice, it's inconsistent and there are a lot of bad, old rooms. Same for the Fairmont in Ottawa. Then you have The Savoy in London, which is one of the best hotels in London.
I love in-terminal airport hotels. I wish more airports had them. I assume conferences. I assume the airport authority or governmental entity that owns the airport is the hotel owner.
Fairmont has a strong footprint in Canada as it was a Canadian hotel chain before being bought by Accor. It may have been the only hotel operator that met the specifications to get the management contract.
Disappointing that the lounge isn't a little better, but doesn't seem like a bad value considering the exchange rate.
One thing I found odd... You list the hotel as being located in "Richmond, Canada" as opposed to Richmond, BC. While you're certainly not wrong, that seems like a weird way to refer to the location. There is a town or county named Richmond in nearly every province.
It's funny, if you'd ask me to name a Luxury hotel chain from Canada, the first thing that comes to mind is Fairmont. I guess maybe its because they manage a lot of Canada's heritage hotels. Albeit, some of the properties are now tired and need of renovation (and Fairmont is now part of Accor). Four Seasons, interestingly, does not particularly highlight their Canadian origins.
Fantastic hotel. This hotel excels in all categories and leaves on with the impression that it was worth it (and few do these days). The review is consistent with our experience on August 2024. The hotel is a perfect option for anyone arriving late from an earlier time zone. It also happens to be just a well run and pleasant property. The breakfast options on the lounge seem similar to the buffet in the restaurant sans the ability to order from the menu for an entree item. The rooms are well decorated, and the carpeting and cushion are as good as one will find anywhere. The hallway design with indents for room entries, and then the placement of the bathroom and closets result in very quiet sleeping areas. Disagree on the reviews comments on the gym. The technogym equipment was perhaps one generation old, but it was very well maintained and the space has plenty of room for floor work, and a nice seating area for a child that needed observation while parents used the gym. It's spacious. The locker room was well maintained and clean. Bonus, the lobby bar and restaurant are open to non guests, and it's a fabulous place to wait before a flight. Great service. Two thumbs up.
Vancouver is a large destination to get on/off cruise ships. We've stayed at this Fairmont twice when cruising. One of their rates is a guaranteed 10am check-in, which is great for those disembarking the ship. It's great to be at the terminal, as all flights going to the East Coast (US/Canada) leave very early morning if it's not a red-eye.