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Introduction:
For those who may not know, my partner Brad is currently finishing his Bachelor’s of Education degree in Vancouver and has been buried in books for the past 6 months. Spring break was rapidly approaching, and I knew I wanted to spend some time reviewing some new properties and getting reacquainted with the person I share my life with. While we normally stay at The Fairmont Pacific Rim for our staycations, I thought it would be nice to try something new and searched the American Express Fine Hotel and Resorts portfolio for something different, which is available exclusively for American Express Platinum or American Express Business Platinum Cardmembers.
The Rosewood Hotel Georgia caught my eye as we were planning to have dinner at The Four Seasons Hotel, which is right across the street. Rates were in the high $300’s per night, which is expensive, but cheap for a Vancouver luxury hotel and would include all of the Fine Hotel and Resorts benefits, including early check-in and late checkout, room upgrade based on availability, daily breakfast for two, and a $100USD property credit.
Positioned on the corner of Howe and Georgia, the location can’t be beat for those wanting a centrally located Vancouver hotel. Pacific Centre shopping mall and The Vancouver Art Gallery are just across the street, and the property is within walking distance to most Vancouver attractions, including Robson Street, Granville Street, and Gastown. The hotel also offers a complimentary Bentley house car on a first-come, first-served basis for trips within the downtown core.
We arrived at the hotel shortly after 1:00 pm and were greeted by very friendly valet staff who walked us to the front desk for check-in. The lobby is stunning, with beautiful woodwork that must be original to the nearly 100-year-old building.
The Guest Services Manager quickly introduced herself and informed us we had been upgraded to a top-floor Junior Suite, and invited us to contact her directly should we have any questions! The entire arrival process took less than 5 minutes at which point we were escorted upstairs to the 12th floor.
The Room:
The property recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation which took years to complete, and I can see why. Wow. There was no detail overlooked in the room, and the quality of finishes and furniture throughout was impressive. A lot of new hotels have a certain ‘bling’ factor, but this was understated and timeless, which I think I prefer. The door opened into the main living space of the Junior Suite, which included a large dining table for four, a generous seating area and powder room just to the left of the entrance. The ceilings were very high due to the location on the top floor.
This is very much a boutique hotel, with only 12 rooms/suites on the entire top floor!
The dining room was very nice with seating for four and featured a lovely welcome amenity left by the Guest Services Manager! The Rosewood Hotel chain doesn’t have a loyalty program, which is a bit of a turnoff for me as I often receive beautiful welcome amenities at Fairmont for being Platinum in The Fairmont President’s Club, so this was a nice surprise!
Directly to the left of the entrance was a small powder room, which I always appreciate in suites. We were planning to have guests over for drinks and I never like them going through the bedroom to use the master bathroom.
Beside the entrance to the bathroom was some beautiful millwork, which housed the suite’s minibar and coffee maker. I appreciate the Nespresso coffee machine, which is still lacking in some other high-end hotels.
The prices were as expected for a luxury hotel: extortionate. I’m not sure who the people are who continue to pay for this stuff when there are 100 stores within walking distance.
The dining room opened up to the main living room, which featured a small sofa and two leather chairs surrounding a marble coffee table with a good selection of tasteful magazines and books. The two end tables both featured unique sculptures and adequate lighting. There was one window at the far end of the room which struggled to let in a lot of natural light due to its position facing the courtyard, though I did appreciate the view of another Vancouver favourite – The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. There was a television in the corner of the room next to the bedroom entrance with a good selection of channels.
It was the first day of spring break for Brad and it didn’t take him very long to settle in with a mimosa!
While the living room was nice, the real gem of the suite was the master bedroom and ensuite! I can’t remember ever having such a beautiful, well-designed room in all of my travels (The St. Regis New York 5th Avenue Suite is a very close second). Separated from the living room by a single door, the bedroom is absolutely massive, with a large king bed, small seating area, two large windows, a functional workspace, and huge walk-in closet. There was also a second television mounted above the desk with a Bose speaker with iPhone connectivity.
The closet entrance was just left of the bedroom entrance with a sliding glass door. Inside was plenty of space for luggage, an area to hang items, chest of drawers, along with slippers, laundry bag, and the in-room safe.
The workspace was very comfortable and featured a small Bose speaker with iPhone connectivity. I loved the leather-bound menus for Vancouver attractions and in-room dining. Nice touch!
Let’s talk about the bed for a minute. I have never slept in a more comfortable bed and seriously considered packing the sheets to-go. The pillows were amongst the best I’ve ever used (with extras in the closet) and the mattress was soft but very supportive.
The bed had two side tables, each with lighting controls for the room. One side featured a writing pad and telephone, while the other had a vintage alarm clock – another nice touch!
The room was made-up sometime in the evening when we brought the dogs out for a walk. Turndown service includes light refresh, making the bed, and putting out slippers and laundry bags. There were also bottles of water and shortbread cookies left on the bedside tables (the nice touches never end).
The bathroom was separated by sliding glass doors and featured a huge soaking tub with luxurious amenities, a large walk-in shower large enough for a party, and two vanities (one on either side of the room). There was also a separate water closet with toilet and heated marble floors. The lighting in the bathroom could be adjusted in various ways, which I always appreciate for bath time, and had a great symmetrical design which made it very easy to relax. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Hotel Amenities:
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to sample any of the food offerings in the hotel as we had a gift certificate for YEW seafood bar right across the street at The Four Seasons Hotel. After dinner, we met up with one of Brad’s colleagues from UBC (who was also starting spring break) and decided to use our Fine Hotel and Resort property credit (and then some) for a bit of champagne in the 1927 Lobby Lounge, which was fantastic!
From what I understand, The Rosewood hosts quite a few weddings, though I can’t imagine how much they cost based on glimpsing in the luxurious ballroom area.
And then there was the pool… Usually, city hotel pools leave a bit to be desired due to the space constraints. This pool, however, was beautiful, and I could have spent the rest of my life lounging poolside with a cocktail. The entire time we were down there we didn’t see another soul!
Bottom Line:
New favourite hotel in Vancouver! There was nothing disappointing about our stay at The Rosewood Hotel Georgia. From booking to departure, everything was seamless and effortless, which is ultimately what sets apart a true luxury hotel from the competition.
Is this hotel expensive? Yup. What’s worse is that there’s really no way to effectively use points for a stay (save for redeeming a fixed value points currency like American Express Membership Rewards for a travel statement credit – something I rarely advise doing). However, if you’re willing to travel during off-peak times and can access The Fine Hotel and Resort program by being an American Express Platinum or American Express Business Platinum Cardmember, you can make out all right for a once-in-a-while treat. Our room was $386 but came with a $100USD property credit and daily breakfast for two, which is worth nearly $200 alone. Add that to a generous upgrade, early check-in and late check-out (which is harder to quantify, but certainly not free at most hotels) and you could agree we received a lot of value for the rate paid.
I can’t wait to return to The Rosewood Hotel Georgia for a longer stay and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the property for travellers looking for a true luxury experience in Vancouver.
I have stayed at this hotel a couple of times but mainly when I come to the city to attend the annual festival for rose wines. I have made it a habit to stay here as I like the services that they offer.