Where pulling back the curtains reveals the bustling waterway, rugged mountain peaks and stunning scenery of Vancouver, Canada.
Welcome to Fairmont Waterfront, it’s beeutiful (you’ll see why 😉).
Few hotels offer the ability to photograph landscape images from your room. Not only that but you can even lie on your cushy bed and capture the alpine scenery from a room at Fairmont Waterfront, one of Vancouver’s best located hotels for snap happy travellers.
Before getting cosy at night, leave your curtains a little bit open so the morning sun rays will gently alert you to the snow-capped peaks changing colour outside your floor to ceiling window.
It’s really quite hard to put your camera down and turn on the TV or take a shower actually!
The views here were the main reason I chose to stay at the Fairmont Waterfront when I visited Vancouver back in 2009 then again this year, nine years later. It’s every mountain lovers dream scene and not only that, the in-room luxuries are ready and waiting to keep you very comfortable during your stay.
If you happen to be staying at the hotel there’s of course plenty more to explore outside of your room too. Swim in the 50ft heated pool year-round with views over Vancouver Harbour to the east and city skyline to the west. Wander the rooftop garden where the hotel’s zero waste policy is in full effect, growing 100 lettuces per year from composte alone or visit my personal favourite, the Bee and Bee Pollinator Hotel.
Beeutiful Sustainability
Fairmont Waterfront’s 2,100sq ft herb garden is home to 250,000 buzzing bee beauties and it’s all in the name of sustainability. Joining the Hives for Humanity program in 2015, the hotel has its very own Bee Butler who hosts daily tours between May to September. You can visit the rooftop hive to learn about the bees and their bustling “Bee and Bee” which along with the other mason bee houses of Vancouver’s Downtown East Side produces around 2000lbs (907kg) of honey each year.
The program aims to reconnect the community with nature and is also committed to helping combat Colony Collapse Disorder. You’ll find another 7 Fairmont hotels with hives across Canada and at Fairmont Waterfront the rooftop honey forms part of the hotel’s food and beverage offerings. Sip on sweet ‘Stinger’ honey lager or signature ‘Garden to Glass’ cocktails like ‘Kissed by a Bee’ at ARC Bar or, enjoy the ARC Restaurant’s 3-course Pollinator menu.
Exploring Vancouver’s Waterfront
With a prime location beside Canada Place, you can join a walkway that follows along the waterfront all the way to Stanley Park, my favourite place in the city to capture images of the Vancouver skyline. The hotel offers bicycles for hire allowing you to cruise through Harbour Green Park, past Coal Harbour then through Devonian Harbour Park towards Stanley Park. It’s of course much faster than walking and means you can explore all of Stanley Park’s vantage points from the Lost Lagoon to Lions Gate Bridge.
You’re also just around the corner from lively and historic Gastown, down the road from Downtown’s shops or, just a 20min walk from the Aquatic Centre where you can jump on a little ferry over to Granville Island Public Market.
I’ll be publishing a guide to some of Vancouver’s most photogenic spots very soon, in the meantime though, as with my other Visual Hotel Reviews, I’m going to let the photos to the talking.
Please continue scrolling for a peek into my recent stay at Fairmont Vancouver…
To book your stay visit the Fairmont Vancouver website.
Cherry Blossoms – Vancouver is home to over 40,000 cherry trees so if you’re visiting in early Spring, take a read of my guide here to some of the best places to photograph blossoms in Vancouver.
Read more Visual Hotel Reviews via the links below –
Hello! I’m the founder and photographer behind The Wandering Lens.
With 17+yrs experience as a professional travel and landscape photographer, all advice found on this site is from my personal experience on the road. I hope it’s useful for your own travels and would love to hear in the comments about your trips and experiences around the world.
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