That Time Of The Year!

Not to be confused with the luxurious St. Regis Hotels (which is part of Starwood chain), this is a standalone boutique hotel in Downtown Vancouver.  The main draw for this hotel is the location.  It is just next to the Granville station and just a stone throw away, Canada Place station (metro line to Vancouver International Airport and Glen-MacArthur outlet mall).  There are also many bus stops nearby (you have a few direct buses to Granville Market from Granville Street).  The hotel has many eateries nearby and also Canada Place, Robson Street and Chinatown are all within walking distance.  There is a big Nordstorm nearby and many other shopping centres too.

Just like my Montreal stay, this booking was made via Citi Prestige Concierge utilizing the Hotel Night benefit in which the 4^th night stay is free!  What the hotel lacks in size and facility, they more than make it up with their hospitality.  On arrival, we were greeted by Gary who had been extremely pleasant and helpful throughout our stay.  Check in was fast and we were in our room in no time.  The main lift is accessible by hotel key card only.  Unlike other hotels where you need to tap your card to access the floor, St. Regis’ lift door will only open when you swipe your hotel key card (there are no buttons).

We had a queen room overlooking the street.  Despite just next to Dunsmuir Street, it was not noisy at all.  The room is a little small and there was no fridge in the room.  The bed was comfortable and what I like most is the toilet which comes with a heated floor!  Amenity kits provided are from L’occitane.  One issue with the bathroom is that the water pressure seems low.  I am not too sure if this is unique to my room only.

There is a water boiler, coffee maker with complimentary tea and coffee and every night you will get complimentary turndown chocolates.  Complimentary bottled Fiji water is provided daily.  One other perk from this hotel?  Free phone calls including international calls!

Breakfast is complimentary and is served in the breakfast room in basement.  It is not a buffet but a choice of 3 types of breakfast:

• Continental (comprising pastries, yoghurt, cereal and fruits)
• Traditional (comprising potatoes, bacon / sausage / ham, eggs and toasts)
• Omelette (served with toasts)

The portion is fairly large and it is more than enough to last you till lunch time (if not dinner).

The one blip we had throughout our stay was on our checkout day.  We had this grumpy looking Chinese guy who seemed impatient in answering my queries with regards to my bill and was in a hurry to push me off.  He was completely opposite to all the staff I have met throughout my stay and it spoilt all the effort and hard work that was put in by his colleague.  Thankfully, Gary was back after my breakfast and as usual he was all cheerful and friendly.  A special compliment to Gary (and his Indian colleague which I did not managed to get her name) for their good work and help.  I will not hesitate to recommend this boutique hotel to anyone traveling to Vancouver.