Fairmont Vancouver Airport

Total amazing stay!
From the time we pulled up to the curb the staff was warm, friendly, funny, & inviting
Totally awesome service all around for our entire stay.
The Globe restaurant is a must the food is exceptional
And again the service is outstanding.
Our room was fantastic every thing we thought it would be and then some. The floor to ceiling windows with view of the runways Tarmac and mountains is a real bonus and very entertaining.
The location couldn’t be any better exit the Lobby & you are in the U.S. Departures area.
Traveling through YVR or a romantic getaway this property is a must

Stayed at this great hotel on Saturday night. Amazing staff and the hotel is first class with a fantastic job restaurant. My bartender at the jetside bar Marcia was one of the best I have come across. Friendly and very caring
Will be back again to this great hotel

My go-​to in Vancouver. It’s a bit pricey, but I don’t sleep as well anywhere else! Beds are always comfy, staff are second to none. Handy access to Skytrain, you can be at waterfront station in 25 minutes! Watching the planes take off is a fantastic way to wind down in the evening, or keep a toddler busy for hours.
I’ve been staying here going on 8 years now. The rooms are starting to get a bit dated, that being said they have always been so much higher in quality than many hotels, they can probably stretch a reno for another 5 – 10 years!
I love the bathrooms in this hotel! I know that sounds strange, but after long travels, its nice to feel like you are in a spa! And this is exactly how they feel.
I saw someone complain about wifi, just sign up for the presidents club and it comes free! They have both wired and wifi, the wifi is pretty good, but the wired is fantastic.
I travelled once with my newborn and wife and they bumped us to the presidents level up on the top two floors. I could not have been more grateful. The concierge helped us book a babysitter so wife and I could go our for her birthday dinner. We had never done this before (hotel babysitter), but the lady that showed up instantly made us feel safe. She could have been our grandmother! She responded to texts from us, and dealt well with our daughter. It didn’t come cheap, but was worth every penny!
Every meal I’ve eaten here has been exemplary. Dinner at the bar has been consistently high quality over the years. My favourite is breakfast at the buffet. This is not your average breakfast buffet though, think very high end. I’ve ordered in to the room a couple of times, breakfast, and a late night snack. Both times quality was very good, but delivery was a bit slow.
Finally, I just had to spend one night on the weekend, then do a two nighter out of town, returning for a couple of nights. They let me leave a suitcase with them for two nights without charge! It just feels like there is no request you can make that they can’t accommodate. I’ve also had them greet me a couple of times walking into the hotel, already with my key for the room in hand so I didn’t even have to check in. Just went straight to the room. This is top shelf customer service!
Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Every penny!

This is the only hotel located directly inside the airport, so it couldn’t be more convenient for our overnight layover.
The last minute plan to stay here was seamless.
Found a decent rate online, took a screenshot, and thankfully they honored it since I was unable to book it online (due to international dateline issues).
The hotel was very busy but every interaction was perfect from the bellman in the reception area to the final checkout at 4:30 am.
At check in we were given passes to the Fairmont’s private lounge in the airport and advised to get breakfast there in the morning… complimentary.
Even the phone attendant helping me with an issue related to needing a cold remedy late at night (their bell staff can drive you to a nearby pharmacy if needed, on an as available basis!) was exceptional.
Unfortunately you just don’t see this «genuine» human side of service as often as you’d like.
I confidently recommend staying at this property!
The fact that you have incredible floor-​to-​ceiling glass window views of the runway is just a huge bonus!
If you have kids don’t miss the Vancouver airline identification guide brochure in each room… they will surely love spotting the various aircraft as they land.

Pros:
* Comfy bed
* Lots of water pressure in the shower
* Cool view of the runways and minimal plane noise
* Can’t beat the location for an early morning flight — you’re already there!
Cons:
* $ 15 wifi. Usually don’t need wifi as I have a great data plan for US/​Canada. But my Verizon/​Bell data was crapping out so I tried wifi to check in online. I got a shock to find a hotel that still charges for wifi. And $ 15. Dear Fairmont: it’s 2016 — include wifi. (So that’s why they get 2 stars off… pretty inconvenient when you really need it)

This review is for the high tea. Purchased the $ 75 Groupon for 2 for the high tea + parking. 7 tiny pieces of mini sandwiches and sweets, 2 teas and 2 wines didn’t satisfy us very much and more importantly — was not worth the price. We notice it didn’t look fresh either especially the turkey pesto mini sandwich. Looks like it’s been sitting in the kitchen all day. Ambience is great for sure but value for money? Fail.

What a beautiful hotel. The room was big, clean, modern looking, and quiet — considering we’re right beside a noisy airport! Bathroom was very nice too.
We were only here for one night on a layover from TO to Honolulu. Wish we could have stayed longer. A staff member greeted us in the airport near the escalators leading up to the hotel. He asked us our names and told us he would let the staff upstairs know we were on our way. By the time we got to the top of the escalator there was someone waiting for us with our room key. Check-​out was equally as painless.
Toiletries smell amazing.
Top notch hotel!

Nicest airport hotel in North America — it’s impossible to beat the convenience. It looks down over international and USA check in at YVR (Vancouver Airport). Fairmont quality but usually decent prices and great service.

My adventure into Canada began here, at the Vancouver Airport. After a long delay from Alaska Airline (45 minutes), I finally set foot on Canadian soil. The check in at customs was pretty hassle free. I scanned my passport and submitted a customs sheet. From there, I went to a customs official who reviewed my documents, and proceeded to pick up my bag.
It was another check point where I got hassled a bit. The guy there kept asking me why I was coming to Canada. He doubted my reasons for being there, but relented when I showed him my hotel reservations. Interesting, because I’ve never been hassled whenever I come back home to the US from Mexico. I guess it’s a mutual misunderstanding between Canada and the US.
The airport is fairly efficient in processing new arrivals, and getting on your way to town does not take as long a time. I’d say it was a comfortable experience overall, which I’m assuming will be the same once I head back to the US.

We had afternoon tea here and enjoyed the overall ambiance and especially the French pressed tea. The finger food was good and nice to actually have Devonshire cream to go with the scones but the samosas and mini desserts were very mini. We had a Groupon special which made it $ 59 for two people which was fine but at the regular price it would be too expensive.

Definitely a unique place to have high tea — in the middle of a busy airport.
Fairmount Hotel at YVR offers high tea service starting at 2pm with 30 mins intervals for $ 54/​person. This is on the pricier side compared to other high tea places but it helps a lot if you grab their offered Groupon deal (2 for 1 with free 2 hr parking).
Firstly, service was really polite and nice, and we never felt rushed to leave like some high tea places.
I chose their Lavender Earl Grey tea. It was a lovely blend of those flavours and I never needed a refill of hot water since is came in a large french press.
My favourite of the tiers for high tea is always the savoury bottom tier — my favourite of the bunch was the Egg Salad Croissant and the Mini Chicken Pot Pie. The scones were okay, a little dry but with the jam it helped a lot. The desserts were okay as well, the Strawberry Macaron was sadly all soft and moist by the time I ate my way to the top but I liked the Carrot Cake, light and soft.
Overall, I had a pleasant time and the food and décor was good. It was nice to see some planes and the mountains in the window as we ate. And don’t feel bad eating all those tiers of food because you can always walk it off at the new outlet by the airport as well!

*This review is strictly for the High Tea. Unfortunately, the Fairmont doesn’t have a separate category on Unilocal for this*
My review is very similar to Elegance’s afternoon tea review.
I had never tried High Tea before and wasn’t sure that tiny little sandwiches, pastries and tea were worth the extraordinary prices that go along with the High Tea experience. However, with a $ 54 Groupon for two people, which included two hours of free parking, a girlfriend and I decided to try it out.
I was impressed that my reservation, and Groupon, were accepted on the Monday of Thanksgiving weekend. As it was a holiday, I wasn’t sure that my request would be honoured.
My girlfriend and I arrived on time and we were seated right away. We were told our server would be right with us and we were given a few minutes to look over the menu. Finally, our server came, introduced herself, and asked if we had High Tea before. We both said no, so she explained a few things on the menu for us. Unfortunately, they were out of at least three teas that were listed on the menu. I opted for the chocolate flavoured tea (which was delicious).
It took a few minutes for our teas to arrive and quite a long time for our tier of food to come. I made a comment to my friend that something as simple as pre-​made pastries and a couple tiny sandwiches shouldn’t take more than the 10+ minutes we waited for them. Were they going out to get the ingredients? Anyway, it finally came and the gentleman who brought them to our table kindly explained what everything was (side note: I wish he had been our server. He was friendly and bubbly and actually seemed to enjoy his job).
We were both happy enough with the food. It was pretty good (although the desserts were far too sweet. There should have been more savory items to balance out all the sweets) and surprisingly filling enough. Service, however, was lacking. Our server never checked up on us. After she took our order, she disappeared. We had finished eating and waited forever for her to come back with our bill. We finally realized that we had been there for over TWO hours — which now meant the parking was expired and we would have to pay extra. Seriously, two hours for High Tea for just two people seems excessive. We would have been out of there much sooner had our server even bothered to check on us, but she just didn’t seem to care.
We also got the 2 for 1 coupon (as mentioned in Elegance’s review) and probably won’t use it, simply because of the service.
Disappointed that this was related to the Fairmont brand which, in general, provides exceptional service.

I adore this hotel and value the staff immensely.
Even though I am a resident, I enjoy staying here the day I fly-​in (home). It allows me to unwind and get back into life at a more leisurely pace. I don’t know if I am in the minority here but I LOVE airports. Watching people greet their loved ones excitedly is better than TV.
The beautiful rooms have expansive runways views. I find the Gold Level worth the expense. The floor has it’s own concierge and offers a hospitality room with honor bar, appetizers and morning breakfast (I chose to just fill a plate and have breakfast in bed).
The suites have little extras like a scope to watch the runway activity in close detail.
The most important feature for me is that the hotel is pet-​friendly. Recently, my stay was a last minute decision and the staff promptly provided a litter box and treats for my cat.
Room service is high calibre. The airport has restaurants, liquor store, dentist and much more for any needs that arise.

*** This rating is for the Afternoon Tea, not for hotel stay. ****
Go to Fairmont Empress in Victoria instead for a much better high tea!
This is a lovely hotel at the Vancouver Airport in Richmond. I like coming into the lounge area to sit on the couches to charge my phone and relax since I’m at the Airport and the YVR outlet often. If you are wondering why my review for Afternoon Tea isn’t too high, here are my reasons:
* I bought a Groupon for the Afternoon Tea here and was able to book in on the day of the call on a weekday, which was nice. The hostess on the phone was very pleasant and polite. I had waited for a weekday (Monday or Tuesday) to book since their weekends were always full. However, when I told my friend that I had booked for Afternoon Tea here, she told me she had it already and «wasn’t impressed». I was hoping maybe my friend was too picky and that I would have a lovely time at Afternoon Tea. But I would soon find out why.
* We had a waitress who wasn’t too much into the service. I could describe her looks clearly but I won’t, since I don’t want to shame someone in public. She talked quite casually (not polite or formally as in other afternoon tea venues or higher end hotels) and often disappeared for long periods of time from the venue. At one point, I saw her standing at the end of the restaurant far away from all us diners, chatting and laughing to the chefs for a long time. It didn’t seem too professional. Whereas, I noticed other patrons who has received a male Caucasian waiter had a much better experience (he was attentive to them, regularly checked up on his patrons, made small talk to them, was working hard). I told my husband «they’re receiving much better service.»
* Every time I go to an afternoon tea, I am always asked if I want almond milk or soy milk, or I ask the server and they will then ask me back if I want the alternative. Since I am Asian, I sadly lack the lactose-​digesting gene and cannot take milk. I asked our waitress if the small pitcher on our table was regular milk, and she just goes «Yep» and starts to walk off. I had to quickly and loudly ask, «Do you have almond milk or soy milk?» and she goes «Yes» and is about to walk off again! She didn’t even want to know why I was asking the question (it’s obvious that I’m asking because I’m about to inquire if I could order an alternative) so I had to hurriedly ask «Can I have soy or almond milk?» (in a very fast sentence) because she was in mid-​strike and looked to be in a hurry. She said «Yes» but didn’t offer which one she was going to bring and took off. My husband and I looked at each other in surprise. She came back later and said it was almond milk… I think. Anyway, that was odd.
* The portions weren’t very much for the afternoon tea. Unless maybe Grouponers get less? We’ve had more servings and much more intricate types of food for afternoon tea at Secret Tea, Sutton Place Hotel, Patisserie Fur Elise, La Petite Cuillère, The Urban Tea Merchant, Wedgewood Hotel, Shangri-​La Hotel, and more. For even the Groupon price, we felt the food was somewhat lacking. The carrot-​chai cake was soggy and stuck to the plate, the chocolate cake was ok, the strawberry macarons tasted good, the lemon tart was all right but plain. The scones were ok but only received 1 jam and 1 devonshire cream. At other high teas, we receive 3 or 4 types of jams and devonshire. The sandwiches weren’t fancy either. It was an egg croissant and the pinwheel had just ham and mayo. These were sandwiches we can make at home easily. At other high teas, the sandwiches and biscuits are much more intricate and tasty. I really do want Fairmont YVR to do well, and I think what would help them is if they went around sampling other high tea venues in Vancouver to get an idea of what’s out there, so they can stay competitive in the market.
* When we wanted to pay our tea, our waitress was nowhere in sight for at least half an hour. In the end, my husband walked up to the hostess to pay and she redirected him to someone else to pay. If our waitress was on break, then she should at least tell us, «I am on break (or I am finishing up my shift), so-​and-​so will be taking care of you.» That’s what all the other servers say when we are at other venues comparable to this one. So the high tea experience wasn’t too great because of a non-​chalant server.
* We received a 2-​for-​1 card for Afternoon Tea during our bill, and my husband and I decided we’re not coming back to use it. Does anyone on Unilocal want my 2-​for-​1 card?
Overall, we still like the Fairmont brand very much since we often visit the other Fairmonts in Downtown Vancouver for food, but we won’t be coming back for afternoon tea at the Fairmont YVR airport. We might give dinner or lunch here a try though and then I can come back to write another review on this hotel based on that experience. For the time being, we will stick to other high tea venues since there are so many to choose from in Vancouver.

Fairmont
Our room was very nicely laid out. I appreciated how the bathroom had it’s own door so that I could have some privacy. The bathtub was jetting and they give you bath salts. I stayed in the tub for a good hour. I
briefly had a nap.
The swimming pool was shallow and not that long. More suitable for lower leg workouts. The deepest the pool got was 4″. I used the hot tub and met some cool people.
They do have a gym which is more extensive with up to date equipment compared to most hotels that I’ve been to. The only downside is that the circuit training is geared more toward the lower body for jet leg. Nothing for total body workout. I did some yoga before bed back in my room.
The change room for the pool and gym offers complimentary hair spray, however, the smell of the spray was horrible.
We had our own private concierge on our floor and unlimited access to the business lounge that had private breakfast in the am, honour bar, tapas in the evening and desserts. The spreads were actually decent. We sat by the window over looking the planes. We wanted to make sure no luggage was dropped. We made happy faces with most of our meals. They had a nice 10,000 coffee maker that made decent drinks.
Easy check out and a boarding station right in lobby. Everyone was over the top awesome and friendly.

If you need a hotel at the airport, you can’t beat staying at a hotel INSIDE the airport. I am a big fan of Fairmont hotels, and this was nice. If you need a place to stay while waiting for an early morning flight, you can’t beat staying at a place right above the terminal.
Our room was had a huge bathroom, and a nice view of the mountains and the runway. Being so close to the airplanes, you don’t really hear much noise (not many flights at night, anyway). The room is tastefully decorated, and has all of the necessary electronic amenities that you would need.
I didn’t eat at the hotel, so I can’t comment on the food. We had a car during our stay, and they offer parking in the parade for 15.00 a night, which is very reasonable. If you need a hotel at the airport, or even a hotel in Richmond, you can’t do better than this Fairmont.

This review is for the afternoon tea.
My husband and I dropped in before our flight. Service was very nice, but all three tiers were on a very salty side :0 sandwich was salty, scones and cakes were all salty… It wasn’t just a trace of saltiness but you could actually taste it throughout your chewing. Not sure what happened there.
Their teas are very nice.

Now this is a 5 star hotel. Located at the airport right next to check-​in, this hotel is as convenient as it could possibly be. The hotel is just beautiful. From the stone wall behind the front desk to the lounge that over looks the tarmac with the mountains outlining the sky in the distance, there is no end to its beauty. The rooms are of the highest quality to help you relax after a long day of travel. Each room includes a large soaking tub and separate shower with Le Labo amenities. The beds are so comfortable you’ll dread going home to your measly SERTA. I’ve stayed at a few 5 stars in my life and this is definitely up there with the best airport hotels in the world.

THIS HOTEL IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!
I don’t know what it is about Canadians, but they are the friendliest people! And when I checked into Fairmont, I felt like I was being welcomed into a friend’s home.
The décor is very modern and the lighting helps with the soothing ambiance. When I made my way to my room, I was impressed by the look of the elevators and how fast they were. Is that weird? I mean, sometimes hotel elevators are slow. And that is not cool. Especially after a long trip.
Let me talk about my room, though! Oh my… when I walked into my room, I was so surprised by how luxurious it looked! There was a full sized tub with a separate shower. And the lighting in the room was amazing. Sometimes hotel rooms lack lighting, but this room was so bright. And I think that added to the overall welcoming feeling. Although the hotel is attached to the airport, I never once heard a plane during my stay.
I love, love, love this hotel. And I cannot wait to be back.

Probably my favourite hotel in the whole world. I usually stay here before/​after a long haul flight, and it’s the perfect way to relax and get well rested. It’s luxurious, literally inside Vancouver airport, and has all of the perks you would expect from a world class hotel.
I honestly can’t find any faults in the service. The front desk is very welcoming, the restaurant staff are delightful, and the gym staff are helpful. The day spa within the hotel is absolutely fantastic and worth every penny, especially when you’re about to spend 16 hours crammed into a flying tin can.
The gym facility is great with most of the machines you would expect, and is an awesome way to burn off nervous energy before you travel. The changing rooms are spacious enough, with secure lockers, tons of towels, a swim suit dryer, toiletries and a sauna. The lap pool is small but has some sort of current thing to swim against, and the whole pool area is surrounded by lounge chairs should you choose to relax while your kids/​partner/​friends take a swim.
I’m fairly certain that every room comes with a bath tub, which are huge and probably better than the actual hot tub down by the pool. The rooms also usually have a kick ass view of the runway, as well as a bonus set of binoculars (in the drawer by the bed) to spy on incoming planes.
Something that really sets Fairmont hotels apart from others of a similar rank is the toiletries. They use Le Labo’s Rose 31 soaps and shampoos, and I’m honestly addicted to the scent. It’s musky but still a bit floral, really quite subtle with a hint of spice. It’s great to find something new and refreshing in such an established hotel.
The downsides? The rooms are pricey, and the breakfast buffet (although undeniably lovely) is also really expensive. But you know what? It’s absolutely worth it, and I will continue to stay at the Fairmont every time I visit Vancouver.