Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Canada / Vancouver / Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada · Fairmont · Accessible Luxury
Rushed ready for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's 1939 royal tour, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver opened that May as a joint CN-CP Châteauesque tower by architects John Smith Archibald and John Schofield. At 112.5 metres and 17 floors it was Vancouver's tallest building until TD Tower in 1972. Copper roof, carved gargoyles, and a 2014-2018 refresh that returned the 14th floor to its 1939 finishes still define the downtown skyline.
- 556 rooms
- Opened 1939
- Neighborhood: BC V6C 2W6
- Architect: Francis Swales; Archibald & Schofield
About Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
- Steel went up in 1929, work stalled in the Depression, and Canadian Pacific joined Canadian National in 1938 to finish in time for the 1939 royal visit.
- On 1 May 1940 Dal Richards began at the Panorama Roof with 13-year-old Juliette; CBC later broadcast The Roof from the hotel.
- Mid-century CBC radio stations were based inside Hotel Vancouver.
- Exterior shots stood in for the fictional Tipton Hotel on Disney's The Suite Life of Zack and Cody from 2005 to 2008.
- AAA Four Diamond in 2025 and Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star in 2026.
History
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver opened on May 26, 1939, the third hotel on the same site, in time for the royal visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Owned jointly by the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, it was designed in the French Renaissance Château style. The hotel's distinctive copper-green roof and gargoyles make it one of Vancouver's most recognizable landmarks. It is a heritage building and has been known as the 'Castle on the Hill' of downtown Vancouver for more than eight decades.
The setting
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver rises at 900 West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver's Financial District, a Châteauesque landmark known as the Castle in the City since its royal inauguration in 1939, when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were among its first guests. Built by Canadian National Railway, the copper-roofed tower with steep dormers and carved stonework shares its block with another storied luxury address, cementing this stretch as Vancouver's preeminent luxury corridor. The Vancouver Art Gallery is a one-minute walk; Robson Street's flagship boutiques and Pacific Centre are steps away; Canada Place and the harbour are fifteen minutes on foot.
Restaurants and bars
- Notch8 Restaurant & Bar — Bar · Tyler Uguccioni (Executive Chef)
Experiences
- Fairmont Gold — Hotel-within-a-hotel with private lounge access, all-day honour bar, complimentary breakfast and afternoon canapés.
- Afternoon Tea at Notch8 — Rotating themed afternoon tea with pastries, savoury creations and unique teas.
- Heritage Suite Collection — Suites inspired by the romance of rail travel, with traces of the hotel's past in simple details and flourishes.
- Romance packages — Romance packages for special occasions, with an optional special dinner at Notch8 Restaurant & Bar.
- Local pet activities — Pet guests receive comfy dog beds, water and food bowls, and access to local pet activities.
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
Open Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More Fairmont hotels
- Fairmont Pacific Rim — Vancouver, Canada · Grand Luxury
- Fairmont Banff Springs — Banff, Canada · High Luxury
- Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise — Lake Louise, Canada · High Luxury
- Fairmont Chateau Whistler — Whistler, Canada · High Luxury
- Fairmont Empress — Victoria, Canada · High Luxury
- Fairmont Hotel Macdonald — Edmonton, Canada · High Luxury
More hotels in Vancouver
- Hotel Belmont Vancouver, MGallery Collection — MGallery · Accessible Luxury
- AZUR Legacy Collection Hotel — Independent · Core Luxury
- Fairmont Waterfront — Fairmont · Core Luxury
- Hyatt Vancouver Downtown Alberni — Hyatt Centric · Core Luxury
- JW Marriott Parq Vancouver — JW Marriott · Core Luxury
- Loden Hotel — Independent · Core Luxury
Fairmont in The Maison: the brand's idea, history and every house on the atlas.