CHECKING INTO THE ROSEWOOD HOTEL GEORGIA
Hello! Today I’ll be continuing the tales of our recent 90th Birthday Cruise on the Star Princess that ended in the magnificent city Vancouver, Canada. Not wanting the fun to end, we arranged to stay 2 nights in Vancouver in one VERY nice hotel. So today I bring you: Checking Into The Rosewood Hotel Georgia.
I’m picky when it comes to hotels, for as I’ve told you before, one of my mottos in life is, “Why leave home for anything less than what you’re leaving behind?” So I always spend a LOT of time researching hotels prior to traveling. I found a number of very nice hotels in Vancouver, and several blog followers gave me suggestions for lodging as well, but ultimately I decided on the Hotel Georgia and boy am I glad I did!
I booked our hotel through AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts which gives platinum card holders extra benefits. In this case we received a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast and a $100 hotel spending credit.
Entering the lobby I was struck by the juxtaposition of old and new. Vestiges of the stately old building were evident in the beautiful millwork seen in the ornate paneling of the room. That verses the modern glass chandelier and furnishing made for a modern atmosphere with an old world elegance.
The lobby was dimly lit and had a reserved, masculine air about it.
First opened in 1927, the Hotel Georgia has always been considered one of Vancouver’s best hotels. After an extensive renovation in 2011 it was returned to its former grandeur. The hotel likes to bill itself as a combination of legacy and luxury — a return to the golden age of hotel travel, and I have to agree, it fits that description.
So, now please step on into our room and please ignore the bags that I failed to remove from the photo. It was the only image I had that showed the entry vestibule area. Just inside the room you arrive to find a wall of cabinets that feature closet and drawer space in addition to a well-thought-out mini bar area which I’ll show you in a moment.
I had reserved a Deluxe King Room and they upgraded us to a larger version of the same. It seems that all these rooms come with a comfortable sitting area, which in most other hotels would be considered a suite, or at least a mini suite.
A comfortable desk area with a charging station and built in flatscreen TV above came in handy for getting a little work done.
The bedroom area is flanked by the living area. The tastefully decorated room was furnished in neutral tones that created a comfortable, soothing atmosphere.
The bathroom was one of the most generously sized and well planned hotel bathrooms I’ve ever experienced. One entered the spacious bathroom through opaque, sliding glass doors.
The centerpiece of the bathroom was a large soaking tub. The floors and walls were covered in a chocolate brown marble. The tub was flanked on one side by a large, glass enclosed shower with an amazing rain shower built into the ceiling.
On the other side was an enclosed toilet room/WC.
Another great feature of this bathroom were the 2 separate vanity areas. What a delight! It can’t be seen in the photo but the sink vanity area had my obligatory magnifying mirror.
Now let’s return to the vestibule/entry area and I’ll give you a tour of the spacious closets. The designer of this hotel did not miss a beat when it comes to providing every conceivable amenity. As you can see below, the first closet contained the usual expected amenities of an iron, ironing board, hangers and safe. But in addition there were slippers, a shoehorn and shoe brush, an umbrella and even a flashlight.
Another closet featured an extensive minibar with a mini fridge and a drawer containing snacks for purchase. What made this minibar special was the Nespresso machine, a hot water pot and assorted teas, an ice bucket and an assortment of glasses and coffee cups,
Another feature I enjoyed in our room at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia was the convenient panel of light switches. No searching for switches to turn lights off when you leave the room, as there was a button that turned everything off, or on, right by the front door. Wish I had this feature at home.
We were traveling as an extended family on this trip honoring my father’s 90th birthday. So my oldest son, his wife and my 2 grandbabies were also with us. To accommodate his family of 4, my son reserved a 1 bedroom suite. With his AMEX platinum privileges, he too got an upgrade to a more spacious suite. The expanded living room with it’s beautiful and comfortable white leather seating, as well as a dining table, came in handy as a place where the family could all gather together after a long day of sightseeing.
The hotel is also ripe with other amenities. There are several dining options available to guests in the Hotel Georgia. If your stay does not include breakfast, Bel Cafe is conveniently located adjacent to the hotel lobby. Here one can enjoy a coffee and pastry or light lunch. I noticed that this atmospheric cafe was packed with local business folk who seem to frequent this downtown establishment before work.
We enjoyed our breakfast in the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Hawksworth.
The atmosphere was lovely, the service exceptional and the food good, not great. We had our complimentary breakfast at Hawksworth both mornings of our stay and to use our AMEX $100 hotel spending credit we dined here one evening for dinner. I really appreciated the beautiful servicewear and the lovely way the food was presented. The bread was delicious, the cream cheese & salmon bagel mushy and actually quite bad. However, this was my only complaint about our entire stay. I guess nothings perfect. If you go just don’t order the bagel with salmon and everything will be just fine;)
My Grilled Octopus Dinner
Hawksworth also has a pretty bar as shown below. They mixed a good cocktail and had a very good wine selection.
In the afternoon and evenings guests can also enjoy this beautiful rooftop bar, lounge & cafe called Reflections: The Garden Terrace. Here they offer a variety of light tapas-inspired dishes in a sophisticated outdoor setting. It’s an urban oasis in the heart of Vancouver with a laid-back vibe that is frequented by locals and hotel guests alike.
Adjacent to Reflections Garden Terrace is Sense, A Rosewood Spa® luxury retreat with all the usual available spa treatments that I never seem to have time to enjoy while traveling. Located on the fourth floor of the hotel and adjacent to the Spa is this heated, 52’ indoor saltwater lap pool. I found it to be a beautiful and luxurious retreat that I wished I had time to utilize.
On Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights guests can sneak into Prohibition, a Roaring Twenties style Speakeasy that transports patrons back to that glamorous time of decadence and prosperity. Along with live musical entertainment, Prohibition serves creative drinks in an intimate and sophisticated atmosphere. Sadly, we did not get to experience Prohibition, as they were not open on the nights of our stay.
In closing I’d like to reiterate that we all really enjoyed our stay at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. The rooms were some of the most well designed, comfortable and spacious hotel rooms I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I can wholeheartedly recommend this hotel for your next visit to Vancouver, BC, Canada.
So there you have it: CHECKING INTO THE ROSEWOOD HOTEL GEORGIA
801 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 1P7 | +1 604 682 5566 | www.rosewoodhotels.com
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. I was not compensated in any way for this review. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. Photos of the hotel exterior, pool, Prohibition door, Reflections, Hawksworth interior, Bel Cafe & Suite are via the hotel’s website.
