Checking In: The St. Regis Vancouver

With its Edwardian heritage, the St. Regis Vancouver is truly a landmark. Now 108 years old, The St. Regis’ grandeur remains undimmed by the passing of time. Walk through the front doors of the Dunsmuir Street entrance and prepare to be dazzled by an enduring piece of Vancouver history.

The concept

In 2009, the St. Regis Hotel reopened upon completion of a lavish 18-month, $12 million restoration led by Vancouver design icon Elaine Thorsell. This renovation resulted in a revitalized St. Regis Hotel that captivatingly blends big city sophistication with the intimacy, authenticity and personal touch of a boutique hotel.

When you walk through the Dunsmuir Street doors and enter the lobby, there’s nothing grandiose about the hotel. Rather, the space feels rather subdued, with tastefully leather chairs, marble columns and a lovely art gallery wall. As part of the renovation, original works of art have been installed throughout all the room and public spaces in the St. Regis hotel. The selection of work from five different artists, tends toward the abstract, springing from a variety of sources and serves to simultaneously integrate and compliment the spaces adding depth, colour and atmosphere throughout the property.

The five artists featured at the St. Regis are Canadian, American and British with a range of cultural heritages and influences from native and Hispanic to Asian and Irish.

“Whether our guests take the time to examine and contemplate the art or whether they enjoy it in passing, we believe that this art helps us create the ideal environment for every stay.”

— Jeremy Roncoroni, General Manager

The 65-room property is part of the St. Regis Hotel chain and was constructed in 1911, making it a veritable piece of the city’s history. It is located in the heart of Vancouver’s entertainment and commercial core, within easy access to Vancouver’s most coveted sites. It’s adjacent to Holt-Renfrew, Canada’s finest luxury retailer, just blocks from the GM Place shopping center, and easy walking distance to prime shopping on Robson Street and the trendy Gastown neighborhood brimming with notable restaurants and hotspots. It’s also a very convenient access point to and from the airport with the City Centre station located just over one block away at the newly opened Canada Line.

This renovation added modern lustre, state of the art services and immaculate appointments to this Edwardian heritage gem. The revitalized St. Regis Hotel seamlessly combines big city sophistication with the intimacy, unique flavour and personal touch of a boutique hotel. With a wide range of complimentary business and personal services, unbeatable proximity to superb dining, shopping and commerce, the St. Regis offers “more than you expect, everything you deserve” to make every stay productive and enjoyable.

The scene

This is a luxury hotel for those who don’t need to broadcast their wealth. If you enjoy the subtleties of high-end travel, the St. Regis Vancouver will deliver. The crowd is polished, sophisticated and unshowy. This crowd is fashionable and although they probably won’t be invited to the Vanity Fair Oscar party, they know exactly where it will be held.

The story

The history of the St. Regis Hotel dates back to the golden first quarter-century of Vancouver’s history. By the time ground was broken on construction of the St. Regis in 1911, Vancouver’s population had quickly increased from a few thousand souls to over 100,000 residents creating immense demand for housing and hotels. Real estate barons like Roberts, Maltby and Company were among the biggest movers and shakers in this young city and one of the partners, Mr. P. Roberts, decided to build a hotel for his wife Mary to be named the “St. Regis” after the famous Astor-built New York masterpiece.

With the growing class of business traveller in mind, the St. Regis was located at the corner of Dunsmuir and Seymour Streets, just steps from financial district on West Hastings but still close to the docks and railyards further east. Whether by luck or grand vision, this location has remained a hub as Vancouver’s core has evolved and the St. Regis remains ideally located for budding tycoons and tourists alike. The hotel thrived from its opening day through ups and downs of the City from the roaring ’20s, the Great Depression and the boom times of World War II and beyond. The middle of the century was an especially colourful time for the hotel when the St. Regis became Vancouver’s premiere “Sports Man’s” hotel and was a favourite destination for travelling athletes like the legendary Rocket Richard. The owner of the St. Regis at the time, Coley Hall, decided that the St. Regis should sponsor a hockey team and, the “St. Regis Hotels” hit the ice in 1943.

Hall managed to convince the Legendary Cyclone Taylor, then nearly 50 years old, to add his name to the team roster—making the St. Regis Hotels Taylor’s last team before he became a charter member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947. The St. Regis still stands proudly as a link to Vancouver’s vibrant, glorious past.

The service

Everything runs exactly as it should. Your expectations are high, and the hotel staff will not disappoint.

The room

From the rich dark woods and custom Sealy beds you’ll never want to leave, to the plush terry robes and towels and marble soaking tubs with heated bathroom floors, this is a full-on luxury experience. Suites have flat-screen TVs in the bedroom and living areas, and are designed with massive his and hers bathroom vanities and a lighted magnifying make up mirror. All rooms are stocked with L’Occitane en Provence luxury toiletries. And Smart Room Features keep devices freshly charged and connected with ease.

The real highlight are the plush pillow top mattresses. We’ve slept in many hotel rooms and the St. Regis Vancouver mattresses easily make our top three list. Climbing out of the fluffy king-sized bed each morning was no easy task. Rooms are massive and the cool neutral palette totally works. There’s subtle luxury at play in every corner, and the sheer size of the suites makes you feel like you’re hanging out in someone’s home.

Dining

The St. Regis Bar and Grill on-site likely has the buzziest hotel restaurant in Vancouver, with a lounge that's one of the most popular after-work spots in town. It has a massive selection of comfort food and pub favorites in a warm, welcoming restored brick and wood heritage space with multiple large screen TVs to coral around with friends as you cheer on your home team or after a day out on the town. Gotham Steakhouse Steak is a fine choice to celebrate special occasions. There’s also a Starbucks just outside the hotel for a quick dose of energy before you start your day. The real highlight, however, is the complimentary daily breakfast. You won’t be waking up to stale pancakes and cold bagels. Breakfast is classic, simple and made-to-order fresh every day. Think hot egg dishes, comforting, decadent waffles and soothing hot chocolate to start your day.

What we loved

Location is truly unbeatable with prime proximity to incredible dining and shopping
“More than you expect, everything you deserve” is more than just a concept. The St. Regis Vancouver experience is exceptionally superb, authentic and accessible without being stuffy.
Complimentary, made-to-order hot breakfast with juices, teas, coffee and hot chocolate
It’s the little things: chocolates at turndown service and complimentary FIJI water bottles replenished daily
Complimentary drop-in access to the nearby Steve Nash sports and fitness club
Wi-Fi is free and fast

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