Four Stars? Where?
Written: Oct 12 '04 (Updated Oct 16 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great view, right across the street from the convention center, plus a BELL DOG!
Cons: Service is erratic and not particularly supportive of the needs of the business traveler.
The Bottom Line: I recommended for kids and families because someone with a family wrote a review and liked it. I would not stay there again. Overpriced for what you get.
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| hularider's Full Review: The Fairmont Waterfront |
It's not a bad hotel, but it really makes me wonder how the "star ratings" work. I've stayed at NO-star hotels with better service.
I was in Vancouver for a conference at the Vancouver Conference and Exhibition Centre. As the VCEC hotel was full, I booked into the Fairmont Waterfront.
After a wretched flight on Aloha Airlines, which got me to Vancouver over two hours late, and a cab ride which cost significantly more than it should have according to the rate charts, I arrived at the hotel.
Although I had my itinerary with my room confirmation, and they had taken the company credit card number to put the deposit down for a week on the room, I still had to come up with the first night's pay on my own card before they would let me stay. This entailed a go-round of some 45 minutes.
Finally reaching my room at about 1:00 AM, I discovered that my room had only a little closet and no dresser for clothing. I emptied the phone books from the tiny night stand and used that for my personal items. At least they had an iron and board so that I could get the wrinkles out of my mashed clothing.
Room service had, of course, closed by the time I was settled in my room. I decided I would go ahead and pay whatever the going rate was and eat a snack from the room fridge. No go. There wasn't any fridge. No juice, no decent snacks. Only $6.50-a-bottle warm water, candy, and booze.
After spending the remainder of the night listening to my neighbors "honeymoon," I was somewhat out of sorts on awakening from my hour of sleep. I ordered room service. They did send up a lovely platter of fruit with yoghurt and banana bread. For $26.15. For one. My collegue down the street had a complimentary breakfast sent to his room each morning, and his hotel charged $80 per night less than the $286.65 my client was paying to house me.
After delivering the meal, Room Service returned with a request that I pay in cash. I did so with some annoyance, as we had arranged for all of my hotel expenses, including meals, to be covered by the company business card.
After breakfast, I set my room up as I wished it, and laid out my conference materials. I made sure to put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door because I do not like housekeeping to disturb my materials. After I move them to our conference booth, then I am happy to have housekeeping fix up my room. Off I went to set up my booth.
Upon returning to my room to fetch my materials, I noticed that housekeeping had ignored the tag and entered, and re-arranged things, AND left a note telling me I was not to straighten up my own room, that was their job! Somewhat displeased, I went to the front desk and mentioned this. Also met my client, who straightened out the payment situation.
For the remainder of the week, service to the room was intermittant, though I informed the hotel that it was now ok to resume standard housekeeping practices. Ammenities were replaced in part or not at all, at times the room was not tidied until around 5:00 pm. The tub and toilet might or might not be cleaned.
While the individual hotel staff I met were delightful people, and quite helpful in person, the service to the room was certainly not the level I would expect of a one-star hotel, let alone four star.
Some good stuff about this hotel - The view from the bathroom was wonderful! I wish the tub had faced it. But if I piled towels around the faucets, I could lean back and lave my body with the tepid bathwater (is this an energy conservation move in Canada, or is this hotel just cheap?) - and observe the beauty of Stanley park, the bridge, and the delightful float planes taking off each morning. In the evening, if I finished work before dark, it was a real treat to take a few minutes to calm down and watch Vancouver's lights twinkle on, reflecting in the still waters.
My favorite staff member was Holly, the Bell Dog. She failed to make the grade as a guide dog - I suspect she was bounced because she loves to greet people. But she has found her vocation in working at the hotel, greeting guests, and taking them for walks three times daily. She even has a bell uniform. Be sure to introduce the kids to her.
My collegues pointed out that the problems I faced were caused by my expecting to stay at a four-star hotel, which this obviously was not, despite misguided advertising. It was a three-orca hotel. Prominantly displayed at the entrance are three large fiberglas orca in hocky uniforms. These orca, in various paint schemes, are displayed all about town. After having served their time as display items, they will be auctioned off and the money donated to a local charity. I will agree. As a three-orca hotel, it is outstanding.
Something I did not have an opportunity to enjoy about this hotel, but learned by watching others pull up on motorbikes, is that it is very biker-friendly. They have a coned area for motorcycle parking, and one of the bellmen suggested that using the blowdriers in each room as a good way to dry boots and helmets, and to warm them before venturing back out. No one looks at you strangely if you go to breakfast in chaps and have a riding jacket on the back of your chair. They do not bat an eye if you want to check your helmet at the desk.
As a business traveler, I found the hotel rather disappointing, and that is how I am rating it.
But I can see how for family travel, it could be an enjoyable experience, though I would not take a family to a hotel with those rates. And, for a business traveler, with the irregular ammenities and service it certainly was not worth the price my client paid.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
hularider
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Member: Leilehua Yuen
Location: Hilo, Hawaii, USA
Reviews written: 69
Trusted by: 8 members
About Me:
HulaRider is an author, artist, and educator who specializes in Hawaiian culture and arts.
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