The Fairmont Waterfront: Turning moments into memories

I must be in heaven, or at the very least close to it, I whisper to myself as I sip a glass of bubbly champagne in between sweet bites of honey truffles in milk and dark chocolate with flavor notes of butterscotch, vanilla and cinnamon at The Fairmont Waterfront’s rooftop overlooking the scenic Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, Canada.

Here in this rooftop sanctuary in the sky, luxuriate in its verdant  2,100-square-foot secret oasis that houses an herb garden, an aviary of local birds and over 550,000 resident honeybees that produce 4,700 pounds of delicious honey that executive chef Dana Hauser churns in to create the decadent chocolate that the hotel offers its guests.

To travel is not to simply embark on one sojourn after another but to embrace, be moved and inspired by the uniqueness of a particular place. In this slice of heaven on earth, one leaves the destination renewed by its impressive mission, culture, luxury and beauty.

Jennifer Fox, president of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, says: “The mission at Fairmont has been, and continues to be, turning moments into memories for our guests,” adding “Our focus is on fostering genuine connections between our guests and their destinations.”

My family and I recently realized that The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver was not just the most stunning hotel in the destination, it was the destination. For this annual vacation, our plan was to fly from Manila to Vancouver to board the Disney Cruise to Alaska. Being the travel director, I suggested that we spend a few nights in Vancouver before the cruise. We did not realize that this “stopover” would turn out into a most shimmering attraction in our itinerary.

In all our years of travel, we never experienced being given our room keys upon setting foot in the hotel’s front driveway, efficiently expediting the check-in process. As we disembarked from our limousine, the bellman graciously took our luggage and promptly escorted us to the Gold Suite of the Fairmont Gold, the newest boutique hotel in Vancouver, a 48-room hotel within a hotel. Sweet treats like excellent macaroons, fresh raspberries, a luscious, dark chocolate-shaped house, a bottle of homemade Fairmont honey and a handwritten note accompanied our favorite B.C. Pinot Gris.

This warm welcome after a long haul was only the beginning of a moment turned into a loving memory. We were truly beguiled by the grace, elegance and luxury of the Fairmont Waterfront. Besides the magnificent opulence of the property, the chain’s advocacy for environmental sustainability is truly commendable. Truly worthy of emulation, we learned from gracious Nancie Hall, director for public relations of the Pacific Northwest region, about their concern and commitment  to make a difference in the communities where their guests and colleagues work, play and live.

We engaged ourselves in various activities at the Fairmont Waterfront. Its location is unbeatable with its proximity to the historic Gas Town where the quaint water street is found; Stanley Park where scenes from the movie Twilight were filmed; the vibrant Robson Street with all its cafes and shops. One can also take a leisurely drive to the popular Grouse Mountain, go cycling in Stanley Park or admire the peculiarly white beluga whales in the aquarium.

We had a lovely dinner in Herons West Coast Kitchen and Bar, a culinary celebration of all things British Columbia. The Brand’s first female executive chef Dana Hauser creatively highlighted flavors of the Pacific in delightful dishes like the Dungeness Crab Benedict, crab ravioli, asparagus soup, and succulent rib-eye that was paired with Cedar Creek Pinot Noir. My nieces and nephews feasted on the mini-burgers in Kaiser Bread as well as other choices from the kid’s menu. You must try their signature Honey Almond Cakes, delectable garden thyme lemon lollipops and Bannock Bread scones with sweets served during the Waterfront Hive Tea.

At the lounge exclusively for Fairmont Gold guests, we met a loving couple from the UK who has been on a cruise 29 times and just had to spend an extra day in Vancouver to visit Water Street just around the corner. They enthusiastically shared how they always stay in the Fairmont hotel — our favorite sanctuary!

Our short but sweet stay at the Fairmont Waterfront certainly became a highlight of the trip. We were truly content just being in this grand home away from home where loving kindness and hospitality reign supreme. We collectively agreed that the Fairmont Waterfront is simply a hotel with a heart, a very big one at that.

Our picturesque view was of the harbor where we gamely observed seaplanes dramatically landing one after the other. What reminded us that we still had to catch the Disney Cruise Liner was simply seeing our ship docked across the Fairmont Waterfront. Our winsome concierge, Mike, immediately offered to arrange sending our bags to The Disney Wonder as we prepared to board. Kind gestures like this done with so much love and sweet anticipation of our needs was truly appreciated.

Aside from the sweeping views of the snow capped mountains and the beautiful harbor, we were very impressed with the hotel’s commitment to the environment, which we could see with all its in house eco-sustainability programs. Through its Fairmont Sustainability Partnership Program, the hotel properties around the world work diligently to minimize the environmental impact they have on the planet.

An industry leader in environmental stewardship, The Fairmont Waterfront is working with local company, Keystone Waste Management, to achieve a goal of zero percent waste by the year 2014 through extensive recycling and food composting. In its hotel rooms, the trash bins are also color coded so guests can easily segregate their trash. We also noticed lemon water dispensers around the hotel, which they offer to all their guests instead of plastic water bottles. We also saw signs asking guests if they wanted to participate in its conservation efforts by reusing their towels and linens.

Nancie Hall shared that it was the Fairmont group that started the environmental program of reusing towels and linens. It actually came with initial resistance from the other officers because of the uncertainties of the reaction of the guests. It was this sincere desire to make a difference in saving the environment that made this program the standard for all other hotels and resorts. It is also the first hotel group we have come across who donates recyclable products like hotel linens and soaps to local charitable institutions.

We wanted to stay longer in our “home away from home” but our cruise liner, the Disney Wonder, was already docked right in front of our hotel and we were probably the last passengers to board. Concierge Rodolfo Alejandro Parra was the most helpful attending to all our needs and taking care of us. My nephew, Matthew Dayrit fell and bruised his elbow and Rodolfo offered their in-house nurse/medic to clean his wound and made sure he was all right. When it was time to board the ship just across from the Fairmont Waterfront, we leisurely traipsed along, humming some happy Disney tunes as we checked in.

After our Alaskan Disney escapade through the icy wilderness and landscapes, we disembarked once again in Vancouver and our hearts skipped a beat  in joy to see our luxurious home away from home — The Fairmont Waterfront. Like precocious children, we trooped to savor more honey truffle chocolates from the hotel.

We were concerned about how to explore the city environs one last time, having 25 suitcases in tow as we arrived in the morning, since our flight back to Manila was still at midnight. Like a nightingale in shining armor, the concierge at the Fairmont assisted us in making arrangements to store our suitcases with them. We were blessed with the opportunity to spend one more day in the beautiful city of Vancouver.

The Fairmont hotels indefatigable commitment and passion spells the magical difference in fulfilling our desires and satisfying our wanderlust. As we reminisce and look back at our treasured memories and as we create new ones, we will never ever forget our  experience at The Fairmont Waterfront — where each moment becomes a memory to cherish for many lifetimes.

For more information, log on to www.fairmont.com/waterfront. Eva Air flies from Manila to Vancouver three times a week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday). Log on to http://www.evaair.com/en-global/index.html.

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E-mail the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.