Originally Posted by
ElevatorEnthusiast
A very interesting and very strong hotel - no matter what brand it is (pretty sure it's a Renaissance according to the TV and my credit card transaction for Renaissance Vancouver Downtown ;-)), this is a very good option for Vancouver. Here are my pros, cons, and photos:
Note: Renovations continue as many signs indicate that "Marriott-approved" contractors are working on the 17th and 18th floors starting this June - I heard no noise on the 8th floor.
Pros:
- Upgraded (literally an hour before arrival) to a 1-Bedroom Suite, which the desk called a Junior Suite - but it's really a full suite - the same as posted above - x01
- The mix of old and new stylings is honestly kind of fun
- The bed was fantastic - plush mattress, plush covers, plush pillows
- Shower pressure was great
- Towels were mostly new and soft
- TVs had the latest Internet TV OS - even on some pretty old panels
- Relatively decent city view - even of the seemingly unoccupied building across the street
- A box of chocolates waiting in the suite for me upon arrival
- No lounge - but Elites get a lovely a la carte breakfast in the restaurant - voucher good for two entrees even if just one person (both the server and check in agent mentioned this) - delicious food (godly potatoes) and yummy blueberry pancakes
- Service at the front desk was very friendly (same agent at check-in and check-out)
- Offered late checkout proactively, which I didn't need due to flight schedule
Cons:
Overall, I would definitely return.
Great review (as usual). Fun fact: before being the Metropolitan hotel, it was Mandarin Oriental's flagship Canadian hotel, hence the fung-shui design and Asian themes that are still visible throughout the property. The unoccupied building you could see is the former Four Seasons, which closed in January 2020, right as the pandemic was about to take hold. I believe it was one of the only remaining corporate-run Four Seasons properties. They had been in a long dispute with building's owner (Cadillac Fairview, which also owns the Pacific Centre mall it's connected to) for allegedly failing to sufficiently upgrade the property. It's now been shuttered for almost four years, and a bit of an eyesore tbh. When the Trump Vancouver rebranded, some people thought FS was going to take over, but the property curiously ended up
going with the Paradox brand, a brand most people in Vancouver had never heard of before – go figure. There have been lots of rumours swirling around about what will come next for the former FS site.
This story came out in 2022, which looks promising, but who knows if it's going to happen.