I chose this hotel because it participates in American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR), and I wanted to take advantage of the benefits: early check-in, late checkout, daily breakfast, the property credit, and some remaining annual travel benefits on my card. I also booked a Pacific Club room, which includes lounge access and appears to be part of the hotel's more recently renovated accommodations.
Unfortunately, while the location and cruise convenience were excellent, the overall experience fell short of what I expect from an FHR property.
When I checked in (later than planned due to a flight delay), another guest nearby was expressing frustration about her standard room, which she said cost around $800 per night. She felt the room was outdated and that she hadn't been informed about the upgraded room options. After seeing the hotel for myself, I understood her disappointment. Even the Pacific Club rooms, which are supposedly the renovated rooms, felt dated compared to many modern Marriott, JW Marriott, and luxury hotel properties I've stayed in recently.
The biggest advantage of this hotel is its proximity to the cruise terminal. The luggage transfer service was seamless. We simply tipped the porter, and our luggage arrived safely outside our stateroom on the ship. That level of convenience was fantastic and definitely reduced stress on embarkation day.
However, I'm not convinced that convenience alone justified the room rate.
One of my biggest disappointments involved the Fine Hotels + Resorts breakfast benefit. Typically, FHR properties offer breakfast in a restaurant as a separate benefit. Here, breakfast was served in the club lounge--the same lounge access that I had already paid extra to receive through my room category. That didn't feel like an additional benefit at all. The breakfast itself was adequate but fairly basic, and at times some items were not particularly warm. I plan to contact American Express because this implementation of the breakfast benefit felt misleading.
I ordered room service several times during my stay. The food was hit-or-miss:
* The burger was good, although the sautéed onions were much sweeter than I prefer.
* The fries were decent.
* The shrimp dumplings/pot stickers were excellent and one of the best things I ordered.
* The seafood chowder was extremely disappointing. It was essentially flavorless--more like hot water with seafood added. Even after adding salt and pepper, it lacked any depth, seasoning, or richness. Considering the price, it was one of the most disappointing chowders I've ever had.
The hotel has additional dining options, including a French restaurant and buffet offerings on select nights, but neither was particularly appealing for a trip with my 12-year-old son.
The Pacific Club lounge itself was one of the highlights of the stay. The views were beautiful, and the staff there were consistently friendly, welcoming, and helpful. It could get quite crowded during breakfast hours, likely because so many guests were being directed there.
As for the room, even the renovated version felt overdue for another refresh. The furniture was nice enough, but the layout was poorly designed. The large built-in desk and cabinetry consumed too much space, making the room feel cramped. There was barely enough room to open our luggage, and we often had to place suitcases in front of the bed just to access them.
The shower was, unfortunately, the worst part of the room. Water pressure was extremely weak, and the showerhead appeared to be the wrong style for the setup. It resembled a rainfall showerhead but was mounted on a wall instead of overhead, which meant the water simply dribbled downward rather than providing meaningful coverage. Combined with the awkward tub spout placement, it was difficult to rinse properly. While the bath amenities smelled wonderful, the shower experience itself was frustrating.
The bathroom layout also felt inefficient, with a large amount of unused space around the toilet while other areas felt cramped.
Throughout the property, the atmosphere felt more like a large convention hotel than a luxury hotel. The check-in area was surprisingly small, staff were not always easy to locate, and even reaching someone by phone could be challenging.
Overall, I found this hotel convenient but disappointing. If your primary goal is an easy embarkation for an Alaska cruise, it certainly delivers. However, if you're choosing it because it's part of the Fine Hotels + Resorts program and expecting a true luxury hotel experience, you may find it falls short.
For a future Vancouver cruise, I would likely consider staying elsewhere--possibly at the Fairmont--and simply rolling my luggage to the ship myself. read more