I’m off to Asia next month with my hubby, who has an international conference in Beijing. From there, we’ll continue on to Hong Kong and then spend ten glorious days in Bali. This will be my first Asian adventure, so I’m really looking forward to it! But in reviewing our itinerary, I realize upon our return it’s going to be a very late and long drive from Vancouver International Airport to our home on Whidbey Island in Washington state.
Not only are we going to be weary and bleary eyed, there’s the issue of customs/immigration/luggage when we land in Vancouver at 9:30 PM. That, along with the three-hour drive home in the dark, doesn’t sound like a very fun way to wrap up our trip. That’s when I decided to make lemonade out of lemons.
Any excuse to stay at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport is fine with me — it’s one of my favorite airport hotels. Opened in 1999, the 392-room hotel is the first in the world to introduce satellite check-in kiosks right in the hotel lobby. It’s also the first Canadian hotel to introduce INNCOM, an advanced guest room control system. Plus, it’s the only sound-proofed luxury hotel and spa within the Vancouver International Airport, and you don’t even need a shuttle.
Globe@YVR is the hotel’s signature restaurant, and a plane spotter’s paradise. Floor-to-ceiling windows and towering stone fireplaces look out onto the runways, and the cuisine created by British Columbia-born Roger Planinden equals the view. If you’re flying away, room service offers Food for Flight service, yummy in-flight meals to take on board.
The Fairmont Vancouver Airport also offers an entire floor of hypoallergenic guestrooms which have been converted to hypoallergenic or low allergen content. Day-use rooms are also available for travelers on long layovers, as are accommodations for guests with special needs. And don’t forget to book a treatment or two at Absolute Spa at The Fairmont.
If you’ve been fishing in British Columbia’s fishing lodges, the hotel has a Fish Valet plus offers complimentary storage in its Fish Freezer.
And remember — you don’t have to be flying in or out to stay at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport. Pack your bag, spend the night and pretend you’ve been somewhere exotic. You have … minus the jet lag.
Was it cheaper to fly in/out of YVR or is that your nearest airport?
Yes, our airport is Seattle-Tacoma, but we saved about $1,000 on the two tickets by flying Cathay Pacific from Vancouver-Beijing. Our flight to Beijing leaves at 2:30 (AM!), so we’ll just head up after work and have a leisurely dinner at Globe@YVR. It gives me more time to pack!
Hi girlfriend,
Sounds like you’ve got a sooper trip planned. Do you have your accomodations booked yet in Bali? Ck out my stories for my fave sleeps and eats. U gotta eat at Mozaic…as good as French Laundry!
Hi Janice: Thanks for the tip! We will definitely book a table there. We’ll be in Bali for ten days after five in Beijing (Peninsula Hotel, where my hubby’s conference is) and three in Hong Kong. We’ll stay with my friend for three nights, she has lived there for years and built a beautiful home. Then on to the Ubud Village Resort for a week — our own private thatched cottage with private swimming pool. The rates were pretty reasonable considering what you receive in return. But before that, off to NYC to visit my son next week. Fun!