Rosewood Hotel Georgia

A Jazz Age Landmark Restored for a Quieter Century

When the Hotel Georgia opened its doors in 1927, it was the grand address of Canada's West Coast, the place where visiting royalty, film stars and touring musicians stayed when they came through Vancouver. Nearly a century later, the building still anchors the corner of West Georgia and Howe, its brick Georgian Revival facade facing the Vancouver Art Gallery across the street. A long restoration under Rosewood rebuilt the interior from the structure up, reinforced it against earthquakes, and preserved what mattered most: the Italian marble floors and staircase of the lobby, and the heritage clock that still keeps time there. What came out of it is not a museum piece but a working luxury hotel with a strong memory.

Why It Works

We chose the Rosewood Hotel Georgia because it offers something new towers in Vancouver cannot: a genuine past, handled with restraint. The original 315 rooms were merged into 156, so the rooms and suites are generous and residential in feel, in light blue, ivory and chocolate tones rather than hotel beige. The food and drink program is taken seriously, anchored by Hawksworth, the dining room of one of the city's best known chefs. And the wellness side, Sense, A Rosewood Spa with its indoor saltwater lap pool, gives the hotel a reason to stay in on a rainy West Coast afternoon.

Why This Location

This is the civic heart of downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver Art Gallery and Robson Square are directly across the street, Robson Street's shops start at the next corner, and the Pacific Centre sits alongside. Walk north for a few minutes and you reach Coal Harbour, Canada Place and the seawall, which leads on toward Stanley Park. The Vancouver City Centre station of the Canada Line is close by, which makes the airport an easy train ride rather than a taxi negotiation. Gastown and its restaurants are a pleasant walk east.

Fast Facts

• Price: Luxury (€€€€)

• Vibe: Jazz Age glamour, residential calm, polished service

• Rooms: 156 rooms and suites, including signature suites and two presidential suites on the upper floors

• Best For: couples on a city break, culture lovers, business travellers who want character

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the restored marble lobby staircase and heritage clock, original survivors of the 1927 hotel

• Dining: Hawksworth for seasonal, ingredient-driven cooking; the Georgia Bar and 1927 Lounge; Reflections, a fourth-floor garden terrace open in the warm months; Bel Café for pastries and coffee

• Amenities: Sense, A Rosewood Spa; indoor saltwater lap pool; fitness centre; pets welcome; hotel car service; Green Key eco-rating

• Attractions: Vancouver Art Gallery across the street, Robson Street, Coal Harbour and Canada Place a short walk north, Stanley Park via the seawall, Gastown to the east

Rooms Built From Two

The restoration's most useful decision for guests was to give space priority over room count. Many of today's rooms were created by combining original ones, so the layouts feel closer to an apartment than to a standard downtown hotel room. The bathrooms are designed in a spa spirit. The suites add living areas suited to longer stays or to entertaining, and the presidential suites on the twelfth floor have their own outdoor deck above the downtown core.

Hawksworth, Reflections and the Georgia Bar

Much of Vancouver comes to the Hotel Georgia to eat and drink, which keeps the place lively. Hawksworth is the flagship, a dining room built around seasonal West Coast produce and precise, classically grounded cooking. Upstairs on the fourth floor, Reflections is a garden terrace with fire features and cabanas, the address of choice for a long drink on a summer evening. The Georgia Bar and the 1927 Lounge cover cocktails and a more relaxed menu through the day. Many locals spend a whole evening here without leaving the building.

Staying In on a Rainy Day

Vancouver's weather rewards a hotel that is good to come back to. Sense, A Rosewood Spa is one of the city's reference addresses for treatments, and the long indoor saltwater lap pool is a real pool for swimming, not a decorative plunge. Pets are welcome, and the hotel car handles short trips around downtown, so there is no need to rent a car for a city stay.