The Best Hotels and Resorts in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean: The Gold List 2024

"Nicknamed the Castle in the City, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver feels grand at every step, and in fact boasts royal roots: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later dubbed the Queen Mother) were among the first visitors, and their stay marked the property’s ceremonious opening back in 1939. Some 80 years later, an extensive five-year renovation to the tune of $75 million was completed on the downtown Vancouver property, and with it came Fairmont Gold, a hotel within a hotel. For guests who book a Gold room or suite, check-in takes place on your own floor (9 or 14), and a full breakfast is available just inside the private lounge, which in my case was roughly six steps away from my room. Ceramic pots of delicious fresh salmon were among the offerings I scooped up each morning before padding back to my room, coffee and meal in hand (I had to WFH—work from hotel; otherwise I’d have sat down in one of the lounge’s many banquettes or tables). While there is plenty of great food to be had around the city—and in the lobby at the always-bustling Notch8 Restaurant and Bar—there was a much-appreciated ease to having afternoon tea, evening hors d’oeuvres, or the aforementioned morning meal so accessible, and I imagine even more so for families traveling together. The grandiose hotel’s Art Deco–influenced aesthetic leans into deep blues and bronzes, with marble and velvet accents—a look that carries into the rooms too. Left in place after the renovation was much of the building’s original woodwork, crown moldings, and built-in decorative fireplaces that keep the hotel’s historic feel alive and well. More modern (and welcomed) touches I made use of during my restful stay: Le Labo bath products, an in-room Nespresso maker, the 24-hour gym and sauna, and an indoor pool open year-round. From $240. —Madison Flager" - CNT Editors