Tucked into the heart of Downtown Vancouver, Azur Legacy feels a bit like a billionaire’s bolthole. You need to be looking for the brass entryway, but once you’re inside, it’s decadent from head to toe.
Traveller: Lisa Perkovic
Room: Emerald Luxury Tub King
Room Address: 833 W Pender St, Vancouver, Canada
Date: May, 2024
Best for: stylish stopovers in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown
The Signature factor
Canada Place and Gastown are on your doorstep, but the hotel’s two restaurants and bars will tempt you to stay in. Drinks at the ground floor Dahlia Bar are serious business. The mixologists have plenty of tipples for you to try from their signature menu, but they’ll also whip up classics from their range of local and international spirits. Move on to dinner, paired with an excellent selection of local and international wines.
The concept
Designed by local industry heavyweights Studio One Architecture Inc. and Inside Design Studio, this boutique hotel raises the bar in Vancouver’s hotel scene. The 14-floor building opened in late 2023 and houses 104 rooms and suites, two very lush penthouses, the Dahlia Restaurant on the ground floor, and the brand-new Lavantine Restaurant and Skybar.
First impressions
From the brass and stone inlay at the entrance, past the crystal chandelier at the bar and over to the roaring gas fireplace, walking through the compact ground floor doesn’t take long. However, it’s abundantly clear this boutique hotel is all about old-world glamour. Dahlia Restaurant’s well-stocked bar and well-heeled restaurant in the heart of the lobby draws in guests and locals alike. People watch through floor-to-ceiling windows or hide away in banquet seats that match the dramatic dark blue wall panels.
The room
The Azur hotel rooms and suites are as extravagant as they sound. Choose from the Turquoise Deluxe, Saphire Skyline, Tanzanite Luxury, Jade 1 or the Blue Diamond Penthouse. We spend two nights in an Emerald Luxury Tub King Room, which at first glance is more compact than I’d imagined for such a decadent-sounding room but certainly plush. The 318 sq ft space feels almost evenly split between the room and the oversized white marble bathroom. The deep soaking tub is the piece de resistance, along with his and hers vanities and heated floors.
Top suite
The Blue Diamond Two Bedroom Penthouse spreads out across 700 sq ft, with a terrace overlooking some of Vancouver’s dramatic local skyline. Like other rooms on site, the black marble bathroom is a showstopper. Pair it with high-end parquetry floors, a gas fireplace, a bar and bar top dining table, and a second bathroom, and you’ve got a very comfortable pied-à-terre.
On my plate
It’s opening night for the Lavantine Restaurant and Skybar during our stay, so we sneak in for delicate Middle-Eastern-inspired cocktails and a moreish baklava dessert plate. Downstairs, we taste our way through the decadent French Riveria-inspired menu at Dahlia Restaurant. The newspaper-styled menu looks straight out of 1920s New York, while the kitchen has its feet firmly planted in Canada. Local produce is the star of the show, from Nova Scotia lobster bisque and Quebec foie gras parfait to British Columbia salmon wellington. House-baked brioche bread arrives hot, with whipped butter and honey, and the crispy brussel sprouts are served to sizzle in a skillet. Save room for a sizeable brandy apple crumble or the double-baked Dahlia chocolate cake.
I wish I could take home
Heated bathroom floors and electric blackout curtains might just be two of my favourite things. If I could transplant them both to my bedroom back home, I would.
Stepping out
A trip to Vancouver isn’t complete without a stroll through historic Gastown. You’re only a ten-minute walk from the Gastown Steam Clock, which puts you right in the heart of this quaint old town.
Vancouver’s historic doughnuts
Just across the street from the clock is the city outpost of famous Lee’s Donuts. Pick up a box of glazed, sprinkled and frosted homemade doughnuts and head down to the waterfront to devour them in front of the view. Lee’s original outpost dates back to 1979, with a stall at the Granville Island Markets. These days, you can visit the original venue, but the Gastown storefront doesn’t have a line when we pop in. The menu changes regularly, but you’ll always find the iconic Honey Dip in store, which has a cult-like local following.
Vancouver’s easy access to the great outdoors
Vancouver is your launch pad to Canada’s wilderness. Plenty of travellers head over to Vancouver Island by seaplane or car ferry for the full gamut of hiking, kayaking, bear spotting, canyoning, horse riding and rock climbing. But you can easily get a taste of the famous temperate rainforests closer to the city – hop on the bus out to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The 30-minute shuttle bus is included in your ticket, and you’ll easily spend an hour or two exploring the network of boardwalks and paths through the forest, which are dotted with educational information about this unique ecosystem.
Go straight to the main event by walking across the park’s namesake bridge. Spanning 130 metres and now a much sturdier structure than the hemp rope and cedar plank 1889 version, it’s still a feat of engineering and draws big crowds from around the world. Save time to check out Raptors Ridge, where Canada’s birds of prey are in residence. It’s probably the closest you’ll get to local eagles and their handlers are happy to be peppered with questions about wing spans.
The accolades
The Azur Legacy holds the proud title of Western Canada’s only Leading Hotels of the World membership. The LHW has 400 hotels in 80 countries worldwide.
Insider’s tips
A handy charging station sits under the TV – USB ports, powerpoints, and even a HDMI cable are waiting for you. The HDMI cable is particularly handy for frequent travellers who hook up their tablets or phones to TVs to watch their favourite TV shows on the big screen.
Pet peeves
Guests with breakfast included currently receive breakfast vouchers at check-in. However, there’s fine print on the breakfast menu about which meals are included that’s not mentioned on the voucher. This means we receive an unexpected bill at the end of our meal, but I’m mollified by the fact the lemon buttermilk pancakes are some of the best I’ve tasted in a long time.
If only…
A day spa on-site would take staycationing at the hotel up a notch.
Where to find it
You’ll find Azur Legacy right in the middle of the Fashion and Finance districts, and a short drive from Stanley Park.
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