best bed: The Wedgewood Hotel, Vancouver, Canada

This small, family-run Relais & Chateaux hotel feels more like a perfectly located private club with absolutely fabulous service.  The lobby welcomes guests with a wonderfully sculpted stone check-in desk and a working fireplace. Antiques are scattered throughout adding to the elegant ambiance.  Every guest of the Wedgewood is treated like a VIP with understated hospitality, discretion and old school luxury. The hotel is famous for their friendly and attentive doormen who have unparalleled knowledge of the city; who always greet you by name as they assist you in whatever you need. Eleni Skalbania opened the Wedge -as locals call it- in 1984, realizing Vancouver needed a high-end hotel with classic European service. Her daughter, Elpie Marinakis-Jackson, is now the very hands-on managing director, carrying on many of her mother’s traditions while adding some modern twists of her own. She has transformed the hotel by adding some tech and contemporary elements, while still maintaining its old world, country-house-in-the-city feel. Everything is now a touch more luxurious, a touch more glam. In the rooms, there are freshly baked cookies at turndown, Frette towels and L’Occitane products for the bath- just a few of the special touches. Bacchus restaurant regularly wins awards for its Pacific Coast inspired cooking. Afternoon high tea is a treat; during the summer make sure to ask for a seat by the large bay windows, and enjoy watching the passersby. In the winter, curl up in a comfy, richly upholstered sofa near the fireplace for a warming cocktail, and feel like a grandee from Downton Abbey!

Number of Rooms: 83

Sweet Suite: The 14^th floor penthouse suites are higher, but my favorites remain the two Penthouse suites on the 12^thfloor. All the suites have gas fireplaces, jacuzzi tubs, flat screen TV’s, and antique furnishings. What sets apart the 12^th floor suites are the huge terraces (400 square feet). By far  the best place to enjoy breakfast and/or have a nightcap while looking out over the city. I have sat outside in a parka in January just to enjoy this view.

Favorite Thing: The Spa… it is the most luxurious of indulgences. Ever so tiny, there are only three treatment rooms. The atmosphere is extremely intimate,  guests are never rushed; everyone is treated like royalty. The pedicures last forever. The facials are positively age erasing. A relaxing rejuvenating visit to the Spa is my only must every time I am in Vancouver. The Epicurian Skin Care products are divine.

Near By: The Wedgewood is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, across from Robson Square and the Vancouver Art Gallery. It is flanked by Robson Street shopping district, and is in close proximity to the  Orpheum Theater, Bill Reid Gallery, Gastown, Yaletown, Coal Harbour, Commodore Ballroom, Christ Church Cathedral, Canada Line, Pacific Centre Shopping Mall, Rogers Arena  and the Seawall around Stanley Park

Amenities: Fitness Centre, Full Service Spa, Eucalyptus Steam Room, 24 Hour Room Service , Bedtime Cookies, Complementary Bottled Water, Nespresso Machines in room, Guest Room Serviced Twice Daily, Bacchus Restaurant, Complementary Bicycles, Complementary Daily Newspaper, TEALEAVES Tea in Room, Desktop Charging Station, Pianist every evening in the bar/restaurant, L’Occitane Amenities, Complementary Shoe Shine, on call Yoga or Pilates Instructor

http://www.wedgewoodhotel.com

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