Review of Four Seasons Vancouver

Vancouver is a lovely city for strolling, and it’s wonderful to stay at a hotel that is walk-out to many of the city’s fantastic attractions. This is exactly what Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver offers its guests. Moreover, for anything not within reach on foot, public transportation is right outside the front door.

During our stay we walked to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Semi-finals, just blocks away at BC Place, one day; the next, we walked to the waterfront, where we were able to grab bikes and cruise around the kid-friendly green mecca Stanley Park. For dinner, we walked in 10 minutes to the historic Gaslamp district for a bite.

We visited Vancouver with my parents, who are in their 80s with limited mobility. This convenient location is optional for multigenerational stays like ours, where ease of use is essential. We could divide and conquer for activities when needed, and then come together for meals.

The location is not all there is to love about the Four Seasons Vancouver. Here’s a look at our full review and highlights for families:

Four Seasons Vancouver Family-Friendly Review and Highlights

Although the exterior of Four Seasons Vancouver isn’t remarkable one way or another, the public and private interior spaces have been refreshed and updated. Public areas are airy with Asian touches, while guest rooms are more traditional.

This property feels a bit more business-oriented than some of the other Four Seasons city hotels we’ve visited, but that feeling was certainly due in part to a very busy conference weekend in Vancouver during our stay. There were still many families enjoying the hotel as their preferred home base to explore the city.

The central location and casually elegant ambiance make the Four Seasons Vancouver appealing for a wide variety of travelers.

Accommodations

The hotel is perched on a hill above the waterfront, and many of the 306 guest rooms have panoramic city views. Our room faced south overlooking the water and mountains, and I couldn’t get enough of gazing at the city during different times of day — sunrise in Vancouver from our room was pure magic.

Guest rooms are well-appointed with all the expected Four Seasons amenities, including an in-room coffee maker delivered on request. Double-bedded rooms are available for families of four who want to be in one room. Connecting rooms are available for families who want more space and privacy, and there is also an array of 66 suites with separate living and sleeping areas.

Rooms for a family of four start at $CA 470 per night.

Swimming Pool and Fitness Center

The indoor-outdoor swimming pool is a highlight for visits with kids. The pool is swimmable in all weather conditions and a lovely garden area provides an urban resort ambiance with lounge chairs and umbrella. It’s the perfect place to relax with kids between sightseeing breaks.

The open-style gym has a good array of machines and weights. We tried one of the fitness classes offered to guests and my husband and I ended up with essentially a free personal training session. Fantastic! Talk about a great way for parents to feel like they are getting easy “me” time on vacation. This setup does the trick.

There is not a full spa here, but there is a blow-dry bar and massage treatment room available.

Kids in the City

During school holidays, kids between the ages of 5 and 12 are greeted with an in-room edible treat. A kids’ activity concierge offers a daily poolside activity, including arts and crafts, face painting, scavenger hunts and more.

The Playzone Game Room is fully equipped with crawling tunnels, board games and DVDs, along with the latest and greatest in video game technology, including Wii and PlayStation 3s.

Four Seasons welcome treats, baby equipment, and kids’ toiletries are available year-round, but the full Kids in the City program is available for peak summer months only.

Yew seafood + bar

This hotel has a surprising array of design variety within the hotel; the main restaurant, Yew seafood + bar, is definitely the hip and stylish zone of the hotel. The brilliant setup has something for everyone, including a buzzy bar serving an extensive list of craft beer and cocktails, and an open-style kitchen offering meals throughout the day in a casual, kid-friendly atmosphere.

Service

You can’t visit a Four Seasons hotel and not comment on the service. As always, this brand delivers. From the bell staff to reception, the level of personalization is superb.

The concierge desk deserves a special mention. Given our multigenerational set up, we had special requirements in terms of needing activity and restaurant suggestions well-suited for limited mobility. The concierge team went out of their way to help us figure out a plan that would work for us. We opted for the Hop-on Hop-off bus that stops right outside the hotel. We ended up waiting outside for longer than expected for the bus, and the thoughtful concierge hand-delivered water to us in line. Now that is service!

Want Help Planning a Family Trip to Vancouver?

We can do that! Our Family Vacation Consultants specialize in helping families book travel to top destinations around the world. For more information and to request assistance, go to the CB! Vacation Consultants page.

Relevant Links:

Browse family-friendly hotels and things to do in British Columbia on Ciao Bambino

Must-do Vancouver with kids

Exploring Canada’s seaside with kids

Editor’s Note: Photos by Amie O’Shaughnessy except where noted.