We review the 10 best luxury hotels in Canada. Our top picks are Four Seasons Whistler, Torronto, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Fairmont Banff Springs, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Empress, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Pacific Rim Vancouver, Le Mount Stephen.
1. Four Seasons Whistler
The brilliant ski resort of Whistler is conveniently located just an hour and a half away from the international destination of Vancouver, and the best hotel in Whistler is the Four Seasons Whistler.
We have discussed the best luxury hotel in Whistler, Four Seasons vs. Fairmont Cheateau in more detail separately. Both our Seasons Whistler and Fairmont Chateau Whistler are just 15 minutes walk away from Whistler Upper Village, which has coffee shops like Starbucks, bars, restaurants, and an array of shops.
The walk is through a terribly pretty tree-filled area with a rushing mountain stream running through the center. If you prefer, a free Four Seasons or Fairmont shuttle will pick you up and drop you off.
The rooms at the Four Seasons Whistler are stunning and have been recently renovated with a newly updated take on the classic mountain lodge. Renovations were completed in the fall of 2019, and all 273 rooms and suites have been newly refurbished.
Rooms combine elements of the classic lodge, paying homage to the nostalgia of winter chalets while looking forward to new memories to be made. Clean, mid-century-inspired furnishings are featured prominently. Sleek, iron frame leather chairs and ashwood credenzas are contrasted with warm, raw-edged coffee tables. Foregoing more traditional bed frames, beds are complemented with plush wallcovering in a rustic yet refined woven textile.
Each room at Four Seasons Resort Whistler features a balcony where guests can seize every moment of the outdoors. Inside, the view is highlighted with expansive windows opening up to forest-lined mountain vistas, a view that can be taken in perched on the window seats in each room. Modern granite fireplaces in every room at Four Seasons Resort Whistler mean guests can cozy up fireside long after the sun goes down.
The Four Seasons is about a 5-minute walk away from the base of Blackcomb Mountain, which is a real pain in ski boots. Instead of walking, you’ll probably take the very regular Four Seasons complimentary shuttle from the hotel entrance to the entrance of the ski room. Their heated and stylish Four Seasons ski room has complimentary hot chocolate cookies and apple cider, and boot heaters, along with a member of staff to help you store your skis and boots. From the ski room, you step straight onto the slopes.
Worth noting is that the Four Seasons Whistler ski concierge staff are amazing and will do everything for you, from helping you get your boots on and off to carry your skis out to the snow. The concierge even delivers your skis from your room or car to the ski room and dries them and heats your boots before you put them on again! They offer true ski luxury and one of the best luxury ski hotels in the world.
The pool at the Four Seasons Whistler is heated and offers panoramic vistas of Whistler and the Blackcomb Mountains. In the winter, it’s so warm that the steam rises from the pool as the snow falls, so you will be swimming through a cloud of warmth as the warm, humid air from the pool hits the cold mountain air.
I love that the Four Seasons pool deck is heated (underfloor), too, so you don’t have to run from the indoors to the pool like an idiot to avoid frozen toes (this also avoids any icy slippiness too). There’s little better than swimming in a warm pool or sitting in a hot tub with snow falling onto your hair.
There are also three therapeutic hot spring-style whirlpools along with a fully equipped gym that comes complete with personal trainers. In the summer, you get all mod cons that typify and Four Seasons pool, including Sunglasses cleaning, daily treats, complimentary sunscreen, and aloe gel, complimentary amenity every hour, Evian spritz, cold towels, and cooling cucumber eye slices.
Four Seasons has a daily free wine tasting, and if that doesn’t win you over, you can also enjoy excellent food at this Four Seasons in an atmospheric setting. The Four Seasons Whistler’s main restaurant is Fifty Two 80 Bistro, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers fabulous views of the surrounding mountains. The Four Seasons Sidecut is a sleek steakhouse featuring an open fireplace and a 1,800-degree infrared grill that cooks Canadian prime beef to juicy perfection. Right outside is the heated patio, which has its own fireplace where kids (and kids at heart) roast marshmallows after dinner. For après cocktails and live music, guests stop at the swanky Fifty Two 80 lounge.
Wherever you are in the world, Four Seasons hotels are consistently one of the best hotels in that city or resort. They don’t have a Four Seasons loyalty program, so you will never be able to book a free stay by racking up and redeeming points or by collecting points on your credit card and spending them at a Four Seasons hotel. It can’t be done. But you can get discounts at Four Seasons hotels and benefit from special rewards at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our luxury travel concierge.
2. Fairmont Chateau Whistler
By contrast, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler has been concentrating on renovating its Suites. They have been installing fireplaces (perfect for those cozy winter months), modern spa bathrooms with soaker tubs, and updated modern alpine decor. Plus, there’s now a generous built-in wet bar in the larger suites. These suites are also perfect for your luxury travel needs.
The rooms at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler are less impressive. They are more generic than 5-Star. Most have decent-sized windows, but few are floor-to-ceiling. The majority of rooms don’t have balconies which are a real disadvantage. The ones with a balcony only offer Romeo and Juliette style, so you can’t step out or sit out. There’s nothing like swinging open your balcony doors to take in the summer air or stepping out barefoot onto a balcony covered in snow, as the flakes are falling, only to return immediately to the warmth of your room so you can cozy up at your own private fireplace. For this joy, you have to pick the Four Seasons Whistler, I’m afraid.
The standard rooms at the Fairmont face backward, towards the car park rather than over the pool and the slopes. While they remain luxury rooms with 37m2 of space, they are nothing special, and if you are a luxury traveler, you may be disappointed if you get a car park view. If you want a fireplace in your room, it’s only the suites at the Fairmont that offer fireplaces.
The Fairmont offers small 40 mL bottles of Le Labo Rose 31 bath amenities in their bathrooms which is standard for the Fairmont brand. These amenities smell nice but are not my favorites.
The big advantage of the Fairmont is that it’s located at the base of Blackcomb Mountain by the Wizard Express ski lift. This means you walk out of the hotel and onto the slopes. They have a ski concierge room to store your skis/boards/boots overnight, so you don’t have to carry everything back to the hotel. In this ski concierge room, there is sometimes hot chocolate available too.
The Fairmont pool is heated and is much larger vs. the Four Seasons, and although it has an indoor and outdoor section, it feels more traditional in design and lacks the boutique feel and interesting design of the pool at the Four Seasons. That said, it’s still a magical place to swim, and you can warm up in the hot tubs that surround the pool.
If you want a club lounge, I think this club lounge has to be the best of any ski hotel. You get access by booking their Gold rooms. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Gold floor accommodations offer jetted tubs and gas fireplaces in every room, along with upgraded hotel amenities and Bose sound systems.
The Fairmont Gold accommodations are located on the 9-12th Floor with some Fairmont Gold rooms on the 8th floor. Privileges include:
- Private check-in and check-out
- Exclusive Fairmont Gold Lounge for Fairmont Gold guests
- Deluxe Continental Breakfast in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- All day coffee & tea service in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- Afternoon canapés & honour bar in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- Complimentary newspapers and personalized wake-up calls
- Fairmont Gold privileges include exclusive access to the Fairmont Gold Lounge. Relax fireside while enjoying complimentary Deluxe Continental Breakfast, local newspapers, magazines, catching up on email with our complimentary laptop computer or simply unwinding after a day on Whistler Mountain
The Fairmont also has lounges and restaurants, but the overall feel is less intimate and more traditional than the Four Seasons. While the Fairmont is undoubtedly one of the best ski hotels in the world, the Four Seasons up the road is just that little bit better!
3. Fairmont Banff Springs
The world-famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel stands as a landmark in the picturesque alpine town of Banff, Alberta. Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies” has provided legendary hospitality to its guests for more than 125 years.
Fairmont Banff Springs offers all the amenities of a world-class resort, with 757 guest rooms and suites, superbly appointed Banff accommodations and attentive, personalized service. From cozy rooms tucked away in quiet corners of the castle to spacious suites with sweeping Alberta mountain views, Fairmont Banff Springs has the perfect guest room, suite, or Fairmont Gold accommodations for your Rocky Mountain getaway.
The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel was modeled after a castle in Scotland, as evidenced by its turrets, castle-like look, and grand public spaces, plus it enjoys a very convenient location in the heart of Banff National Park, just above the Bow Falls and close to thermal springs.
The hotel features a large, 32 m (105 ft) saltwater indoor pool is complemented by an indoor whirlpool, a kid’s wading pool, and an outdoor 20 m (66 ft) pool that is filled with heated water and open year-round. There’s also an excellent Willow Stream Spa and numerous excellent restaurants. And let’s not forget the hotel’s magnificent golf course to exercise you between meals.
This luxury hotel is never cheap. Even in mid-October, after the summer season and before the ski season, this hotel’s room rates start at almost $500 CAD.
4. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise features breathtaking views of Lake Louise and the surrounding Canadian Rocky Mountains. Elegant and polished, yet relaxed and inviting, this 539 room luxury resort in Banff National Park lives up to the natural wonder with which the hotel shares its name. Unwind and enjoy the views from well-appointed guestrooms, indulge in luxurious suites and specialty rooms, or experience the exclusivity of Fairmont Gold, where you can enjoy complimentary meals and drinks in this luxury hotel club lounge.
5. Fairmont Pacific Rim
The Fairmont Pacific Rim is the best Fairmont in Vancouver and also one of the best luxury hotels in Vancouver. It is probably joint top with the Rosewood Vancouver. It is located at 1038 Canada Place Way Vancouver V6C 0B9, within 100m of the Fairmont Waterfront listed below, and it features a Gold Club lounge.
This hotel also has a main lobby bar which is the place to see and be seen in Vancouver and is great for people watching. It has probably the most stunning pool in Vancouver, surrounded by loungers and cabanas, and is a great place to hang out in the summer. Rounding the hotel off is an outdoor terrace, a garden, and the Botanist Restaurant, which offers a menu inspired by the principles of botany, organic farming, and sustainable sourcing.
As for dining and shopping, there are plenty of good options within a 20-minute walk. The hotel provides complimentary drop-off services in one of their BMW house car (7 series) on a first-come, first-served basis, and you rarely have to wait for more than a couple of minutes for a ride.
The lobby lounge is a really fun feature of this hotel as it turns into a bar at night and attracts some of Vancouver’s finest try-hards. It’s to people watch but can be quite lively and is certainly not a relaxing lounge bar to take the family or look for some peace.
A Harbour View Room in the Pacific Rim is your best room choice from these hotels, although the Waterfront has a similar view. Pac Rim has more frills with a TV in the bathroom mirror, virtual surround soundbar, iPad room controls, super fluffy bathrobes, more dining options, better gym.
Both the Gold lounges at the Pacific Rim and Vancouver Waterfront during the summer months since both have an awesome outside patio. The Fairmont Pacific Rim Gold Club Lounge offers breathtaking views of Coal Harbour, Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains.
6. Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is one of the world’s finest eco-destinations. Situated in a UNESCO-designated World Biosphere Reserve Area and fashioned after the great camps of the golden age of travel, 25 white-canvas prospector guest tents promise every comfort, including wood stoves, full and en suite bathrooms, antique furnishings, opulent linens, and down duvets on heavenly king beds, oil lamps, candles, and twinkling silver. A timber cookhouse, Healing Grounds Spa, waterfront lounge, and 600 acres to explore complete the offering.
Experience “luxury gone wild” at this all-inclusive eco-safari resort destination located near Tofino on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Arrive by seaplane, helicopter, or boat. Brilliant!
7. Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
The flagship Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is definitely one of the best luxury hotels in Toronto so the ideal destination for a city-based break. Soaring 55 storeys in the heart of Yorkville, Toronto’s most glamourous shopping and restaurant quarter, the new luxury Four Seasons Hotel Toronto blends warm sophistication with spectacular design in this vibrant international city.
Rooms are designed on a warm, personal scale by international design house Yabu Pushelberg. The chic Four Seasons Hotel Toronto in Yorkville at Bay Street exemplifies the Four Seasons luxury hotel experience in its every detail. Sleek, contemporary comfort fills the 259 sunlit, five-star hotel guest rooms, including 42 spacious luxury suites.
Walls of windows frame the canopy of treetops of downtown Toronto, from Yorkville to the mansion-lined streets of nearby Rosedale. As always, guests can count on the knowledgeable, responsive, around-the-clock support for which Four Seasons is renowned.
The sophistication and glamour of Yorkville are captured in the hotel’s bar. Enjoy cocktails and casual dining amid inviting contemporary design, or dine outdoors on the spacious seasonal terrace of this exclusive Toronto restaurant. Head upstairs to famed Chef Daniel Boulud’s all-new French brasserie Café Boulud, a destination in itself.
During your stay at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, guests enjoy the best of everything, from a skylit indoor lap pool with a terrace and 2,787-square-metre (30,000-square-foot) spa to the full-service Fitness Centre. All that you expect and more can be found at this 5-star hotel in Toronto.
8. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
Ideally located inside the walls of Old Quebec, the iconic Fairmont Le Château Frontenac looks like a fairytale castle and has recently undergone a multimillion-dollar renaissance project to reposition it as one of the world’s leading hotels. The restoration blends the charm of the hotel’s enchanting past with modern innovations, creating an allure that is fresh & seductive, balanced with the hotel’s rich history & dynamic future.
This heritage urban resort will seduce you with its breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River and the architecture of the Old fortified City designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In any one of its 611 beautifully renovated guestrooms and suites, you’ll feel an elegant touch of historic Europe. Your experience at this landmark luxury hotel will guarantee you a memorable and inspiring stay in one of the most beautiful and walkable cities in the world.
Fairmont Gold, their private concierge floor experience or club lounge, features exclusive amenities and highly personalized service designed to exceed the expectations of the most discerning guest.
Unwind and swim a few laps in the indoor pool or work out in the state-of-the-art health club. With three restaurants and the Spa du Château, this world-renowned iconic hotel is the perfect base in Québec City, Canada.
9. Le Mount Stephen
Montreal’s newest luxury lifestyle hotel, Le Mount Stephen combines neoclassicism and contemporary lines in a subdued environment. Located in the heart of the Golden Square Mile, Le Mount Stephen dazzles Montréal’s hotel patrons with its modern, luxurious lifestyle experience.
With 90 prestigious rooms and suites, all featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, exclusive beds, Cura chromotherapy rainfall showerheads, and in some cases, a private terrace, you will be spoilt for choice. There’s also an on-site spa and fitness center and a British-inspired restaurant, Bar George. Bar George, the hotel’s restaurant, is a collision of the classic and the inventive. Its playful cuisine pays homage to Sir George Stephen’s British roots and close Canadian ties.
10. Fairmont Empress
Fairmont Empress is recognized as one of Top 21 Iconic Hotels in the World by National Geographic Traveler magazine, honored with Travel + Leisure Magazine’s World’s Best Award for Top 10 City Hotels in Canada, and regarded as a Condé Nast Readers’ Choice and Gold List hotel.
The Fairmont Empress is located in Victoria, BC overlooking the city’s sparkling Inner Harbour. While it is not a boutique hotel as such, it is worth a mention as it is such an iconic hotel in the city of Victoria.
Fairmont Empress features 464 well-appointed, air-conditioned guest rooms and suites. Many of the rooms offer magnificent views of the harbor, city, and gardens. With a wide selection of unique guestrooms featuring classic details and modern touches, the Empress is sure to make your stay in Victoria unforgettable.
The intimate Fairmont Gold rooms are their best rooms and the ones to pick. Elegant and rich decor inspired by the natural beauty of Vancouver Island complements sleek furnishings and modern marble bathrooms, each with a rainfall shower. When you book these rooms, you get access to exclusive Fairmont Gold amenities, including the Gold Executive Club Lounge.
Fairmont Gold has never been and still is not a benefit of Accor Platinum status. Unlike most Fairmont hotels, there is no dedicated Fairmont Gold floor either, although booking a Fairmont Gold room gives you lounge access.
The Fairmont Gold rooms and suites are spread throughout the hotel on different floors. The Fairmont Gold lounge here is very good, with a massive outside patio overlooking the Inner Harbour, so it is worth paying to upgrade your room and to get access to this excellent club lounge. This is definitely the best executive club lounge in Victoria.
Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.
