TL;DR

Quietly calming decor: Elegant, light-filled interiors with understated design.
Excellent service: Consistently good hospitality experience, and personal attention.
Facilities: Plenty here to elevate a stay: great food, lovely common spaces and an outdoor pool.
Central Vancouver location: Close to Yaletown, Gastown, and Chinatown.
Check prices here

From the outside, L’Hermitage in Downtown Vancouver does a nice impression of a what a modern boutique hotel should look like.

On the inside, there’s not much to complain about the aesthetics, but just not much to shout about, either.

Yet, it is somehow quietly stylish, windows are large and a bit of natural light goes a long way to a pleasant atmosphere.

Once we get our focus off the decor anyway, both the amenities and the exceptional service make it obvious why this hotel made our list.

Guests rave about this place, and return time after time.

You’ve got everything you need for a plush, relaxing holiday, save an onsite spa, and we’re certain the concierge will happily set you up with something exceptional nearby.

What are the rooms like?

Number of rooms: 60
Spacious layouts: Even entry-level King Singles start at 300+ sq ft.
Range of styles: From Boutique Rooms to Solarium Rooms and full Suites.
Home comforts: Kitchens, fireplaces, sunrooms, and washer/dryers in select rooms.
Tech & perks: HDTVs, Nespresso machines, robes, and even a Nintendo Switch.
See all the rooms in detail here

Rooms suffer the most from the somewhat tired decor.

Furnishings have a heavy feeling and the upholstery that in the library of your favourite liberal arts college, not your home away from home.

It’s all some shade of beige, gold or taupe, with a few pops of colour from the throw pillows.

Back to practicalities, your smallest guest rooms are King Singles at 300+ square feet, which is a great starting place.

Bathrooms are roomy and marble-adorned, rain showers are ready to go.

Beyond the basics, we’re looking at Boutique Rooms with seating areas, Solarium Rooms with all those windows, and one and two bedroom Suites.

Many of these have kitchens, some of the suites have office/den spaces that are excellent for anyone hoping to get some work done.

Other available perks include fireplaces, more sunrooms, and washer/dryers.

All rooms include large HDTVs, Nespresso machines, cosy robes and slippies, and individual climate control.

Special shoutout to the Nintendo Switch.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

Onsite dining: L’Orangerie offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and high tea.
French-inspired dishes: Classic cuisine with a comfortable, unfussy vibe.
Nearby favorite: Café Medina is highly recommended for brunch.
Wellness amenities: Heated pool, steam room, jacuzzi, and fitness centre.
Free bikes: For exploring downtown Vancouver.

L’Orangerie is the L’Hermitage Hotel’s restaurant. It’s a sunny space for guests to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everyone’s posh favourite, high tea.

The space is, again, a bit dining hall? Yet, it’s still comfortable, the service is excellent, and the food is a solid option if you’re not one to step outside before breakfast.

There’s a French flair to the pretty straightforward cuisine that feels like someone got their hands on a Julia Child cookbook and went to town. And frankly, we’ve seen worse strategies.

But really, our main recommendation is to take advantage of reservation perks at nearby Café Medina.

After that, we’re sending you to ‘work out’.

The fitness centre is nothing super special, but nicely equipped, and it’s set next to a heated swimming pool, steam room and jacuzzi.

You actually can work out here, but we won’t snitch if you just want to sit and poach a bit.

For an outdoors heart-rate boost, grab one of the complimentary bicycles and go check out the city.

How is the neighbourhood? Anything interesting nearby?

Prime downtown location: Between Yaletown, Chinatown, and Gastown.
Cultural mix: Easy access to Chinese Canadian Museum and historic Gastown.
Upscale dining: Great restaurants and bars in Yaletown.
Close to attractions: Vancouver Art Gallery, BC Sports Hall of Fame, and stadiums nearby.
Outdoor access: Stanley Park is a scenic half-hour walk away.

L’Hermitage Hotel is super central, snuggled between Yaletown, Chinatown, and Gastown. Each are basically what they sound like.

To get in on Vancouver’s superb Chinese food scene or learn some about the history of the community head east. The Chinese Canadian Museum is a 15-minute walk.

Gastown provides more history and sits right on the water. Here you’ll find the train station, the Gastown Steam Clock, and two cute parks on either side of the ferry terminal.

Yaletown is on the expensive side, with some nice restaurants if you’re looking for something upscale.

It’s also right near the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the Whitecaps Stadium.

For culture, you’re in the perfect place. The Vancouver Art Gallery is less than 10 minutes away.

The area has a number of smaller galleries and various event venues in walking distance.

The famed Stanley Park is a bit further, but the entire city is quite easy to get around.

It’s an easy bus ride or a half-hour walk to the edge.

The walk will take you through the friendly West End and its cute collection of cafés and restaurants.

The park itself is full of running trails, beaches, lighthouses, gardens, and the Aquarium.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“It’s warm charm captivates your senses. The facilities are a fantastic way to take time out and relax. The eggs Benedict were delish. Generous team makes you feel special and at home. Kudos to the cleaning staff. The rooms and hotel were immaculate….”

”The hotel is in a great location, but it is very easy to spend time just enjoying the hotel facilities including the spa and pool, and the beautiful restaurant/lounge area. Because we fly out late evening it is amazing to be able to enjoy the facilities until we depart for the airport….”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”Hotel restaurant was underwhelming….”

”The restaurant was probably the least favourite. We had dinner there because it was convenient for our plans. The service was excellent but the food was a little blah. The deserts were however excellent!…”

Read all the reviews right here