Highlights: The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver

•The Sutton Place Hotel is located in the business and shopping core of downtown Vancouver

•Guest rooms exude a European flavor and are newly decorated in soothing earth tones

•The dining and lounge areas feature comforting old-world motifs

•The business center was recently renovated to provide state-of-the-art technology and efficiency

•The hotel offers a serene spa, indoor swimming pool under a big sunroof, and a fitness center

•Shopping, dining, cinema, theater, and sporting events aplenty are just beyond the hotel door

Amenities: The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver

• 397 rooms, 21 story. Pets accepted, some restrictions; fee. Check-in 3 pm, check-out Noon. High-speed Internet access. Two restaurants, bar. Fitness room, fitness classes available, spa. Indoor pool, whirlpool. Business center. Credit cards accepted.

General Impressions: The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver

Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, The Sutton Place Hotel is a charming boutique-style hotel. The 397-room, 21-story hotel is a short stroll from the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, big department stores, Pacific Centre Mall, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the coliseum-like public library. Also within walking distance are the historic Orpheum Theatre, GM Place (for sports), Stanley Park, and Granville Island. A Skytrain station is just down the street and there’s usually a taxi waiting in the hotel porte-cochère.

For the business traveler, the hotel features a business center and guest rooms have high-speed Internet. The many and varied cosmopolitan cafes, restaurants, and shops of Robson Street are literally just around the corner.

The Presidential Suite, on the 21st floor, has a marble entrance, a living and dining room with fine furnishings, a wet bar, and two fireplaces. Guests staying a week or longer might prefer one of the 162 spacious one- or two-bedroom apartments in the adjacent La Grande Résidence building, where maid-service, valet parking, and concierge, laundry, and room services are also available.

This European-style hotel is a lovely site for a romantic retreat or simply to get away from it all, yet have everything close by, just in case.

Taupe tones highlighted by shaded-bulb chandeliers lend old-world warmth and charm to the small but luxurious lobby.

Families might prefer another downtown hotel with more children’s facilities and programs.

Overall, The Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver is an elegant and well-appointed hotel whose staff make an effort to make guests feel at home.

(+) Great location and a lovely European flavor
(-) Limited services and amenities for families traveling with young children

Guest Services: The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver

When I called to make reservations at the Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver, my call was handled rather impersonally, a trifle disappointing for such an impressive property. On the other hand, my three-minute check-in was both fast and friendly. Front-desk clerks were polite and professional -- inquiring about my trip, suggesting dining options, and introducing me to the bellman, who escorted me to my room. They seemed genuinely interested in my satisfaction.

The bellman provided me with a room orientation, pointing out how the window opened, which I would have never figured out and was glad to know -- the Vancouver air has a freshness which has gone missing in many urban centers.

When calling for concierge services, I was placed briefly on hold, but staff members were attentive and helpful, asking questions and directing me to various options. In person, the concierge was initially engaging, putting down FedEx packages and approaching me immediately. But as soon as she handed me the directions I requested, she lost focus. She asked neither my name nor any questions to determine my exact needs, but did politely answer all my questions.

Housekeeping used my name on the phone, but not when delivering items or during turndown service; the turndown service was good otherwise. It took 13 minutes to deliver an item requested from housekeeping, but the housekeepers always greeted me with a smile.

(+) Front desk clerks seemed genuinely concerned about pleasing guests
(-) Service isn’t consistent

Guest Rooms: The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver

Guest rooms have recently received a cosmetic overhaul in earth tones with rich accents of gold, but they are not overly spacious. On my bed was a lavish duvet with a cover of taupe silk. Although the bathroom was not big, the Gilcrest & Soames amenities were adequate; the bathroom was clean but a bit of dust lingered along the back of the counter. The umbrella in the closet is a most practical touch for Vancouver’s rainy winters. Standard tech features include a 27-inch flatscreen TV, high-speed Internet access, a CD/DVD player, and a cordless phone.

(+) Standard room features include flatscreen TV, high-speed Internet
(-) Housekeeping was adequate, but could have been more thorough

Facilities & Activities: The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver

The hotel’s fitness equipment is professional grade and well maintained, and the workout area is large and spacious. While no classes are offered to guests, trainers are available. Fitness gear is available for purchase. Only three magazines and televisions were available in the fitness area -- no fresh fruit or towels, though.

The Vida Wellness Spa, located in the adjacent La Grande Résidence tower, is a serene spot to rejuvenate and revitalize. The signature treatments are Ayurvedic, based on concepts of holistic health originating 5,000 years ago in India. Facials, manicures, pedicures, and traditional massages focusing on muscles are popular. A glass-enclosed solarium, housing the swimming pool and whirlpool, fronts onto an al fresco patio for summer sunning.

For retail therapy, the Sutton Shopper Program allows guests a 10 to 30 percent discount when they present their hotel room key to selected stores in the immediate neighborhood. The three dozen participating merchants vary from Daniel Le chocolat Belge to Skylight Optical.

(+) Spa and swimming pool area are great places to relax

Dining & Lounge: The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver

The Fleuri Restaurant, with its damask wallpaper, is reminiscent of an European fin-de-siècle salon. The Gerard lounge is renowned around town as a favorite meeting spot. There is also room service 24/7.

The restaurant, lunch, and dinner menus comprise classical continental cuisine and West Coast seasonal specialties. Live jazz entertainment accompanies Sunday brunch. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, guests and locals alike flock to the Fleuri for the all-you-can-eat Chocoholic Buffet, a sweet extravaganza featuring such decadent desserts as chocolate fondue, exotic fruit drizzled with chocolate, and Brittany crepes cooked while you watch.

Adjacent to the Fleuri, La Promenade serves British-style afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, French pastries, and scones smothered with Devonshire cream.

The elegant dining room provides a pleasant setting for breakfast, although I was not offered a choice of tables. Breakfast was excellent, but not outstanding. Staff members were polite, but not attentive. The food was good, but the presentation was surprisingly basic, in contrast to the wonderful room service experienced the previous evening.

La Boulangerie Bakery & Cafe, unfortunately accessible only from outside at the front of the hotel, sells delicious pastries, sandwiches, and coffees. There are a few sidewalk tables where you can watch the world bustle by on Burrard Street.

The Gerard lounge, a dark oak-paneled room filled with leather furniture, dusky oil paintings, fine tapestry, and a cozy fireplace, brings to mind a British country club. Light bistro food is served day and night. Bartenders behind the curved marble-top bar mix prize-winning martinis that attract film industry people from “Hollywood North” (they frequently rent apartments at La Grande Résidence), who mingle with after-work locals in the evening.

Room service staff members were polite, professional, used my name in conversation, and were able to discuss the menu in detail. Food was delivered within the promised time, and was well presented and tasty. The server did not offer to open my bottle of water or pour my wine. Although the sorbet was placed on ice, it had melted by the time I got to eat it. Tray removal took nearly 20 minutes.

(+) Food was always excellent; Gerard’s is an especially inviting lounge
(-) Service staff sometimes wasn’t attentive in the dining room; room service could use some polishing

Business Services: The Sutton Place Hotel - Vancouver

The Sutton Place, Vancouver guests can access a full range of executive services (photocopies, digital printing, scanning, self-serve PCs, faxes, and office supplies) in the new business center, open from 8 am to 5 pm, and staffed by helpful professionals.

The hotel has 16 meeting rooms equipped with the latest audio/video equipment. The largest facility is the elegantly decorated Le Versailles Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 400 people for receptions and 280 people for banquets.

(+) Ample meeting space and services available for working professionals