EXchange Hotel in Vancouver-

I know this is a new hotel opening this summer......any of our friends in Vancouver have any thoughts yet? It looks like it might be walking distance to the port.

Since it is brand new, there are no reviews to speak of yet. I would love some more information.

Thanks!

Location is good. I'm always in two minds about these 'heritage conversions' as some just pay lip service by keeping the building facade, but this one has kept most of the inside of the building in place as well as two full and two partial exterior walls, though they have had to add many support pillars into the interior of the original building. This makes me generally happy from an architectural/historical perspective, though I'd have preferred if they could have somehow kept and renovated the original trading floor on the inside as let's face it that was the primary purpose of the building so it's more important than the exterior in many ways.

From the practical side of 'how does this impact the hotel?' it means that rooms are less flexible in layout that a new build or even a 'new interior as long as it aligns with the windows of the old facade' build due to the many new pillars and the partial loss of the western side of the old interior to fit in the fancy new lobby and new elevator banks. Pretty small rooms for a fancy hotel too - only 5 floors of hotel rooms (they have floors 2-11, but the floorplans I've seen indicate hotel rooms only on 6 through 10 with most rooms ~250sqft or less) and between the not-square new-build side, the added pillars, and all the original windows on the heritage side there are a few really oddly-shaped rooms too, though most are relatively narrow boxes with the window on the short end, very similar to ship cabins actually. Pics of completed rooms on FB look decent, seems like they are getting very close to opening.

I'm guardedly looking forward to the restaurant, Hydra, as on paper it looks like it could be one of the better Greek tables in the city and we do love Greek food. Mark Greenfield, the Exec Chef for the hotel chain, has come up with a solid-looking opening menu, and has been doing a great job since moving to Executive Hotels with the revamped Copper Chimney in Le Soleil a huge improvement - his background in strong seafood prep at Coast and Italian Kitchen also bodes well for this being a reliable resto for seafood and mediterranean dishes in general, but I'll probably still wait a month or two to let the crew bed in and smooth out early wrinkles before dining (I've heard that the 'summer' opening may be in September).

Unfortunately until the place actually opens, it's all theoretical! By the end of the year I certainly hope to be able to give a review of the resto, but living where I do I doubt I'll ever make use of the hotel side of things.

Yes it is walkable to the port - about three blocks and slightly down hill.

Hope this helps and cheers!

Dennis

Thanks so much, Dennis and martincath! The pictures look gorgeous but it is always a bit scary booking something with no info.

Have a great weekend,

Erin