L'Hermitage Hotel

Though like any West Coast city Vancouver is perhaps known for its funky side, its youthful side, its design-happy hipster side, it’s also a city that can do grown-up with the best of them. This is no less true in the hospitality world than it is in any area of life. A case in point is L’Hermitage, an absolutely classic small luxury hotel, right in the middle of downtown.

And while it conspicuously lacks anything you’d consider futuristic or envelope-pushing, classic, in this context, isn’t at all the same thing as traditional, or typical. L’Hermitage is contemporary, clean-lined, coolly stylish, but in a way that’s supremely accessible, always welcoming, never alienating. In principle it’s as aesthetically appealing to the most conservative of business travelers as it is to the visually literate boutique enthusiast.

Aesthetics, of course, are only half the package. HD plasma screens, king beds, marble baths and Nespresso machines are also just about universal in their appeal. Every room beyond the “Petite” comes with a fireplace, and the signature suites add kitchens (finished in stainless steel) as well as washers and dryers — a residential touch that goes far beyond the typical downtown hotel. Add a signature restaurant, in this case named Q4 ‘al centro,’ and the package is complete: not a revolution, simply an excellent hotel.