Our Wedding Anniversary
At the end of 2017, we celebrated our second wedding anniversary in Vancouver, the city where we got married. We redeemed a complimentary hotel night through Hotels.com to treat ourselves for the occasion, and we chose to stay at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The Fairmont Hotels are iconic landmarks in all the major Canadian cities, and Hotel Vancouver is among them. It’s a gorgeous historic building in Vancouver’s city centre, and it was a great place to stay while we celebrated such an important date.
LGBTQ+ Friendly
Because Vancouver is so gay friendly, we knew we would be comfortable at any hotel. The west end ‘gaybourhood’ is bursting with pride, and establishments all over the city are welcoming and inclusive. We feel fortunate to have met and lived in a place that celebrates same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ people so enthusiastically, and we love spending our wedding anniversary there. Just as we expected, The Fairmont was amazing in helping us enjoy our special day.
A Warm Welcome
Our wedding anniversary falls between Christmas and New Years, so the hotel was decorated beautifully for the holidays. The lobby felt warm and welcoming when we arrived to check in on the afternoon of our stay. The lovely guest services attendee apologized that our room wasn’t quite ready, and offered us complimentary drinks in their lounge, Notch8 while we waited. We each enjoyed a festive cocktail, while chatting with the bartender about our wedding and how we met, and ten minutes later we were given our room keys along with congratulations on our anniversary.
Top Notch Hospitality
As a lesbian couple, it feels really wonderful to be treated just like everyone else, especially when we’re celebrating a special occasion. The Fairmont really made us feel comfortable, welcomed, and accepted during our stay, and it was such a nice way to spend our anniversary. When booking our reservation, we mentioned that we would be celebrating, and the staff did an amazing job making our stay special. Along with our room keys, we were given two complimentary passes to their decadent morning breakfast buffet. We were also upgraded to a larger room with a stunning view of the city. While we were getting ready for dinner in the evening, a lovely woman from the kitchen knocked on our door with a beautifully plated dessert with a ‘Happy Anniversary’ message. When I invited her in to deliver it, I’m sure she expected to see my husband standing behind me. When she saw my adorable little wife, she looked at both of us and said, “Whose anniversary is it?”. When we laughed and explained that we were married to each other, she smiled and congratulated us before leaving. I’m sure we will confuse people for years to come, but it means so much when the confusion is remedied with kindness and acceptance. It is such a privilege to be welcomed as a lesbian couple by businesses and establishments, and it is something that we truly appreciate.
LGBTQ+ Allies
We had an amazing night’s stay at the Fairmont, and a delicious breakfast the next morning. We left feeling like we couldn’t wait to return, and we highly recommend Hotel Vancouver to other couples. Be sure to note on your booking if you’re coming for a special occasion. We’re sure the staff will help you celebrate, as they did for us, and will welcome you regardless of your orientation. Along with treating all of their patrons with acceptance and respect, Hotel Vancouver also features same-sex couples on their social media, and they’ve supported a local AIDS foundation during Vancouver Pride. They are a big name hotel that is making a point to be inclusive, and we love to support businesses that support us.
Let us know if you’ve stayed at a Fairmont and what your experience was. Happy travelling!
NOTE: This post is in no way sponsored by The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. We will always disclose partnerships and sponsored content.
