Copyright Business Insider
The luxury cars in Vancouver are hard to miss. I explored neighborhoods on foot and spotted many luxury cars, from BMWs to Maseratis, parked on the street and gliding by. In one affluent neighborhood, Kitsilano, I spotted Audi and Ferrari dealerships located across the street from each other. I spent one morning in Vancouver exploring Gastown, an artsy neighborhood known for its designer shops and upscale boutiques, like Stüssy and Le Labo, among others. I lit up when I spotted a John Fluevog store in Gastown. Fluevog is one of my favorite shoe designers. But I didn't want to tempt myself, so I didn't go inside. I saw even more high-end stores on Alberni Street, a shopping district in Vancouver's West End neighborhood. Here, I found some of the biggest names in luxury retail — Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci, to name a few. Vancouver has no shortage of upscale hotels. In fact, seven hotels in the Canadian city won a 2025 Forbes Travel Guide Star Award, which rates the world's best hotels. I stayed in three of the hotels on the list, and my favorite was the five-star Fairmont Pacific Rim, which was also named one of the best hotels in Western Canada in Condé Nast Traveler's 2024 Readers' Choice Awards. I spent one night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in a room that typically costs $725 a night, although Business Insider received a media rate. It was so luxurious that I wished I'd booked it for a longer stay. Everything about my Gold Harbour Mountain View room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim was luxurious — from the custom furniture to the artistic decor. But the oversize black marble bathroom stood out to me most. I sank into a deep tub, put a glass of ice water and provided Le Labo toiletries on top of a caramel-colored resin bath tray, and turned on the room's essential oil diffuser to relax. Then I rinsed off in a standing glass shower with two showerheads and used a Dyson hair dryer in front of a large, lit-up mirror. Afterward, I thought I looked like I'd just gotten a blowout at a salon. I can't forget to mention the toilet, which was separated by a sliding door. The bowl glowed with a blue light, and an upscale bidet was on the wall, featuring settings to heat the seat and change the water temperature. There was even a massage mode and a dryer mode. My balcony faced Coal Harbour, and my room was on the 21st floor. So I had a wide view of the water, city buildings, and surrounding mountains. Down in the water, I spotted docked yachts. Some were tucked into covered spaces, while others were fully exposed, allowing me to gawk at their sleek designs. In Vancouver's Point Grey neighborhood, I spotted Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, which has two home ports — Coal Harbour (the one I spotted from my balcony) and Jericho Marina. I looked up the cost to join and was shocked by the price point. In addition to monthly dues, members must pay an entrance fee that varies depending on age. Those 41 or older pay $40,000, according to the club's membership request form.
