With a soft opening planned less than two months from now, the Azur Legacy Collection Hotel is nearing completion.
The brand-new hotel replaces the Edward Chapman clothing store that stood at 833 West Pender St in downtown Vancouver for decades. It's a new offering from the Vancouver-based Executive Hotel and Resorts chain.
With 104-rooms on levels named after blue or blue-ish gemstones, the brand-new structure has references to the older architecture that came before but is "purpose-built to be an exclusive luxury hotel," says general manager Bek Shamsiev, noting it's joining the Leading Hotels of the World brand.
Construction is still very active at the site, as permanent electricity has just been added, but some rooms and spaces have already been finished.
One design feature that's unusual for downtown Vancouver is the main entrance, which will open onto a back alley; a valet service will be set up there (and a car elevator) with the front desk just inside. On the West Pender side of the building, there will be an entrance leading to the Dahlia restaurant and a concierge.
It's high-tech, too, with features like control panels to alert staff whether a room is in 'do not disturb' mode, or needs cleaning.
The goal, says Shamsiev, is to open in mid-August.
"We're gearing up to open it up a little earlier than that, but it'll depend on city permits being received on time," he tells V.I.A.
The opening will include the rooms and the Dahlia (the ground-level restaurant), but not the rooftop Lavantine Restaurant and Skybar, which he says will be the new hotel's highlight.
"The place to be in Vancouver"
"The [Lavantine] space itself is definitely the place to be in Vancouver, partly because this restaurant is on the roof of the hotel, which is on the 14th storey," Shamsiev explains.
Plants have already been placed on the deck, and the beginnings of a mosaic fountain have been built, which will be the centre for more informal seating arrangements for relaxing and cocktails. At 14 storeys up, the views from the deck range from slivers of Burrard Inlet to the tops of neighbouring buildings.
The rooftop garden restaurant promises a menu with influence from the Levant, the region of the Middle East where Lavantine gets its name.
"That region specifically was appealing to us based on the history of culinary experiences; that area has a lot of influence from France and Italy," Shamsiev says. "So that cuisine is very special and unique on its own. It's not Middle Eastern cuisine, by no means, but it does have the elements of that region."
The space is being built to fit into Vancouver's weather, too, with awnings that can retract back on a nice day, or extend the restaurant and bar's seating on a rainy day. With heaters built into the design as well, Shamsiev says outdoor dining should be possible 11 out of 12 months.
There will be 35 seats year-round at the Skybar, expanding to 55 for most of the year. From May to September, when things are at full capacity, the rooftop patio will have 99 seats.
A grand opening for the hotel, and Lavantine, is expected later this fall.
