Wouldn’t it be amazing if every Trump International was reflagged, refurbished and stripped of any and all political connotations to make way for a much better, less divisive hotel?
Much like Hilton, Trump International has the immense privilege of location. Look at any Trump International property across the USA and they are almost always in the kind of location many hoteliers can only dream of, so when a former Trump hotel is scrapped for parts and transformed into something new, superior and equally flashy, you should pay attention.
The pet-friendly Paradox Hotel Vancouver is exactly that. You would get absolutely no hint that it was once a Trump International hotel. All Trump branding was removed in 2021 with Paradox Hotel Vancouver opening later that year, instantly erasing all memories of the past and asserting itself as one of the city’s foremost luxury hotels.
And while design is tasteful and understated, this is one of the more modern and showy luxury properties in a city better known for historic accommodations like the regal Fairmont Vancouver and stately waterfront properties, like the aptly named Fairmont Waterfront.
Location
I would imagine the Trump International brand chose this building because the 69-storey tower, designed by renowned Vancouver architect Arthur Erickson, looks over the Golden Mile shopping district. This is like the Magnificent Mile or Fifth Avenue of Canada, a high-end shopping district with all the big-name boutiques shooting straight from the city’s main arteries.
The City Centre Canada Line station, where you can get an easy direct train to Vancouver International Airport, is only a 10-minute walk from the hotel. You’re also just blocks away from the hip West End, which means you’re quite close to the Seawall and Stanley Park as well.
There are very few locations as valuable as this for first timers to Vancouver, standing at the centre of the city’s very walkable downtown but also far enough into the West End to open up that area as well. The only other hotel that’s this well-located is the Shangri-La, which I reviewed a few years ago and is on the same street.
Design
But while the Shangri-La gets by with its charming East Asian-inspired decor and over-the-top love of wood-panelling, Paradox is sophisticated with jewel tones and smart, symmetrical design undercut by just a little hint of playfulness, like a pool table under the grand staircase. I love it. The lobby, eye-catching and elegant, looks like a special occasion with private check-in desks tucked away for VIP guests and a clear love of marble.
It takes great effort to achieve a kind of studied flamboyance that still feels focused and distinguished. Look to the shelving units and you’ll see an amber glow blanketing interesting objects d’art. Looking over stylish grey sofas, it adds an incredible amount of character to a lobby that lacks a sense of scale. I could only imagine what these designers could do with a bigger space.
It’s a mature first-impression but Paradox is far from one-dimensional. Head up a few floors and into the indoor-outdoor pool area. The outdoor pool, a heated hot tub on a windy deck, is packed with guests when I head up but what really interests me is the indoor pool. There’s an abundance of teal velvet sofas on one side, while a state-of-the-art DJ booth sits on the other.
This is a nightclub.
A nightclub with a large swimming pool.
Not something I expected in Vancouver, but one that immediately answers my question: where do people party in this city?
Vancouver isn’t somewhere I’d readily associate with nightlife in a way that I would New York or Chicago. But Paradox Hotel looks like it could be the most popular nightclub in either of those cities. Commercial, of course, but so beautiful and grand that I could only imagine what a party here is like.
Thankfully, the pool is covered when the nightclub is open, otherwise I’d imagine a lot of people would end up falling in.
While the pool club feels like a violent departure for the designers, the hotels massive apartment-style rooms mirror the lobby’s sharp angles, love of avant-garde artworks and high-end furniture.
Rooms
My Executive One Bedroom King is large, lavish and comfortable. At 86-square-metres, it’s easily one of the biggest and most modern rooms in Vancouver. A great deal of slate and stone has been used to build this interior into a stately, thoroughly impressive space with its angular lounge room opening to a massive wraparound balcony, two bathrooms (one large, one large-ish) and a comfortable bedroom.
The bedroom benefits from the En Suite bathroom’s pocket of natural light, pulled into the hotel through large floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Rest in the oval soaking tub at night and you can peer across Vancouver’s sea of lights. During the day, the view takes in mountains, sea and cityscape for an arresting, life-affirming view that’ll have you falling in love with British Columbia each and every time you wake up.
Seeing Snoop Dogg-branded wine in the mini bar added a bit of cheese factor and was a bit jarring to the rest of the hotel. Celebrity-endorsed wines are almost never satisfying, but the room service menu features a nice selection drawn from the hotel’s clearly expensive tastes.
Food & Drink
The hotel’s uncompromising tastes have landed a Mott 32. It’s only one of three North American locations for the upscale Chinese restaurant brand (which is to Cantonese what Nobu is to Japanese). The other two being Las Vegas and Toronto.
While I was travelling on a budget, I unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to try Mott 32 but did get room service from the stylish Karma Lounge, which is catnip for socialites with its head-turning velvet banquettes and lively atmosphere. Apparently, some of Vancouver’s best local DJs come through regularly, offering something a bit more low-key and loungey than Mansions Nightclub. It’s still a scene-to-be-scene vibe, which never bodes well for the food and yet what I tried was more than satisfactory and was a great representation of Paradox’s golden standards.
Curiously, the hotel also offers a one-of-a-kind (for a hotel, anyway) Petit Chef dining experience. You book in for a multi-courser, which changes cuisine regularly. The group-dining experience then takes place alongside a 3D animation of a tiny chef ‘cooking’ the food, making use of visual mapping for something unexpected.
Breakfast is a room-service-only play, which is interesting for a hotel this size. But waking up and dragging yourself downstairs before 10am (11am if you’re lucky) is outdated.
Amenities
The Xylia Natural Spa is 557 square metres of holistic wellness, with a beautiful treatment menu and high-end products. Given the rooms use Malin+Goetz bathroom amenities, I’d imagine the products used down here are just as premium.
Nearby, a 24-7 gym has been treated with the kind of modernism you’d expect from a hotel like this. Lululemon smart mirror workouts, Technogym equipment and treadmills clawing over city views. It’s a breathtaking gym in more ways than one.
Service
I’d expect stuffy service from a luxury hotel like this, but what I get is casual, friendly and approachable. It’s the kind of service that takes a proactive approach to guest needs, rather than something reactive and largely disinterested. And while during my short-stay (two nights), I never necessarily needed much pampering, if at all (I’m a very low-maintenance traveller), I have zero doubts I would have been well taken care of.
Value
According to Google, you can expect to pay around CAD$345 a night to stay at The Paradox Hotel Vancouver. Not bad. Not the best, but certainly less expensive than some of the other luxury hotels in Vancouver. Given this is one of the best, that makes Paradox a very tempting choice for those who are unwilling to compromise on their comfort while travelling.
But you don’t just get comfort here. The convenient location, both for travel within and outside of Vancouver, cannot be understated. And the hotel’s big, lavish personality counts for a lot too.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Paradox Hotel Vancouver
Address: 1161 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC
Contact: +1 236-900-6001
The author explored Vancouver as guest of Destination Vancouver and stayed at the Paradox Hotel Vancouver as a guest of Paradox Hotels.
