Alaska cruisers will adore this new ‘spare no expense’ stay in Vancouver

If you’re cruising Alaska, Vancouver is a fine idea. The Canadian west coast city is an important hub for ships sailing the Inside Passage, one of the world’s great cruise journeys, with its landscapes of staggering scale, unique wildlife and offbeat rural towns.

But as dazzling as these cruises are, Vancouver also affords easy access to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Pairing up Alaska and the Rockies is a quintessential trip of a lifetime.

Whichever direction you are heading in, inland or out to sea, Vancouver deserves at least a couple of nights’ stay – and a new boutique hotel there is worth considering.

AZUR Legacy Collection Hotel is Western Canada’s first property to become a member of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), an international collective of exemplary lodgings which operate independently while using the LHW banner to promote their high-standard offering.

The hotel, in downtown Vancouver was developed by Farida Sayani and her daughter, Sofia Sayani. The family runs Executive Group, one of the largest development and hospitality companies in Canada with hotels, restaurants and retail to its name. Its hotel company, Executive Hotels & Resorts, has 17 North American properties and others in train.

For this personal project, the women enlisted the help of architect Shoghig Tutunjian of Studio One Architecture Inc whose projects include several fine hotels and airport spaces in Vancouver (including the Cathay Pacific Lounge). Interiors specialist, Inside Design Studio principal, Judy Henderson (who counts the Westin Whistler lobby in her achievements) also helped bring their vision to life.

That vision has culminated in a “spare no expense” boutique property influenced by art deco, melding modern architecture and classical details such as an abundance of European marble throughout the property.