Vancouver Boutique Hotel - St. Regis Hotel - Blog

The recent opening of The Canada Line light rail transit line to the Vancouver International Airport was an exciting and much-anticipated event for the whole city but especially for the St. Regis Hotel team. Located just a block away from the St. Regis at Georgia and Granville, the Vancouver City Centre station will provide St. Regis guests quick, convenient and reliable transportation to and from the Airport.

It was with curiosity and excitement that the St. Regis Hotel team decided to take an educational field trip on the Canada Line with a plan to pick up the traditional Starbucks morning coffee at the Airport instead of the hotel’s on-premise location. It would be a first chance to ride the Canada Line to the Airport for the St. Regis staff and to experience Canada’s first direct rapid transit airport connection.

After the short walk to the station, the journey was smooth and quick. The ride to the airport from the Vancouver City Centre station takes 22 minutes rain or shine, regardless of what traffic’s doing on the roads. The trains start running to the airport at 4:50am with a train at least every 10 minutes until 1am. The trains themselves have been redesigned for airport transit with lots of floor space for luggage. In a forward-thinking move micro-transmitters have been installed throughout the 11km tunnel from Waterfront Station to where it emerges at Marine Drive in South Vancouver on its way to the airport. Perfect for business travellers or arrivals trying to connect with friends and family on the ride home.

Oh, and did we mention that there are no drivers? Like Vancouver’s other light rail lines, the Canada Line is completely automated and if you’re quick off the mark, you can grab the front seat for the best view in the house—you can even pretend you’re the driver if you’re so inclined. The new trains are longer and wider than the ones used on the existing Skytrain Lines and can carry over 330 riders. For most of the journey, the line runs underground only emerging above ground at the elegant Fraser River Bridge crossing into Richmond.

As the #1-rated business hotel in Vancouver, the St. Regis already offers outstanding inclusive comfort and service in boutique surroundings. With the opening of the Canada Line, that convenience now extends from landing to departure as well.

Oh and while it was a fun trip to the YVR Starbucks, we’ll keep the trip shorter next time so that we can focus on continuing to offer Vancouver’s best hotel experience.