The Executive Hotel Le Soleil is easily one of my favorite hotels in Vancouver. We stayed at the Penthouse suite, which has an interior of my dream home - I will get into details later.
The french doors lead to a world secluded from the hustling financial district. Upon entering, it immediate reminded me why I always have my soft spot for boutique hotels over big chains. The lobby is small but sufficient, with a straight forward flow of services - from valet, to concierge, to front desk, and to the elevator. The services were intimate, personalized, and extraordinary.
Hotel Le Soleil is located in the busy center of Downtown, but its humble, yet exquisite entrance, opens its doors almost reclusively on the street of Hornby. I drove by it everyday but didn't realize its existence until our stay. And it has become one of the best hidden gems I've ever found.
The service was indeed impeccable to say the least. All of the lobby staff, including the bell man, knew our names without us mentioning, and some even knew Coco's ! Our check-in procedure was quick and the staffs were so pleasant. We were sent to our rooms without any delay.
The short walk to our penthouse awed me through the way with all the quaint and charming details.
Now, are you ready to see the room ?
What a pleasant surprise right ?
The penthouse is so modern and a huge contrast with the antiquated outside. It consists of all the trendy design elements - marble, lots of marble, hints of brass gold, grey wooden floor, grey furniture and carpet and curtain... Then the designer has chosen Vancouver sceneries to decorate the off-white walls as black and white paintings. I LOVE EVERYTHING. I am seriously basing my up-coming house reno on this, no kidding.
Let me show you more.
Can we applause for the color coordination ? It's so timeless, elegant, simple, yet tasteful. DID I MENTION I LOVE IT ?
I'm going to jump right into the bathroom because that's the first thing I look at when I stay in a hotel. A beautiful washroom adds so much to a room. This one obviously did not disappoint, with a lavish use of white marble.
Do I really need that many photos of just the washroom ? Yaaaaassssssss.
You see what I mean by the very well selected Vancouver photos in black and white ? It fits so well into the color theme and brings tourists a piece of the city they are currently visiting. And the hint of brass and a tad of greenery - the choice and the number of decors are just right to pop the monotone.
The free-standing bathtub alone makes any washroom WONDERFUL. Hotel Le Soleil also chooses Aveda products as their toiletries to match the luxury experience.
The penthouse suite is a one bedroom suite with an entertainment / TV room. It's also suitable for families with children because you can just lock them in the room with a TV and not get bothered, haha. #kiddingnotkidding
There are a total of 3 TVs in this suite, which is great, because you don't need to force yourself to be in the living room to watch your favorite shows.
The third TV is in the master bedroom.
I admit, the grey, white, and black tones of the living room might make the space seem a little cold. The bedroom, albeit using the same color theme, feels very cozy and comfortable. The unnecessarily necessary amount of fluffy pillows definitely helps. The warmer tone and the soft material of the headboard is another very smart and thoughtful design decision. I think the size and lighting of the bedroom also contribute to the coziness.
The difficult part is, which room to spend time in.
The "kitchen" area is a part of the living room, semi separated by a beautiful waterfall marble island.
There's no stove or any cooking equipment in the kitchen. But who cooks in a penthouse suite ? "Hello, in room dining 💖".
The kitchen is meant for beverage making, as it has a wine cellar, Nespresso coffee machine, a snack selection, and an alcohol selection.
We were also welcomed by a DIY Gin and Tonic kit , paired with BETA 5 chocolates. I love the choice of having a local business as their welcome amenity, and because obviously I love Beta 5. Who doesn't ?
Coco is so happy with her amenities as well ! There was a cozy station set up for Coco with a comfy bed, food and water bowl. They gave Coco FIJI water and a welcome card T_____T This is the cutest thing I've ever seen ! What a spoiled little fluff ! Coco claimed her spot right away. How did she know it was for her ?
I would say the penthouse suite is most suitable for couples who want a luxurious getaway or a staycation like us. It's romantic, relaxing, and very different from the other Vancouver hotels. Hotel Le Solei is great for families, especially those with pets. The location cannot be better, where all the major downtown landmarks, shops and restaurants are within walking distance.
Photographers can even consider renting the penthouse suite for photo shoots because of the incomparable decor and natural light from the high ceiling window. Each room offers a different atmosphere which can use for different photo sets.
The penthouse suite is obviously great for hosting an intimate party. It has a HUGE patio accessible from the living room and goes all the way to the bedroom, overlooking the downtown core.
It would be such a waste to share this big space among just two.
There were of course the basic amenities such as umbrellas, ropes, in room slippers, hair dryer, iron, safe, etc. There's also the breakfast service which always makes me happy when I see it in hotels.
Basically, it's their breakfast menu on a door hanger where you could tick off what you want for the morning, hang it outside the door by 2 am, and your food will be delivered the next day.
I forgot to mention, Hotel Le Soleil also offers nightly turn down service. And this delicate box of Beta 5 chocolate was placed on our freshened bed when we returned home at night. It was suchhhhhhhhh a sweet and heartwarming gift. This is again why we were both incredibly impressed by the service that we received throughout our stay.
Food was delicious and the portions were huge ! We ordered a side salad to come with our mains but little did we know, the SIDE salad was so big that it could work as a main. My orange juice was freshly squeezed - the only juice, besides cold-pressed juices, that I would drink. The breakfast was overall a very filling and satisfying way to start our day !
Hotel Le Soleil is currently offering a Penthouse Package !
Package Includes $75 Food & Beverage Credit, which can be used in Copper Chimney Indian Grill & Bar, and Complimentary Valet Parking. Price range of $899 - $1199
The restaurant is located on the first floor of Hotel Le Soleil, but also has a separate entrance on Hornby. Most Indian restaurants I've tried in Vancouver belongs in modest, family-styled spaces. But Copper Chimney was grand and contemporary ! It has two floors with a high ceiling decorated by extravagant lights. The interior gives off a similar french boutique vibe like its host hotel, but the details and arts defined the vibrant and exotic modern Indian culture.
I wouldn't say Copper Chimney is a fusion cuisine, but a contemporary amalgamation of BC's local produce and Indian's authentic traditions.
My must order item in every Indian restaurant is mango lassi. Copper Chimney's mango lassi tasted so fresh and different from the ones I usually have at other places ! I wonder if they are made of real fresh mangoes instead of flavorings and syrups ?
But my absolute FAVORITE is their baked to order NAAAAANNN. The restaurant features two tandoor ovens that allow them to make every piece of Naan fresh and hot and crispy. They offer a tasting plate of different Naans and I couldn't, I mean I tried but I couldn't, keep my hands off them - especially the cheese ones ! If you are only ordering ONE THING at the Copper Chimney, order the Naans. It's my best advice for you on my entire blog.
Our curry dish is also a selection of their popular few. We really couldn't resist but got another plate of hot Naan to go with them. My favorite is the butter chicken, but everything else tasted great too !
And to end this perfect staycation, our last dish was this traditional Indian dessert and Chai tea ice cream. I truly love how Copper Chimney elevated all the traditional dishes with modern presentation.
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