Fairmont Hotel Vancouver announced today it will reopen its doors to guests and visitors on Friday, July 3.

The storied hotel property has been closed since March 21 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, making it the first time the hotel has been closed in its 80-year history. The Notch8 restaurant will also reopen on the same day.

“Our top priority remains the safety, care and wellbeing of our Fairmont Hotel
Vancouver family. Welcoming, safeguarding and taking care of others is at the very
heart of what we do and who we are,” said Adam Laker, general manager of Fairmont
Hotel Vancouver, in a statement.

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Operators say they have collaborated with expert advisors in healthcare to develop new protocols and sanitization procedures, including mandatory health screening of all guests and employee including a temperature check, the provisions of face masks to all guests and requirement for all employees, a 48-hour “settling period” for occupied rooms after a guest’s departure before another use, and increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting especially high-touch points.

Employees are also being provided with hands-on training for new health safety protocols.

“This is an important moment in Vancouver as the community looks to continue reopening the city,” continued Laker.

“The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver team remains committed to continuing to create lasting memories for both locals and visitors alike, while keeping our guests and employees safe by preventing the spread of COVID- 19 – partnering with top experts to implement new standards of safety and enhanced operational protocols and procedures which are among the most stringent in the hospitality industry.”

According to a release, the hotel’s reopening will be marked by an offer that features one complimentary night for every night booked, with this offer lasting until July 16 for stays through the end of 2020. Change or cancellations are permitted up to 24 hours in advance.

The 1939-built, 17-storey hotel building contains over 500 rooms, making it one of Vancouver’s largest and oldest hotels. It recently underwent a $75-million renovation.

Most hotels have been closed since March, including the neighbouring Rosewood Hotel Georgia, which plans to reopen on September 1.

Fairmont previously signalled it will reopen its resort hotels in Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, and Whistler, as of the start of this month.