Day 1
To ring in 2026 my boyfriend Nate and I drove up to Canada to spend a long weekend in Vancouver. We booked a room at The Fairmont which is an absolutely gorgeous hotel in the middle of the city.
This was my second time visiting Vancouver and also my second time celebrating New Years there. The city and the Fairmont were decorated beautifully for the holidays and there were plenty of people out and about shopping and exploring.
We checked into our room and relaxed after the drive before getting ready to go out to dinner. The rooms here are super comfortable and classy. The hotel also has a sauna, pool, spa, and restaurant that I ate at previously which is great for a date night or dinner with family and friends.
For dinner we Ubered over to the West End to grab dinner at Robba da Matti. The wine, apps and pasta dishes were fantastic and it was in such a cute, quiet neighborhood.
After dinner we headed over to The Rec Room for some arcade games. This place is huge and has drinks and food as well. I’d definitely come back!
Day 2
The following morning we headed over to Granville Island. This is tourist central and reminded me of Pike Place in Seattle - the market stalls, samples of food, handmade art and meandering corridors were all very similar.
We enjoyed some coffee and breakfast pastries on the water before driving over to Tevah Wellness, a spa with sauna & cold plunge that opened in 2025. I love experiences like this where you get to choose how long you stay in each area. Hot tea and water were included and the facilities were beautiful. 10/10 experience, I’m definitely returning on my next visit.
Feeling extremely refreshed and relaxed, we wandered through the city enjoying the crisp air and stopped for some matcha at FUNK Coffee Bar. They had a cool photobooth that we snagged a strip from too.
We had very exciting dinner plans that I’d been looking forward to for a long time. We had reservations at Dark Table, a restaurant where you dine in complete darkness. The entire wait staff is blind and they lead you to your table and serve your food. It was such a bizarre concept and yet a super fun experience. Spending 2 hours having a conversation in the pitch-black unable to even see your food is quite the adventure. Obviously, no photos here, but check out their website for more info!
We grabbed a nightcap at The 515 Bar near our hotel. This was a cool spot and the cocktails and ambience were just what we needed after our dinner in the dark.
This was such a special trip and such a perfect way to kick-off 2026. The Fairmont, romantic dinners, strolls around the city and exploring made for the best memories. Next time I think I’ll explore Vancouver in the summer and set out for some paddleboarding and hiking.
