A “Fur”mont moment: How I spent a staycation at the Fairmont Winnipeg + giveaway!

This morning Ziggy headed into surgery for a teeth cleaning and to remove a tooth.  Since you guys know how much I’m obsessed with my dog, I wanted to do something really special for him before today came.  About a month ago, the Fairmont Winnipeg approached me to do a staycation with them and to try out their amenities and restaurant, and since I would never say no to an opportunity with the Fairmont, my first question was “do you allow dogs?”

I’m a huge fan of the Fairmont brand, having stayed at numerous locations across Canada (my fave is the Pacific Rim in Vancouver) and most recently at their brand-new Austin location (the largest Fairmont in North America). Although I’ve been in the Winnipeg location, since I live here I’ve never really had the opportunity to stay the night.

Standing outside the Fairmont Winnipeg Fairmont Winnipeg Dog at the Fairmont Winnipeg wearing bathrobe

The Fairmont Winnipeg is located in the city’s Exchange District right at historic Portage and Main (our view on the 18th floor actually overlooked Portage and Main). The hotel boasts 340 rooms and suites, with Fairmont Gold offered on floors 18 and 19. We had the chance to stay in a Fairmont Gold room, which comes with its own concierge, a private lounge, executive boardroom, complimentary deluxe continental breakfast, and cocktail hour canapés. High-speed Internet access and wireless Internet access is available for all guests to enjoy. My favourite part of any Fairmont hotel though are the luxurious bathrobes and comfortable beds (I could stay in those beds all day).

Anyways, we checked into the hotel on Friday night around 7 p.m. and from the moment we entered the hotel we were treated like VIPs (especially Ziggy – very important pet). Although we could have checked in on the Gold floor, we quickly got everything sorted out in the main lobby and went to our room on the 18th floor. Since the Fairmont knew we were bringing Ziggy, they had a couple dog dishes, a dog bed (he’s not one for dog beds so he slept with us), and a water bottle for him (the hotel is pet friendly; they charge $25 per day to accommodate pets). They also included a kid’s size robe which fit Zig perfectly so we could all be matching. They also set up an elaborate charcuterie spread and goodies from a local organic beauty line.

Charcuterie spread at the Fairmont Winnipeg Fairmont Hotels bath products Sitting in the Fairmont Winnipeg hotel room overlooking Portage and Main

After we relaxed a little in the room we made our way up to the Gold lounge to check out the spread. Since it was 7:30 p.m. they had an honour bar, as well as some desserts and coffee/tea. We had dinner resos at The VG Restaurant in the lobby so we didn’t want to spoil our dinner.  The restaurant at the Fairmont Winnipeg, The VG Restaurant, as well as the adjoining VG Lounge has been a mainstay in the hotel for a number of years now. I had previously dined there once, as well as checked out the lounge, but truth be told, it’s never really top of mind to go to since I would consider it to be fine dining; a place you would go to for a special occasion.  Once we headed down there, we were immediately taken to our table and just by looking at all the cutlery, I knew we were in it for the long haul.

Prior to going, I was asked what some of my boyfriend and I’s favourite foods were. I said we like fancy food, but also pizza, wings, etc.  We were treated to a five-course dinner, complete with pairings, and a completely customized menu to our tastes. Guys, it was so luxurious and definitely a dining experience.  As soon as we were seated we were given some cocktails that will be on the menu later on this month, and then Chef Tim Palmer came out to greet us.

The first course was a ceviche sois with Manitoba sunchock leek instead of potato, which they paired with this amazing Nova Scotia wine, Nova 7. Next up they brought out an Icelandic stout with “Manitoba pizza”, Manitoba bannock with house-made creme freche and golden caviar from white fish.  The third course was buttermilk-fried chicken wings that had a container of hot sauce that you put on the wings and then rolled in blue cheese. They paired that with Canadian Barley blonde ale, which is actually a training centre here in the city and apparently the Velvet Glove is the only one to actually serve this beer. The fourth course was sake paired with Manitoba bison tartar and A4 pork belly with ciabatta on the side. Next up was the palate cleanser, a Manitoba cherries with champagne sorbet, then the main course, 60-day dry-aged Canadian CA beef with bacon, onions, and pan-seared local chard served with tomatoes and basil buds.  They paired that with Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon. Finally, for dessert (they is always room for dessert), they brought out a panna cotta manfredo with Manitoba blackberries with s’mores brûlée and lemon curd pavlova with chocolate mint and banana mint that was paired with moscato.

At the beginning of each dish chef Tim Palmer came out to explain everything and since the Fairmont Winnipeg has a rooftop garden, a lot of the herbs were actually grown right on the property. The restaurant tries to source local as much as possible and that really shown through on the menu. After being treated to such a decadent experience, we definitely will be coming back since the food was so incredible.

Dog in Fairmont bed wearing Fairmont robe
Fairmont Moment with American Eskimo dog, Fairmont Winnipeg

After dinner, we rolled ourselves back to the room and grabbed Zig to take him on a walk around the Exchange District. After that, since we were so full, we just threw on those robes and passed out in those luxurious Fairmont beds.

The next day, I woke up early to take Zig on a morning walk, then made my way up to the Fairmont Gold lounge to see the breakfast offerings. We actually had an in-room breakfast credit, so we did get room service, but the spread on the Gold level really makes the price worth it. For our breakfast, I got the omelette, which was served with breakfast potatoes and toast, and Josh got the blueberry pancakes.  Ziggy got some bacon, obvi.

By the end of the morning we were all so sad to leave since the experience at the Fairmont Winnipeg was so incredible. Everywhere we went the staff was so friendly and kept making comments on how cute Ziggy is.  Even the morning where I took him for his morning walk the doorman said “good morning Ziggy”, not sure how he knew his name, but it’s those small touches that really help to elevate the experience.

This was Ziggy’s first hotel stay and after being so pampered he definitely went home with a larger head (very spoiled dog). I got a lot of comments from people asking if the Fairmont was dog friendly, and as you can see, they definitely are and they definitely know how to make a pet feel special and welcome.

Breakfast in bed at the Fairmont Winnipeg
American Eskimo dog at the Fairmont Winnipeg with bacon Breakfast in bed at the Fairmont Winnipeg Fairmont Gold breakfast, Fairmont Winnipeg

I had so many wonderful Fairmont moments from this stay that honestly, although this is my local Fairmont, it’s going to be hard to top this one.

Since Ziggy and I had such an incredible stay with the Fairmont Winnipeg, they were so kind to offer up a staycation to one of my lucky followers! Up for grabs is a one-night stay at the Fairmont Winnipeg, plus an in-room breakfast dining credit worth up to $180. To enter, head on over to my Instagram. While you’re there, also check out my saved Lifestyle stories from our stay.

Huge thank you to the Fairmont Winnipeg for making this stay so incredible for all of us (but especially Ziggy). It was such a special stay for me even though I didn’t leave the city.  The hotel really went above and beyond to make us feel special. There’s a reason why Fairmont hotels have such a prestige to their names and this is definitely an example of why they are so amazing to stay at.

Have you stayed at Fairmont Hotels before?

Please note, the Fairmont Winnipeg graciously hosted me for the night in exchange for a review.

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