When it was built in 1927, the gracious Hotel Georgia quickly became Vancouver’s go-to place for celebrities. Everyone stayed here, from the Queen (Elizabeth) to the King (Elvis). And then, in the late 1970s, it began its sad decline, and by the time the Rosewood group took it over, it was a shabby shadow of its former self. It took 5 years to finish the renovation, but in 2011 the Georgia reopened to retake its place among the best hotels in the city. The dark, sexy lobby retains its old glamor with high ceilings, marble floors, deep moldings, a sweeping staircase, and hints of gold detailing. The meticulously restored Spanish Ballroom, with its silvery plasterwork and minstrels’ gallery, is one of the prettiest rooms you’ll find anywhere. Throughout are masterworks by Canadian artists, including Douglas Coupland and Jack Shadbolt. Even the guest rooms feature original works of art—which is probably a good thing, since few have much of a view, except perhaps of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Still, the rooms are luxuriously comfortable, all decked out in hues of silver, pearl, and gold, with quilted leather bed frames, marble-topped coffee tables, velvety furnishings, and gorgeous marble bathrooms. The hotel is also home to the multiple-award-winning Hawksworth Restaurant and Bar, as well as the lovely 1927 Lobby Lounge, Bel Café, and, in summer, the outdoors Reflections Lounge, near the Senses spa. A jazz bar called Prohibition is expected to open in fall 2014.