Fairmont Hotels & Resorts wants to be seen as an “unrivalled global presence.” Yet a few recent visits suggest why it’s not quite there.

Friday night I stayed at the Fairmont Waterfront, which is the highest-rated of the company’s properties in downtown Vancouver. Desk service was professional, the room was comfortable and the city-and-harbor view was great — all as expected. But when the elevators went out of service at around 10 p.m. — leaving at least 15 people waiting in the lobby — there was no explanation. The next morning two of the elevators were still offline. There was no apology and management didn’t give the impression that they were especially concerned about the inconvenience.

Similar service at Fairmont’s hotels at Whistler and in Seattle has also cost the chain. This is part of the reason why so many in Seattle were concerned when Fairmont took over management of the Olympic Hotel (a replacement Four Seasons is under construction). Don’t get me wrong: Fairmont is still a great place to stay, it’s just not quite top-of-the line.