Rob Eller knew the Fairmont Pacific Rim was special the moment he first walked into The Lobby Lounge. A band was playing, interesting art hung on the walls, and high-end cocktails circulated as fashionably dressed people danced. “I knew I wanted to be part of this place then,” he recalls now.
That was in 2012. Eller, a guitarist and vocalist, soon became a fixture at the lounge, establishing himself as a regular live performer with a versatile repertoire. Now, over a decade later, Eller has been appointed the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s director of ambiance, a position where he’ll curate the hotel’s music program and design the atmosphere of its spaces, including the lounge, restaurants, and spa.
“If the atmosphere is right, that’s where it starts. It’s the feeling you get,” he says. “The atmosphere, I think, helps with your mood. If you feel like the atmosphere is right, and it fits you the right way, it makes you relax the way you want to relax, makes you feel like you’re in the place that you need to be—and that there’s probably not much you need changing, other than maybe a fresh martini.”
The Fairmont Pacific Rim spa.
He is sitting upstairs on the Fairmont’s third floor. It’s quiet as event spaces are being set up. Views of the ocean and North Shore mountains offer a serene backdrop. The levels below, in contrast, are bustling with stylish guests, downtown professionals sipping midday drinks at the Botanist Bar, waitstaff breezing through The Pacific Gallery and its rotating art exhibitions—colourful works from Douglas Coupland, Adad Hannah, and Angela Grossmann currently adorn the walls. It’s a scene not unlike the one that Eller happened upon when visiting the Fairmont Pacific Rim on recommendation from a friend who bartended there. Eller had been living in Laguna Beach, California, at the time, making a living as a full-time gigging musician. When he moved to Vancouver, he got a chance to perform at The Lobby Lounge on a Wednesday night and never looked back.
Originally from St. Catharines, Ontario, he has been playing guitar since he was nine. He grew up loving guitarists like Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), and The Edge (U2), and later was in a band that covered rock groups such as INXS and Midnight Oil. It’s likely not a stretch to assume his affinity for virtuosic guitarists led him to become well versed in a variety of genres from alternative rock and blues to jazz and flamenco—his range became a signature for his performances at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, a bridge to connect with the audience.
“I like to connect with the guests when I perform,” he says. “I get to know the guests personally. I know their kids’ names. I know their songs, what they like. I make them feel special. And I just really like to connect with them. It makes me feel good to make them feel good.”
The Lobby Lounge. Photo by Ema Peter.
Eller was a natural fit for the director of ambiance, a newly developed role that was offered to him by Jens Moesker, Fairmont’s regional vice-president Pacific Northwest and general manager of Fairmont Pacific Rim. As a musician, and especially a mainstay at this very hotel, Eller knows how to read the room. That perspective will undoubtedly support his work in shaping guest experience while elevating the hotel’s already established atmosphere—a “platform for creativity” by way of elegant West Coast luxury—through playlists and soundscapes.
Having a keen understanding of that identity is key to maintaining a sense of cohesiveness and considering the unique needs for each space, he explains. “It starts with the DNA. Art, music, fashion, and rolling those words over and putting myself in the space that needs the music created for.” His playlists move with the rhythms of the day; some move by the hour. “I have, I think, three or four shifts in the playlist in The Lobby Lounge,” he continues. “And with the volume, too. The volume has to be adjusted through the day. It’s mellow and quiet in the mornings, as you’d like it to be, and the afternoons get bumped a bit, and then the evenings get bumped a lot.” Guests can expect to hear a rotating selection of music and a diverse assortment of genres such as blues, western guitar, and pop, as well as a couple of tropical house songs composed by the musician himself and his girlfriend, saxophonist Karla Sax.
Even though he’s only a few weeks into the position, he already has a long-term vision. Another aspect of his work will be building The Lobby Lounge’s live music program, in a special full-circle moment. He’s looking forward to bringing in local artists and bands coming through town on tour, as well as mixing things up week to week, like DJing a set of Afro house with live piano accompaniment. “We’re putting together things that haven’t been done before,” he says. This includes planning pop-up events that promise to make folks want to visit the lounge just to see who’s playing because you never know who might show up. His wish, ultimately, is to position the Fairmont Pacific Rim as “the hub for music in Vancouver,” somewhere guests always feel excited to be and look forward to returning to.
Most of all, though, Eller wants them to feel that they belong. “I want them to feel that they’re home. That they’re in their living room, and they feel like everything is just right: the table’s set, the mood is right, the lights are dimmed, the fire’s glowing. You know, that’s what I want them to feel.” He adds, “You came to the right place. You belong here. Good to see you back.”
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