I've been a happy vegan for the past three years—full of energy and devoid of animal byproducts. Yet, I've found that vegan-friendly dining is hard to come by when I travel, and I've gone hungry on more than a few nights when nothing was available. This problem was pleasantly avoided during my recent stay at The Fairmont Waterfront, which offers a special menu for diners with health restrictions.

I heard about the Lifestyle Cuisine Menu from a fellow guest, and immediately set off towards the restaurant for a thorough investigation. The specialized menu at the Herons was a wonderful surprise. I engaged their vegan section with enthusiasm, ordering the Beet Carpaccio appetizer and the Soba Noodles with Shitake Tofu and Kombu Broth as an entrée. Both delicious. I hadn't planned on indulging, but the Spiced Apple Crumble sounded too good to pass up when the waiter offered dessert. No regrets there.

Other sections of the Lifestyle Cuisine menu include Heart Healthy, Diabetes, Raw, Macrobiotic, and Gluten Free. If you need something even more specific, the staff is more than happy to let you speak with the chef. For drinks, they offer a variety of wellness teas and energy elixirs. If you're up for a post-dinner stroll, The Fairmont Waterfront also has a rooftop herb garden and on-site honeybee colony well worth some exploration.

I left the Herons with a full belly and generally warm feeling due to this uncontestable triumph for health-conscious travelers everywhere. The Fairmont offers this menu at all of their properties worldwide (which include The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, The Fairmont Airport, and the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver alone).

So if you know what it's like to wander the streets of some strange city with growing desperation over your inability to find any food, rest easy. There's probably a Fairmont nearby.