The grand entryway of the Loden sets the scene for this boutique hotel’s modern design, cleverly fused with the area’s dynamic mountains and waterways. Despite the luxurious setting, the hospitality staff, with their ready smiles, gives the Loden a real home-away-from-home vibe. Want to borrow a bike to ride around Stanley Park? Done – with complimentary water thrown in to boot.
Dine here: At The Loden’s Tableau Bar Bistro, soak up a modern take on traditional French fare, prepared by Executive Chef, Marc-Andre Choquette. Epicurean city dwellers and Loden guests intermingle daily in this dynamic bar scene, serving French wine and local beers on tap – an intriguing, sophisticated meeting place. www.theloden.com
Vancouver in a nutshell:
- Spend the afternoon in Gastown, where cobbled streets are lined with funky antique shops, boutiques and bistros. www.gastown.org
- Dine in Yaletown for some of the city’s top cuisine
- Sample the wares of world-class chocolatiers: Chocolate Arts on W 3rd Ave Kitsilano uses local produce like cranberries and hazelnuts to give its confections the true flavour of BC. Want more? Don’t miss Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates, a fourth generation pastry chef whose handmade creations are to die for! www.kitsilano.ca
- Walk, run or cycle around the nine-kilometre Stanley Park Seawall, enjoying spectacular views of the city, North Shore Mountains and Lions Gate Bridge. http://seestanleypark.com/
- Visit Granville Island: This beautiful waterfront setting is a hub of galleries, artisan shops, cafes and local clothing designers. www.granvilleisland.com
- Experience high-end shopping at Holt Renfrew. Champagne is compulsory as you browse through Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Tiffany’s and Gucci. http://www.holtrenfrew.com/holts/en/stores/825/Vancouver/
- Vancouver is not the capital city of British Columbia. (Victoria, on Vancouver Island, is.)
- Vancouver is the mildest city in Canada. Snow rarely falls on the city but it does heaps on the local mountains, where Vancouverites like it.
- There are three well-developed ski hills, each higher than any in Australia, all within 30 minutes of downtown. Mount Seymour, Grouse Mountain and Cypress Mountain offer not just skiing but snowmobiling, tube parks, cross-country skiing, gondola rides, tobogganing and more. www.vcmbc.com
- Vancouver is probably the only place in the world where it’s possible to ski, sail and play golf all on the same day.
- Vancouver Japanese sushi chef Tojo invented the California roll, which might explain why the sushi in Vancouver is so good. Vancouver is vying to become the Greenest city in the world—not surprising considering it’s the birthplace of environmental organization Greenpeace.
- Vancouver is amongst the largest film production centers in North America, second only to Los Angeles in TV production and third behind LA and NYC in Feature Film Production. It’s known as Hollywood North.
View a map of Vancouver HERE
www.vancouver.com
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