Archive for the ‘100 Days’ Category

A Hundred Days’ Journey into Nights

March 10th, 2011

Far out and funky! Virtually overnight, One Hundred Days has been stripped of its edgy art studio vibe and has magically morphed into an entirely new pop-up concept with a vaguely familiar name: One Hundred Nights.

Think seventies discotastic wonderland: sparkly silver walls, murals of pop icons like Ziggy Stardust and Iggy Pop by graffiti artist Vince Dumoulin (pictured above working his magic), and the all-essential glitter balls. Plus a groovy blend of glamour and whimsy—pink and white chairs, white tablecloths, and table flowers spray-painted in a kaleidoscope of colours. Best of all, the picnic tables are gone, so no more butt splinters. Chef Brandon Thordarson has refreshed the menu (“american with a small a”) but has wisely held over the Kick Ass Burger.

Boogie on, the seventies are back! But not forever (thank God)—this is a pop-up restaurant after all. So all you foxy mamas and cool cats better dust off those gold platform shoes, let out the waist on those hip-hugging bell bottoms, tease that big ole ‘fro, and—

Then again, please don’t.

What exactly is a pop-up restaurant? Not to be confused with a fly-by-night restaurant, which is an entirely different thing, a pop-up is a temporary restaurant that opens for a specific period of time and then transforms again, moves to a new location, or takes early retirement in a timeshare in Bora Bora.

LudoBites is generally considered to be the original pop-up restaurant; it’s been roaming the streets of Los Angeles since 2007. In New York, What Happens When transforms every 30 days. And The Feast in the Sanctuary Hotel opens on March 10—and closes on March 12.

There are pop-up hotels too. The name doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in structural integrity, but it’s a growing phenomen. There have been pop-up hotels in London, Paris, and Singapore. Last year, Visit London opened one in March and closed up shop five days later. That sounds like a case of bad management to me, but apparently it was all planned. The “hotel” looked suspiciously like an Airstream trailer, and each day guests woke up in a different sightseeing location.

OPUS Hotel Vancouver’s pop-up concept was originally conceived to buy time while plans were drawn up for a permanent replacement for Elixir. But it proved so wildly popular that One Hundred Days turned into about One Hundred and Eighty Days. And now we’re into Nights. But really, who’s counting?

“When we opened One Hundred Days, we set out to do something completely unexpected, creative, and extraordinary,” explains John deC Evans, president and CEO of Opus Hotels. “With One Hundred Nights, the surprise will continue within the context of our pop-up concept.” The space was designed by Robert Bailey and is co-managed by OPUS Hotels and Peter Girges of RocksGlass Concepts.

One Hundred Nights will be in constant motion, with new art going up weekly, but it won’t be around for long. So get down here and boogie before it’s outta sight. As for that Lycra cat suit and headband? Save it for Halloween.

Seriously.

See you there!

For reservations call 604 642-0557 or click here.

What do you think about the pop-up trend? Share your comments here.

 

Lifestyle characters revisited, Part 4

February 5th, 2011

Editor’s note: With the recent refresh of OPUS Vancouver’s suites, and guestrooms soon to follow, we asked the fictional muses behind our five lifestyle décor schemes to author a few posts. This one’s from Billy, the enlightened rock star from London.

Billy Brings the Blokes

Mothers, lock up your daughters! The blokes from London are here, and no reasonably attractive female under twenty-five is safe (or for Roddy any she-male under eighty).

I’m knackered, far too old for this, but it’s been a grueling tour and I need to let off some steam. Enough with African relief, it’s time for Billy relief! And that better involve serious snogging.

I hear they’re planning to refresh the rooms here but did the suites first. Since I don’t feel compelled to stay in suites to compensate for any … er, shortcomings … I guess I’ll have to wait. But I saw the showroom at OPUS Hotel Montreal last week, and Billy likes … Billy wants.

The wankers should be swinging by shortly, provided they haven’t been tossed on the street by management. We’ll start with bevies and nosh in the new pop-up restaurant here, One Hundred Days. Had a peek and love the edgy, urban look. Change was a long time coming. After that it’s to Gastown for some hell-raisin’, and in the morn its up to Whistler for some death-match boarding.

Hey, I heard Dede’s in town. Maybe I should give her a ring, see if she wants to party?

First I’m going to crank up the Arcade Fire and meditate. Loud music, inner peace – that’s what Billy needs.

-Billy

One Hundred Days for Twenty-Eight Bucks

January 25th, 2011

If like me one of your New Year’s resolutions was to stop spending so much money on expensive restaurants, then Dine Out Vancouver couldn’t come soon enough. Starting today, you can enjoy great value meals that don’t come with a Big Mac.

Through February 6, select restaurants in Vancouver are offering set three-course meals for $18, $28 and $38, along with BC wine pairings. Presented by Tourism Vancouver, this is now the largest restaurant promotion in Canada. Yes way.

One Hundred Days at OPUS Hotel Vancouver is getting into the action with three luscious 3-course meals to choose from, each for only $28. My pick: Bianco Risotto with Truffles to start, followed by Lobster and Crab Mac & Cheese with Hennessey Bisque, and, la pièce de résistance, a Warm Chocolate Cookie with House Made Gelato. Yum!

With the meal so cheap you can afford to kick things off with an Iced Teaquila cocktail. That’ll pretty much kill all salads-and-sobriety resolutions. At least you’ll be holding upholding the spend-less-on-restaurants resolution—until after February 6, that is.

To see the menu click here. Fridays and Saturdays are sold out, but tables are still available weekdays. To inquire call 604 642-0557. Stayover rates from $199. For info about other restaurants visit the Dine Out Vancouver web page.

Fun on New Year’s Eve is back!

December 27th, 2010

Gambler, bootlegger or masquerader? Whatever your vice, OPUS Hotels invites you to ring in the New Year with all the good cheer and optimism of a champagne-soaked cheerleader.

One Hundred Days
Vancouver’s hit pop-up restaurant won’t be around next New Year’s Eve, so enjoy it while you can. Get a head start with the early seating from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. and enjoy a three-course meal and NYE cocktail for just $35. Or raise the stakes with a High Roller ticket for $150 from 9:00 p.m. to  midnight, including canapés, champagne and dessert bar, and an open bar (degree of restraint required: limit two bevies at a time). After midnight it’s $20 at the door. (more…)

One Hundred Days in under three minutes

October 14th, 2010

Check out this behind-the-scenes video of artist Vince Dumoulin executing the vision of designer Robert Bailey as he converts the restaurant formerly known as Elixir into the pop-restaurant concept called One Hundred Days. The restaurant is receiving rave reviews. Have you checked it out yet? Better soon – in a blink of an eye it’ll be gone.

An interview with Robert Bailey, OPUS Hotels’ interior designer

September 24th, 2010

Back in 2001, while OPUS Vancouver was under construction, we used to sneak away from the cramped opening offices to see how the hotel was evolving, and were always surprised and excited by what we saw. That surprise and excitement continues to this day, thanks in part to the talents of Robert Bailey, OPUS Hotels’ interior designer. On the heels of the launch of the hotel’s refreshed suites and “pop-up” restaurant One Hundred Days, I thought it was high time we heard from the source.

Tell us about the fresh new look of the suites at OPUS Vancouver.
My intention was to build on the success of the original décor schemes, and turn up the volume. We kept the saturated colour, brightening and updating it. I have always loved the work of decorators from the 70’s like David Hicks.  Their use of colour and pattern was so pervasive; it actually expands space rather than breaking it up. With this thesis in mind we kept the palette very monochromatic, but mixed numerous patterns for an eclectic (more residential) effect.  Although the rooms are timely, the play of pattern and saturated colour brings warmth and a sense of history.

In 2001, your design team conceived five fictional characters as muses for the hotel’s lifestyle-inspired décor schemes. They have since taken on a life of their own. How relevant are the characters today?
The muses were never supposed to leave the design studio. They were created to provide answers to our questions, like “what colour is this room and why?” The muses gave us guests in a world of possibilities. They also allowed us to step out of the generic hospitality box, and create more soulful spaces. With the room refresh we revisited them. In doing so, we asked, “Who are they now?” and “Who is our guest now?” I hope we have evolved with them.

 

High drama: one of the newly refreshed penthouse suites at OPUS

(more…)

You say squatter, I say artiste

September 8th, 2010

Woah. Just hacked into this blog. Now what?

Well … first, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Vinnie. Couple weeks ago, I broke into the restaurant formerly known as Elixir at OPUS Vancouver. See, they shut down for renos, but renos don’t start ‘til January, so guess what? I’m squatting. Hundred days of free rent. Sweet.

Soon as I got in, I had to make the place my own. All that brass and velvet, those tired Toulouse-Lautrec knock-offs? Gone. Kept the video monitors in the bathrooms though. I like to watch the ladies in OPUS Bar while drainin’ the main vein, know what I mean?

Next I painted those nasty yellow walls white and made ‘em my canvas. Some might call me a squatter, I call myself a graffiti artiste. I’ve defaced some of Vancouver’s fugliest monuments, and now I’m sprayin’ my territory here. Think murals, lots, always changing. (more…)