Posts Tagged ‘hotel blog’

Lifestyle characters (& suites) revisited, Part 1

December 16th, 2010

Editor’s Note: With the recent refresh of OPUS Vancouver’s suites, we’ve asked the fictional muses behind our five lifestyle décor schemes to write our next few posts. The first comes from actress-diva Dede from LA, along with the above video showcasing the new design of her suite.


Dede Speaks (but doesn’t eat)

Home sweet hotel! Just got in from LA, back at OPUS, my fave Vancouver hangout – penthouse suite, naturellement.

Feeling all française after showing off linguistic skills to beau garçon in lobby, Pierre from Paris. Couldn’t get a read on which side of the bread he butters – maybe both? After all, he’s French.

Anyways. LOVE what they’ve done with my suite. Le peak de chic! Feels like my townhome in Malibu, except not as messy. They’ve really cranked up the glam factor with these baroque wall-coverings, and this black velvet sectional feels like a big ole purring cat.

The mirrored walls? Love. Them. And they love me. Tee-hee. As for the art … well, um … whatever.

Feeling frisky after three Red Bulls and a half-pound of vodka-flavored jelly bellies on the plane (just chewed, didn’t swallow). Maybe Pierre wants to pop down to OPUS Bar? The place is so Dede-luxe since they re-did it. How to describe? Zsa Zsa Gabor meets the Jetsons!

Darn, forgot I’ve got to be on set at five-friggin’-AM tomorrow. I am SO not a morning person. Nor even an afternoon person, really. Guess it’s bed, bath and Beyoncé for me tonight!

But first I think I’ll duck onto my balcony for a ciggy and spy on my Yaletown peeps. Sometimes I lean over and spit on the losers below. Kidding! Well, sort of …

Anyway, check out the above video I took of my penthouse suite (okay so I had a bit of help). Au revoir, mes amis! – Dede ♥

Gastown: A great place for dining, but sexier than Yaletown? Pshaw.

November 24th, 2010

There’s a great round-up of restaurants in Gastown in the latest issue of Vancouver magazine. For guest of OPUS Vancouver interested in experiencing the latest and greatest in the city’s culinary scene, it’s a must-read.

As usual local food critic Andrew Morrison is spot-on, but we were a bit surprised by his assertions that Gastown is “sexier than Yaletown” and “the new nucleus of Vancouver cool—a title that for the past decade has belonged to Yaletown.”

Gasp. Yaletown has been dethroned? We didn’t get the memo.

No question, Gastown has lured away some of the hipsters who used to strut the streets of Yaletown. As Morrison points out, escalating real estate prices have pushed out some of the independent restaurants, replacing them with tried-and-true, high-volume chain establishments. And we all know that hipsters and chains mix about as well as supermodels and nerds. (more…)

Walking after Midnight: How to Avoid Being Relocated from Your Hotel

October 18th, 2010

If you’re a frequent traveler, this scenario might be all too familiar. It’s late. You stagger to the front desk of your hotel, bruised and battered by the horrors of modern travel, only to be welcomed with the words, “I’m sorry, but we don’t have a room for you.”

“What?” you cry. “But I have a confirmation … here! … It says my reservation is guaranteed!”

Silly you. Don’t you know that the credit card number you provide at time of reservation guarantees one thing only: that the hotel will charge you if you don’t show up?

As hotel occupancies climb, relocates are making a comeback. As a long-time hotelier, I have the dubious distinction of having performed scores of relocates in my career, and I know how inconvenient and frustrating it can be for travelers.

But you’re not as helpless as you might feel. While there’s no surefire way to avoid being relocated, there are ways to fight the odds – and, if your number is irrevocably up, to negotiate the most favorable terms.

What exactly is a relocate? Also known as walking or bumping, relocates occur when a hotel has more reservations than rooms. Like airlines, hotels overbook in order to maximize occupancy, banking on cancellations and no-shows, and sometimes we get caught with our pants down. Unlike airlines, however, we don’t announce overbookings to a holding lounge full of travelers or ask for volunteers. We handle relocates discreetly, swiftly dispatching you to another hotel while giving you little choice in the matter. (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.

Smile (or scowl), you’re on camera

August 24th, 2010

A recent story on CBC Television about the public restrooms at OPUS has ignited a firestorm of controversy that could only take place in the age of social media. Last week, Elisabeth Everett reported that while celebrating her sister’s birthday in OPUS Bar she was shocked to discover that men could observe her via video monitors mounted over the urinals in the restroom.

To date, over 300 comments have been posted to the CBC’s website. Many express anger and outrage, mostly related to the mistaken belief that the cameras point into the bathroom. Others get the setup but still feel it’s an invasion of privacy. Some wonder what the big deal is.

At OPUS, we lean toward the latter. The cameras have been there since 2002, part of the lounge’s playful “see and be seen” theme, and until now have elicited little more than bemused smiles. Three cameras feed into monitors mounted over the urinals in the men’s room and over the vanity in the ladies’ room. The system is closed-circuit, the footage not recorded or broadcast. The 5-inch monitors emit a grainy, bird’s eye view of the lounge – certainly not optimum conditions for leering at patrons. A far more alluring view is offered by the floor-to-ceiling windows in OPUS Bar. (more…)

Is the role of the hotel concierge going obsolete?

August 11th, 2010

I can see dignified concierges everywhere clutching their golden keys and gasping in indignation at the title of this post. But hear me out. 

Technology has placed a world of resources at the fingertips of travelers. Mobile applications allow us to walk out of our hotel, point our phone into the street, and find local restaurants and entertainment, peruse reviews, consult maps and make reservations. In a PhoCusWright survey last year, 67% of travelers reported having used a mobile device to find local services. Almost daily, hotels and travel companies are releasing mobile apps and mobile-compatible websites packed with information normally dispensed by the capable hotel concierge.

Where does that leave the concierge? Parking cars? Slinging drinks in the lounge?

Let’s hope not. As a traveler, I love having the services of a concierge. But I’ve noticed an alarming trend of late: the empty concierge desk. During the economic downturn, hotel managers were forced to find ways to cut costs, and many set their sights on the concierge. There he sat, primly at his desk, occupying prime lobby real estate and yet taking in no revenue. Compared to the back-breaking work of housekeeping and the frenetic work of the kitchen, the role of the concierge seemed a bit frivolous in such lean times. Out came the schedule, and concierge hours were slashed. In some hotels, a permanent “Off Duty” sign was placed on the desk. (more…)

Arabian Nights: OPUS Bar’s 8th Annual Street Party

August 3rd, 2010

On Friday, July 30 OPUS kicked off a very festive long weekend in Vancouver with the 8th Annual OPUS Bar Street Party, themed “Arabian Nights”. In addition to following through with the hotel’s annual commitment to getting VIPs and regulars liquored up with sponsored cocktails, OPUS continued its five-year, $50,000 commitment to UNICEF when owner John deC. Evans presented a cheque for $10,0000.

To get sweeping footage of the event, I had planned to suspend GM Nicholas Gandossi by rope from the rooftop Cirque-du-Soleil-style, but when he caught wind of my plans he “forgot” to bring his camera. So I had to improvise from the ground with my pocket camera. Blame the videography on the Hendrick’s-infused cucumber cocktails (yum).

For party pics and buzz visit OPUS on Facebook.

The Yin and Yang of Yaletown

July 28th, 2010

Having lived and worked in Yaletown for over a decade, I’ve grown so attached to the lifestyle here that whenever I’m obliged to leave, I feel a nosebleed coming on. Fortunately, my neighbourhood has it all, and rarely do I have to venture beyond. For guests of OPUS, I thought I’d share a few of my summertime faves.

About Yaletown

Yaletown’s origins date back to the late 1800s, when the Roundhouse station was built as the turnaround point for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today, former warehouses have been converted into chic loft-style residences, boutiques, office space and restaurants. The distinctive red brick walls and exposed beams have been beautifully preserved, and the raised docks and cantilevered awnings have become pedestrian walkways and patio shelters. Surrounding the heritage core are glass residential towers and the False Creek inlet.

Yaletown is a place of contrasts. One of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, it’s also one of its newest. The lifestyle here is ultra-urban, with a decidedly resort feel. It’s a place for hedonism and healthful living, for superficial whims and quiet reflection. It’s hyper-caffeinated, yet laid back. And it’s safe, clean and modest, yet noisy, chaotic and a tad pretentious. In essence, it’s a mass of contradictions living in relative harmony. Which is probably why we get along so well.

Eating & Drinking

In recent years, chain restaurants have taken over Yaletown; for a truly authentic experience, try the independents. In summertime the patios are teeming; take a walk along Hamilton or Mainland streets and choose one that grabs you, then don the shades and watch the fashionable people and their fashionable dogs parade by. (more…)

About that item you left in your room

June 25th, 2010

A recent story about a hotel housekeeper in Miami who found in $6,000 in cash in a guestroom got me to thinking about items guests leave behind. As travelers, we’ve all experienced that sensation upon arriving at the airport that our luggage feels pleasantly lighter – only to realize we left half our belongings in the closet of our hotel room.

Curious, I decided to pay a visit to OPUS hotel’s housekeeping department to see what was kicking around Lost and Found. There I found boxes and boxes of guest belongings. Most of it looked like junk abandoned by guests, but hotels undertake too many frantic dumpster dives to make assumptions about what guests may or may not deem as valuable.

While I was perusing the log book, a group of housekeeping staff filed in after their shift, and one of them deposited an item on the desk before me.

“A bra?” I asked, staring. It was one big bra.

“Happens all the time,” said Alejandro, one of the housemen.

“Usually it’s men’s underwear,” said Mila, making a face. (more…)

An Olympian Brings Inspiration

May 12th, 2010

This weekend the sales teams of Opus Hotels in Montreal and Vancouver convened in Vancouver for the first national sales meeting, which I had the privilege of facilitating. It was a formidable group, ranging from grizzled veterans like Vancouver-based sales manager Phil Renaud and general manager Nicholas Gandossi to fresh-faced newbies like Montreal-based sales managers Marc Barmash and Yves Pouliot. Also present were John deC. Evans, Tom Johnston, and Katherine Evans from the ownership group.

Topics included the evolution of the Opus brand, from the opening of Opus Hotel Vancouver in 2002, then considered a risky and audacious undertaking, to the property being named one of the World’s Best 100 Hotels by readers of Condé Nast Traveler in 2005, and on to the opening of Opus Hotel Montreal in 2007. We also discussed the importance of our vibrant restaurant and lounge scene as a key differentiator to other hotels, of our vision of providing the best boutique experience, and of our corporate values of respect, empowerment and innovation. (more…)