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. Our fifth and final post is from Pierre, the food and wine critic from Paris.

Pierre arrives sans Pierre

I arrived from Paris today, this is my first time at this hôtel boutique called OPUS. So far, not so bad. At first the walls were … how do you say? … a bit hard for my eyes, especially after three bottles of ’86 Château Cos d’Estournel at le Cinq last night (there were four of us, but two were not drinking, the philistines.) Now that my eyes are adjusting I must say I am finding the color very stimulating – Hermès orange, but of course.

The people here are so friendly. Why all the smiling? At the front desk I met a woman named Dede who looked familiar – an American actress, I believe. Beautiful girl, but the French? Une abomination.

There was also a guy named Mike, a doctor from New York, and his filthy mutt kept sniffing at my crotch. Had precious Pierre been present (yes, Pierre), he would have snapped off her snout in an instant. But Pierre travels first class only, and Le Monde is paying for this trip.

I am here to research a story about the culinary scene in Vancouver, so I have many restaurants to visit: Campagnolo, Blue Water Café, West, Bao Bei and Vijs – and this just tonight. The bellman has offered to drive me to Gastown in the hotel’s BMW 7 Series at no charge. So I will arrive in style, but, as usual, alone.

First I think I will explore this neighborhood they call Yaletown. It’s a former warehouse district, mostly residential, and the architecture is quite unique. Ce n’est pas Paris, but moi j’adore the open spaces, the tall glass buildings and the salty-fresh air.

In fact, I feel inspired. I think I’ll head down to the water for a jog. When in Rome …

Pierre

Blah hiss boo! Let’s face it, January is gloomy in Vancouver, and this year is extra dreary without the Olympic flame to lighten our days—not to mention thousands of bright-eyed athletes flooding into town.

But wait, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. On February 11 and 12 the dark days of winter will be lit up by Illuminate Yaletown, a two-day street festival featuring contemporary light art installations from bright-minded local designers.

And it’s my favourite price: free-99.

The same weekend, the City of Vancouver plans to rekindle some of last year’s Olympic fire with a variety of events, including free skating at Robson Square, street hockey on Granville, and LunarFest at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Bring your camera! The Yaletown Business Improvement Association will be holding a Flickr photo contest, with over $500 in prizes.

Check out these luminous entries from last year:

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.

But Gastown is not for the weak of heart, it’s for bold and adventurous types who don’t mind seeing the grittier side of city life. Yaletown, on the other hand, is squeaky-clean, green, vibrant and safe.

So fine then, maybe we’ll concede the cool title to Gastown. But sexier? No way. Besides, there’s no OPUS Vancouver in Gastown.

Not that we’re competing or anything.

Our recommendation? Stay in Yaletown, and save at least one night for dining in Gastown. That way you’ll experience the full spectrum of city life, from the cool and edgy to the sexy and wholesome. And best of all we’ll shuttle you there safe and sound in our 7-Series BMW. 

Photo courtesy www.gastown.org

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.

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.

For casual seafood, try Rodney’s Oyster House, where the friendly waiters fill your wineglass to the brim. A trip to Vancouver is incomplete without sampling its superb Japanese food, and for that I recommend the homegrown Hapa Izakaya. For Mexican fare, you won’t find any sombreros or plastic cacti at Salsa y Agave, but you will find authentic, inexpensive dishes like savory Aztec soup and crispy tostados.

If someone else is paying, I go to Cioppino’s for sublime Mediterranean cuisine or to Blue Water Café to suck back oysters and Grey Goose. If I’m paying, I go to Cactus Club, where the crowd is pretty and the menu is presided over by celeb chef Rob Feenie. For brunch, it’s worth the wait for the patio at Provence, where the menu hasn’t changed much in years, and that’s a good thing. Start with a basket of orgasmic pastries and move on to the seafood spaghettini. Or head to the always-busy Glowbal, where the beignets are warm and the Caesars are spicy.

For after-dinner cocktails, head to George or the rooftop patio at The Keg. There’s only one place for dancing in Yaletown, Bar None, a former horse stable that feels more like a zoo on busy nights. If you’re going to be a drunken yahoo, head up to Granville Street. I’m a light sleeper.

No problem finding a café in Yaletown: walk twenty steps in any direction and you’ve arrived. For a taste of France, try the delectable pastries at Boulangerie la Parisienne, where, in true Vancouver fashion, the food is French, the coffee is Italian-style and the counter staff are Japanese.

Shopping

The shops in Yaletown still retain their fierce independence, which means lots of unique offerings. And by unique I mean expensive. For men’s casual clothing I like Brooklyn Clothing, which promises “no stretchy designer trousers or sheer, sparkly blouses”. (I go to Vegas for my New Year’s outfits). At Basquiat you’ll find designer clothing for men and women and frequent sales. If you just can’t resist dressing up your dog, check out Barking Babies for designer dogware.

Furniture? Go to Design House and Ital Interiors. For gourmet food at extravagant prices, Urban Fare is Yaletown’s answer to Whole Foods. From feather hats at Fine Finds to Moroccan poufs at The Cross to yellow convertibles at MINI Yaletown, plus books, art, cigars, flowers, gadgets and great BC wine, you can find anything in Yaletown. Grab a coffee, stroll and browse. You can offset your indulgences at my all-time favourite boutique: the Dollar Store.

Pampering

There a reason why Yaletown denizens looks so good. In two square blocks there are approximately 17,000 hair salons, 204 dental clinics and 97 spas. My favourite spas are Spruce Body Lab, which proves that getting a facial doesn’t have to be an emasculating experience, and Skoah, where staff provide personal training for your skin. For grooming products, the boys go to Masc and the girls to Beauty Mark. For a pre-party blow-dry and styling, check out Blo (tagline: “Blo me dry”) or go to Bombay Brown Bar for those all-essential Indian-style eyebrows.

Activities

In Yaletown you’re never more than a few minutes from the seawall, where you can bike, walk, run or blade for miles without ever having to stop for traffic – though you might knock down a pedestrian or two. On sunny days, David Lam Park is like a beach hangout … minus the sand and Guidos in Speedos.

On a rainy day, you might find me doing sun salutations at Y Yoga, where the instructors nourish the mind, body and spirit without getting too inner chakra on you. For a full-body workout with the posers there’s World Gym. Or exercise your creative side at Raw Canvas, where you can get all liquored up and then paint your take-home masterpiece in the art studio.

Getting around

Construction of Yaletown’s Canada Line rapid transit station made our lives miserable for years, but now that it’s open all is forgiven. The system whisks visitors from the airport to OPUS in twenty-two minutes and downtown in three minutes. Or catch an Aquabus from the foot of Davie Street to Sunset Beach or Granville Island and enjoy spectacular views of the City of Glass by water. That involves leaving Yaletown and risking a nosebleed, however – proceed with caution.

Naturally, the hub of all this activity is OPUS Hotel, where a visit to Yaletown is not complete without cocktails in OPUS Bar, steak frites in Elixir, and an espresso in Café O. Guests of OPUS enjoy exclusive offers at select Yaletown businesses via OPUS Perks.

For more info, visit the Lifestyle Concierge, Yaletown BIA or Tourism Vancouver. Enjoy exploring your yin and yang in Yaletown.

Questions or more tips? Share them here.

About 250,000 people visited the city during the Games, and judging by the herds that streamed past Opus day and night, every one of them made it into Yaletown. The hotel was a hotbed of activity, enjoying a full house of awesome guests from Alberta to Australia.

The hotel kicked festivities off early with the Podium Party on February 9 co-hosted by Tourism Vancouver. Among the media personalities, celebrities and athletes in attendance were Olympic gold medal pairs figure skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier and gold medal rowers Jake Wetzel and Ben Rutledge. Making a rare appearance were the fictional characters that inspired Opus Hotel’s lifestyle décor schemes—Mike, Billy, Susan and Pierre—who performed slice-of-life scenes to showcase our stylish guestrooms. (In typical fashion, diva Dede was a no-show). 

Gold medalist Jake Wetzel tests bounciness of Opus beds with 24 Hours reporter Michael Schratter and virtual resident Billy

Opus owner John deC. Evans and GM Nicholas Gandossi flank Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and wife Zsuzsanna

When the Olympics began, Vancouver was hit by a wave of patriotism that had even the most curmudgeonly of Canadians donning bright red “Go Canada!” t-shirts and posting Canadian flags in their windows (guilty here, though I stopped short of painting a maple leaf on my face).

Where did all the patriotism come from? Prior to the Games, Prime Minister Stephen Harper urged Canadians not to feel “the least bit shy or embarrassed” about showing an uncharacteristic burst of patriotism, saying, “We will ask the world to forgive us.” But the flag-waving was less likely the result of a government decree than a grassroots movement fueled by the triumphs of our athletes.

Opus staff, dressed in home-team colours for Go Canada Fridays, are treated to a surprise visit from skeleton gold medalist Jon Montgomery

Canada got its revenge on closing day of the Olympics, however, when Sidney Crosby scored the gold-medal goal in men’s ice hockey, prompting a great belch of patriotism that could be heard across the country. Here’s a video I took from the roof of Opus Hotel Vancouver shortly after the game.

Now that the Games are over and the Paralympic Games are soon to begin, I guess it’ll soon be time for Canadians to ask the world to forgive us for our uncharacteristic burst of patriotism. But a nation of our massive size and sparse population rarely, if ever, feels this kind of unity. Sure, we’ll resume being the true north strong and silent types, but let’s hope this national pride becomes a lasting legacy of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Feeling the post-Olympic blues? Ask about our hangover cures and detox stay-over package.

The good news is the gaping pit that’s been clogging Yaletown’s main artery and affecting business since 2006 has been filled, and Davie Street is now reopen. Recently, government officials announced that Canada Line will be open by Labour Day, three months ahead of schedule. Soon passengers will be whisked from Yaletown to the airport in 22 minutes and downtown in just three minutes. Before the thunder of bulldozers fades away, a little reflection is in order.

I’ll never forget that day in 2005 when a group of super-friendly people from a company called Ravco came to visit me at Opus Hotel and told me about plans for a high-speed rail project linking the airport to Richmond and Vancouver. Yaletown would have its own underground station, directly across the street from the hotel, and it would take three years to build. I was crestfallen. Since opening in 2002, Opus had ranked as one of the top hotels in the city in occupancy and guest satisfaction. Soon our clean, safe, highly-desirable heritage neighourhood would be overrun by bulldozers, dump trucks and butt-crack-baring construction workers. As the hotel’s general manager I did what any great leader would do: I locked myself in my office and had a good cry. Then I went online to look for a new job.

At Opus we were deeply concerned about the impacts of construction on our guests. Hotels, which run on the promise of comfort and rest, typically remain quiet about construction, hoping guests won’t notice the jack-hammering in the lobby. One of our employees suggested we try something radical: we tell guests the truth. The idea was immediately dismissed as preposterous. But it fit in with our organizational values of integrity and respect, and when no one came up with a better solution, we decided to give it a whirl. From that point forward callers were informed about construction activity at time of reservation. Rooms closest to construction were sold at a discount. A construction notice was posted on our website and in our confirmation letters, and a note was placed in rooms to explain the project.

It was a nail-biting risk. We were providing our guests a reason to stay elsewhere and our competitors a weapon to use against us. Many of our rooms didn’t face the construction site and activity was sporadic—why alarm all guests when only a few would be disturbed? Transparency threatened to only exacerbate the problem.

Yet to ignore construction can be far more damaging to a hotel. While a guest at a hotel in Atlanta, I endured drilling next door for three days before I complained. I was transferred to the duty manager’s line, and I left a message. I didn’t hear back. The next day a gift basket was delivered to my room, complete with a jar of Georgian peach salsa. There was no note or business card, so I wasn’t sure who it came from. Meanwhile, the drilling turned to jack-hammering. I left another message for the duty manager, requesting to change rooms. Again, no call back. That night, another gift arrived, a slab of chocolate that vaguely resembled the hotel’s logo. It had melted—much like my resolve to fight. I checked out the next day and, as much as I enjoyed the peach salsa, I won’t be staying there again.

Another misguided tactic is to make light of construction. Years ago, when I worked at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, to make light of lobby renovations management decided to dress up two front desk employees each shift as construction workers. One day, upon reporting for duty I was handed a hardhat and an orange vest. “I don’t think so,” I said, handing them back—the hotel’s polyester uniform was humiliating enough. I was overruled. To my surprise, I found myself enjoying the construction worker role-play thing—until an irate guest stormed up to me and began ranting about not getting a harbour view. Partway through, he stopped, blinked, and said, “What the hell are you wearing?” The hats and vests were discontinued shortly thereafter.

As part of its efforts to soften the impact of construction, Canada Line formed a business liaison communications committee comprising of representatives from local businesses and various stakeholders. I sat on this committee for two years, and at the monthly meetings I was often either trembling with rage or nodding off in boredom. We small businesses felt powerless at times, a motley crew of Dr. Dooms and Debbie Downers pitted against a slick group of big-business executives, government and spin doctors. Sometimes I wondered if Canada Line officials fantasized about working in a totalitarian regime, where residents find out about an infrastructure project when a wrecking ball crashes through their home.

Despite assurances otherwise, construction cut off direct access to the hotel’s underground parkade, obliging our valets to drive several blocks to reach the side entrance to our own building. To ease the pressure we were granted access to an area in front of the hotel to stage cars. We parked luxury vehicles there, hoping to distract from the logo-plastered hording, the dirt and the portable toilets. Canada Line officials promised to support beleaguered businesses but patronized Opus only occasionally. One of the only contractors who did stay complained about construction noise and insisted on being moved to a quieter room.

Opus lost its share of business due to construction, and we had to work hard to appease some of our guests. Yet by being transparent we built a relationship of trust with our clientele, and our guest satisfaction ratings remained high throughout. Damage is inevitable in a project of this magnitude, and Yaletown has suffered more than its share, albeit less visibly so compared to the devastation along Cambie Street. Overall I think Canada Line and its stakeholders did an admirable job of working with Yaletown businesses. Even when delivering bad news they were so courteous it was impossible to stay angry—a tactic I suspect they appropriated from the hotel industry. The construction workers were respectful too, and I didn’t see a butt crack the entire time, which admittedly was a bit disappointing.

Despite the obvious challenges, Opus has been a supporter of Canada Line from the beginning. I would have even been more enthusiastic had the station been built elsewhere—like next to one of our competitor hotels. But few areas of downtown Vancouver have been completely spared the headaches of construction in the lead-up to the 2010 Olympics. On a trip to the waterfront two years ago, I was shocked by the loud, unrelenting “Ping!” resonating from the convention centre expansion site. I asked an employee of a nearby hotel how he could stand the noise. “Noise? What noise?” he said, his upper cheek twitching with each ping.

In December 2007, at the height of construction, I left my position as general manager of Opus and passed my hardhat to my successor, Nicholas Gandossi. Today, as we celebrate the reinstatement of Davie Street, we’re filled with gratitude to our guests for being so understanding and cool. We look forward to welcoming the new clientele that this efficient, environmentally-friendly transit system will carry to our doorstep, and we hope that Canada Line will fulfill its promise to leave Yaletown even better than when construction began.

See the modified version of this post published in The Vancouver Sun.

Vancouverites can be funny about coffee. “I’ve never seen so much coffee in all my life,” Bette Midler once commented during a performance in Vancouver. “The whole town is on a caffeine jag, and still nothing gets done any faster.” I myself love coffee, but I’m far from a purist. Afraid to confess that I too like a bit of cream in my coffee, I used to bypass Café O and skulk over to Starbucks. Now I can simply pop upstairs without fear of reprisal.

We had less than two weeks to organize the seamless transfer of Café O into our hands, with no downtime in between. Admittedly, I was not thrilled at the prospect of taking over a coffee shop while still consumed by new responsibilities in the restaurant and lounge. I secretly feared we wouldn’t be able to recruit staff in time for opening and I’d be pulling shifts behind the counter. Imagine a barista who secretly wonders what’s really so bad about instant coffee.

It’s times like this when I really appreciate the value of great staff. Over the years we’ve assembled a crack team at Opus. I respect each employee so much I could spend hours raving about them, but I’d never want to single one out over another. Amazingly, quite a few of us have been here since day one and are celebrating our fifth anniversary this year. The occasional live one gets away, but our goal is to “trade up” – to find an even better replacement. In taking over management of Elixir and Opus Bar we snagged three big fish: Leonard, an outstanding director of food & beverage; Michael, a highly experienced restaurant manager; and Annabel, a respected local publicist. Working with existing talent, these individuals will no doubt bring great things to Opus.

Okay, okay, I know I’m being really boring. But allow me a sentimental moment and I promise to return to wedding day relocates, make-up smearing drag queens and celebrity meltdowns on my next post.

On its first day of operation Thursday, Café O pulled in a staggering $83 in revenue. Why waste everyone’s time when there are much greater returns in other departments? Because every department at Opus, large and small, is a critical part of the experience.

Next time you’re in Yaletown I invite you to swing by Café O, Elixir or Opus Bar to check us out. Now that we manage every inch of this building I guarantee you’ll experience even better service, a renewed optimism among staff and a sense of warmth and freshness everywhere. And if you want cream in your coffee, it’s totally okay by us.

I was whining about this to my Mom over dinner last night, likely boring her to tears, and she basically told me to get over myself. Did I think being a general manager would be a walk in the park? I really hate it when she’s right. Problem is, I’ve never been fully convinced I want to be a hotel manager. Right now folding sweaters at the Gap or greeting at Walmart is sounding pretty appealing. I’ve always been in the hotel industry a bit grudgingly, convinced that another career is out there for me, one with more pay, less hours and frequent trips to Tahiti. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. LOVE IT. But would I want to be a general manager anywhere but Opus? Probably not.

Normally things settle down for me this time of year and I’m one of those irritating people drifting around in a boozy haze. But recently my job got a lot bigger. I’ve assumed responsibility for Elixir and Opus Bar. When Opus opened four years ago the hotel and the restaurant/lounge were set up as separate companies, and I joined the hotel side. The ownership wanted to avoid the dreaded curse of hotel restaurants: bad food, inflated prices and poor financial performance that sucks the life out of the more profitable rooms division. So Elixir was given its own identity, its own entrance and a brasserie concept that contrasted with the hotel’s contemporary style. Things have worked out well for the most part, and Elixir and Opus Bar are popular with locals and guests alike. But there have been internal challenges and problems with consistency. For me it’s been frustrating not to have control over food and beverage, but at the same time it’s allowed me to focus all my attention on the hotel. All that will change now that we’re one big family.

When Elixir staff first heard I was getting involved they were nervous. I guess someone told them about my days as a waiter in Toronto when I was in my early twenties. I had two waiter jobs, one in a fine-dining restaurant and the other in a nightclub on ladies’ nights. My specialty was spilling drinks, usually on people, like the cold glass of milk I dumped down an elderly woman’s back and all over her fur coat. She screamed so loud everyone ran over to look. I was so embarrassed and apologetic that she felt sorry for me and gave me an enormous tip. At the nightclub I didn’t fare as well with spills. The ladies wanted my scrawny butt out of the way so they could see the big, buff strippers. Now that Elixir staff know I won’t be waiting on tables, they’re very supportive of the change.

Present position excluded, serving tables is the most stressful job I’ve ever had. Anyone who scrimps on the tip after receiving good service should be forced to spend a day as a server. I still have a recurring nightmare in which I have a section full of hungry, angry guests and the kitchen is totally backed up. It’s like those university dreams where you show up for an exam and realize you never attended class. (Other people have those dreams too, right? It’s not just me?)

Once I get a director of food and beverage in place the workload should ease up. I’m really excited about working with our management team to provide a seamlessly brilliant experience in Elixir, Opus Bar and Opus Hotel in 2007. Stay tuned, and swing by.

One last note. Condé Nast Traveler’s 2007 Gold List is out and once again Opus has been recognized as one of the top hotels in the world. What’s also cool is the write-up tells readers to “check out the general manager’s irreverent blog”. Thanks for the plug, CNT.

Wishing all of you a very happy new year! Hope to see you at Opus soon.