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unesortiearaincouver-blog · 7 years ago

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Bonjour!

In this space I will be narrating all about the adventures that occurred in the great city of Vancouver, British Columbia during our field trip.

As part of our academic work, of course.

Shall we?

As required by our HMGT 2500 course, we attended site tours of many of the greatest hotel properties in the area, and got the opportunity to participate in other cool activities that I will be revealing throughout this blog, in a chronological manner.

But before we get to the main course, I will first reveal 5 key learnings I took away from this short, but valuable trip:

1. Service Attitude.

It is no surprise that this element was going to be present at all times during this field trip. Besides it being a key factor for success in the hospitality industry, it was quite interesting to see how it was also combined with the staff’s personalities and how this combination reflected the companies’ values, aesthetics, and overall environment.

The staff in charge of the touring was usually a Sales Executive, Event Coordinator, or someone in a position along those lines; and yet, everybody was a little different when it came to showcase their property to us. While some were incredibly outgoing and did not even hesitate to enthusiastically show us the deepest – or rather darkest – places within the property, others were a little shy, or more secretive, especially when it came to share what occurred behind the scenes. Nonetheless, the service attitude was a common element in everybody and although it was foreseeable, it was also something that did not fail to amaze me. Moreover, they did not just mention it during our Q&As, but genuinely showed it at all times to us and the guests staying over at their properties.

It became a hundred percent clear that in order to provide outstanding service while keeping things running smoothly in the back of the house, one must get their hands dirty and always be willing to help out regardless of what your role in the company is.

2. Presentation.

Let’s go beyond the saying “dress to impress”. As we visited both luxurious and casual places, it felt essential to be prepared for the occasion. For many, this may seem as an almost pretentious thing to do, but from a conservative standpoint, it is very necessary to present yourself accordingly especially in today’s climate, where competitiveness and professionalism are main elements to fulfill. It is pretty satisfying to know you can be taken seriously and that you are genuinely interested in the industry just by making a statement with your clothes and overall appearance. And as for wearing high heels all day long in the city, it was well-worth it. They are much more comfortable than wearing pointe shoes.

3. Hotel Scents.

It was quite naïve from me to not know this but some hotels have their own scents, on purpose. And that is why there is that unique smell whenever you walk into a lobby and wish your own home smelled like it. During the Shangri-La Hotel site tour, we learned that every Shangri-La property in the world has the exact same scent in order to create a special memory for guests and trigger a sense of home, working exceptionally well for those who are loyal to the hotel chain. The scent is called “The Essence of Shangri-La” and it is sprayed throughout the hotel utilizing the vents. It features bottom notes of vanilla, sandalwood, and musk, with top notes of light bergamot and tea spiced with ginger (Valhouli, 2017).

After reading a little more about the matter later on, I discovered that many properties in the world contract professional companies to create a unique scent that best describes both the personality and the environment of the hotel. Some of the most important fragrance-branding companies are Air Aroma, 12.29, and ScentAir, and they all have created sui generis scents for many of the most exclusive hotels in the world, as well as worked with many fashion houses like Valentino and artists like Lady Gaga.

4. Punctuality in the city.

Regardless of the city’s complexity, there is always an inconvenient little detail that may be a deal-breaker when it comes to being punctual when in a city.

Very used to the smallness (and calmness) of a small city like Kamloops, things got quite hectic whenever I relied on my previous knowledge of the streets of Vancouver, and there were many times when I got lost and had to quickly pull out my phone to beg and thank Google Maps for being there for me in desperate times. Having to rely on your feet’s speed is a whole different story.

A pretty big lesson here: always account for the littlest detail and never fully underestimate the relationship between tardiness and a city’s influences for it – whichever they may be…

5. Wake-Up Calls are always an option.

For many people, a stay in the Four Seasons means an out-of-this-world service and luxurious amenities, but for me it simply means an out-of-this-world bed and therefore, a good night sleep – something I have discovered I am almost incapable of getting on a regular basis. As I let the sheets embrace me and the pillow take my head to another dimension, I did not think of what waited for me the next mornings: a continuous fear of tardiness which I blamed on the extreme comfort of the Four Seasons bed that would not allow me to get out and on my feet, as I would look at the clock’s hands move faster and faster by the second.

In reality, I am not to blame the bed but my own actions of course. And throughout the three nights of sleeping like a newborn, it never occurred to me that I could have used the wake-up call service of the hotel (the out-of-this-world Four Seasons service!) till I was back, laying on my good ol’ dorm mattress, thinking how much adrenaline, fear, and constant panic I could have saved myself in the early mornings of our stay.

When in the Four Seasons, enjoy a good night sleep and an even better morning – with wake-up calls (or just simply do not hit the snooze option and get out of bed).

Besides these key learning points, I must say that the overall experience from this trip is something I truly cherish and appreciate as I got the chance to see, to a certain extent, all the theory I have learned in the past two years at TRU. But more of that in the next sections.

Please sit back, relax, and enjoy a cup of tea while you are at it as I try to best narrative the events that took place from March 11th – 14th, 2018 in Raincouver.

Enjoy!

References

Valhouli, C. (2017, May 12). Hotels' Signature Scents: How to Bring Them Home. Retrieved from https://www.andrewharper.com/articles/view/hotel-signature-scents-bring-them-home/

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unesortiearaincouver-blog · 7 years ago

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Day 1

On Sunday, March 11th, 2018 we departed from TRU and headed to Vancouver.

Because it was a travel day, and as it was already tiring by nature, we did not have a lot of commitments for the rest of the day after our arrival. A little after checking-in at the Four Seasons Hotel and choosing beds, Max, Hafdís and I decided to explore the area and have a drink while we were at it. I cannot recall the name of the bar we went to, unfortunately, but it was one of the many Irish pubs in the area.

We headed back to the hotel so we could all walk together to our first location of our group’s itinerary, Joey Bentall One.

When you walk into Joey Bentall One, located right in the heart of Vancouver, you immediately notice an incredible, well-balanced environment that combines both business and casual feels beautifully. Rather than pretentious, it is quite welcoming and inviting – I even mentioned at some point of the evening how great was the selection of music they had playing in the background. As we were a large party, we were seated right on the middle of the restaurant to fit everybody comfortably and accordingly, between the bar and some cozy, good-looking booths, as shown below:

The staff was well-prepared for our arrival as we were assigned two benign waitresses that did their best efforts to comply with the group’s necessities. The Menu seemed to adjust nicely to our established budget, offering a really good variety of options that were both affordable and enjoyable. The Happy Hour & Cocktails Menu as well as their well-thought Wine Menu also seemed to satisfy everyone’s sudden drinking whim.

My selection for the night was a BBQ Salmon Rice Bowl along with a soothing Sangria (about $25 in total, excluding taxes and gratuities).

Despite the fact that the billing process was going to be a little chaotic for this place - and for the vast majority of other places we were going to be visiting as a group, Joey Bentall One was a fantastic choice for us to have dinner, integrate us as a group with some quality social time, and inaugurate the first day of our unique field trip.

For a few of us, the evening did not end there but that shall remain off the records. A soul-abducting bed awaited in our guest rooms at the end of the night, and we were all excited for a pretty big and hectic day ahead.

¡Hasta mañana!

Joey Bentall One - 507 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC - Phone: 604 915 5639

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unesortiearaincouver-blog · 7 years ago

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Day 2

Monday, March 12th, 2018.

The clock hits 7:00 a.m. and the alarm goes off.

My pretty cool roommate Johanna and I had the hardest time waking up but an even worse time getting out of bed. Once again, what a mistake to leave your phone on the night table where you can immediately tap on the snooze option and enjoy 5 – or 20 – more minutes in the, oh, glorious Four Seasons bed. It is either that amazing or my back could not thank me enough for giving up my infamous dorm mattress for a few days. Alas, it was time to get on our feet and start running around.

The clock hits 9:00 a.m. and the group heads out to Parq Vancouver.

Site Tour No. Uno

Parq Vancouver

39 Smithe St., Vancouver, BC

Parq Vancouver is a new destination located in Downtown Vancouver that features – and quite literally – “everything in one place”. This exciting new spot in the city includes two luxury hotels that share access to the so-many amenities that Parq has to offer including a state-of-the-art – and downtown’s only – casino, 8 world-class restaurants and lounges, as well as 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, featuring Vancouver’s largest hotel ballroom too. To make this place even more special, a 30,000-square foot park can be found right on the sixth floor giving prominence to native trees.

What had me the most excited for this site tour were the Parq’s featured hotels. As a Marriott aficionado, I was incredibly happy to know that both hotels belong to this chain. On one hand, we have the JW Marriott, a brand that falls under the prestigious Marriott category of “Classic Luxury” that also includes the famous brands of The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis. On the other hand, however, we have an amazing contrast with the DOUGLAS, an Autograph Collection Hotel, that falls under the “Collections” Marriott’s portfolio, and which includes a variety of boutique and/or luxurious hotels with unique, individual takes on design and hospitality.

The clock hits 9:30 a.m. and we start our Parq Vancouver site tour.

The site tour was off to an outstanding start with the beautiful, brand-new lobby and cordial host, Lilian Wang, the Destination Sales Executive.

Our first stop was the JW Marriott.

The JW Marriott is thoroughly breathtaking and feels absolutely harmonious from the very first moment you walk in. And, on a personal note, that is the magic of the JW Marriott properties.

This hotel has 329 guest rooms that include 44 suites, 3 luxury suites, and a two-floor villa.

We had the opportunity to tour the two-floor villa which had very appealing aesthetics. It featured a cozy living room and dining room, a mini-kitchen, two bathrooms, a pool table, and a balcony with a view (and what a view it is). The bedroom was located on the second floor and it contained a more classy décor.

The bathrooms of the property were meticulously arranged to create a pleasing and consistent game of negative space, a term that in dance refers to the empty air within a given area, allowing guests to enjoy of comforting areas in a typical confined space – such as… bathrooms! – providing the ability to move freely while enjoying outstanding city views.

Some of the amenities that the JW offers are the Spa by JW and a state-of-the-art fitness studio, which both fit to perfection the classic, luxurious feel that the hotel emanates. It is also this relaxing and upscale environment that surprises all guests as you would expect a certain level of noise since it is a shared, big property; but regardless of this almost seamlessly aspect, any discomforting noise level that could perhaps infiltrate the atmosphere is most likely absorbed by the splendid décor and furniture throughout the property that accompanies its overall immaculate aesthetic.

Next stop, the DOUGLAS, an Autograph Collection Hotel.

The Douglas has an entire different feel from the JW Marriott, even though both properties are quite luxurious. The way this property presents itself is quite intriguing: it harmoniously blends urban and natural elements while obtaining a lowkey artsy sense, ideal for anyone who has and practices a contemporary outlook on traveling.

The hotel features 178 distinctive rooms and 10 extraordinary suites.

The guestroom felt cozy and caused the embracing sensation of receiving a big, warm hug when entering to it. Moreover, the guestroom’s lightning was darker than a conventional hotel room, which I thought was a pretty cool factor that complemented the nature-inspired and edgy atmosphere of the property.

The bathroom, however, had a much more high-end approach that reminded us about the luxury component of the hotel that sooner or later had to be showcased in a spectacular manner. In comparison to the JW, the arrangement seemed a little bit more conventional which I could have expected to be the other way around.

As for the amenities and services offered at The Douglas, some include mobility accessible rooms, 24-hour room service, luxurious bath amenities, lush linens and plush terry microfiber robes, and, my favorite, different original artwork for each room.

The overall décor of a guestroom can trigger the inside of a very exclusive cabin and as for the public areas of the property, an earthy air that one can adventurously dare to imagine as the depths of a perhaps futuristic or avant-garde image of the Canadian woods.

As mentioned before, Parq Vancouver has outstanding meeting facilities that are divided in indoor venues and outdoor venues. On of the most important are the Parq Grand Ballroom for big occasions as it can accommodate up to 1,560 guests, and the Fairview Terrace, on the 4th floor, for a more intimate event but that can still accommodate up to 100 guests.

Unfortunately, we were not able to tour the back of the house of any of these properties to get an insight of departments such as Food & Beverage or Housekeeping, but everything we did get to witness was eye candy.

The clock hits 11:15 a.m. and we make our way to Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

We took a short break at the Vancouver Art Gallery patio, where we discussed our previous site tour and prepared us for the next.

Parq Vancouver had paved the way and I had pretty high expectations for our following visits.

The clock hits 11:30 a.m. and we start our “The Castle in the City” site tour.

Site Tour No. Deux

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

900 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC

A very cheerful and enthusiastic Carly Burton, Executive Meeting Manager of the property, welcomed us and walked us through the lobby, explaining the new renovations they had done to better improve the upscale image of a historic 80-year old building.

Walking through the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver felt like walking into a maze with endless possibilities. One minute you were in a public area among guests and on the next, you were saying hi to a joyous employee behind the scenes. And yet more surprises awaited… but more of that in a little bit.

The good ol’ castle features 557 guestrooms and suites, all equipped with the signature Fairmont’s world-class luxury and elegance, and never failing to include the much-needed modern amenities to meet their guests’ needs.

We got the opportunity to tour the marvelous Royal Suite, where many iconic personalities have stayed before, such as Queen Elizabeth back in 1939, and more recently, Michelle Obama. The 900-square foot suite had a unique tasteful décor and very comfortable common areas.

All guestrooms include the common and standard amenities such as air-conditioning, a coffee/tea maker, cable flat screen tv, refreshment center, in-room business amenities, among many others; and let’s not forget about the great city views each room has, with windows that open to the outside.

The hotel also features two grand ballrooms and 16 meeting rooms (with many more currently under construction), the option to dine at their on-site Notch8 Restaurant & Bar, a state-of-the-art health club with an indoor pool, and the Fairmont Gold Floor that offers personalized concierge service.

It is essential to mention too that the hotel is pet-friendly and even has 2 four-legged staff members who lay down… ehem, pardon me, work at Front Desk!

The noise levels vary throughout the property. A peaceful, adequate, and relaxing environment is always present in guestroom levels, while common areas such as meeting spaces and lounges have a more vivid atmosphere.

The décor and furniture of the hotel is absolutely stunning. Throughout the entire property you can find very Instagrammable spots where the walls (and ceiling, and floors, and even furniture) are literally begging people to take artsy shots of to be later posted on social media.

Time to get to my favorite part of the hotel: behind the scenes.

Let’s start with a quick trip to Housekeeping, shall we?

The Housekeeping department was so neat and organized, especially on the laundry facilities, that any person with OCD could instantaneously be satisfied just by taking a look at the room. Perfectly organized by hotel sections, levels, and room numbers, housekeepers’ only worry must just be a sore back, rather than getting rid of wrinkles from the freshly clean bedsheets. An outstandingly well-coordinated department.

Going through the countless hallways to get to the kitchen facilities felt like trying to solve for the most difficult crossword on a Sunday’s newspaper. On our way, we saw many of the employee facilities like a cozy dining room and the coolest nap room, which featured a mini library and homelike couches. Once we got to a kitchen, we were offered cookies and in that moment, I could not be more in love with the hotel and their staff – the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.

We then met with the head of the Engineering department because, as a friendly reminder, we were paying a visit to an 80-year old property. This gentleman cared to explain to us the technical (and, on a personal note, incomprehensible) aspects that the Engineering department oversees such as utilities and overall maintenance of the property. He quickly took over the tour and began to show us around the area.

Our first stop was his office… my dream office.

While in it, he explained how the property could not fully rely on today’s technology and that that was actually one of the property’s greatest advantage against its competitive set: when something stops working, they can simply fix it manually and right away.

A little bit off topic, he carried on with the tour by telling us a ghost story that had been circulating among employees for decades now. The story was about a ghostlike woman who wore a red dress and who was seen by many wandering around that area of the hotel. According to him, he would become one of the few to ‘see’ her when, one day, he was looking for a specific room where he had to take care of a maintenance task, and ended up discovering a dark room he wasn’t quite familiar with. As he curiously entered it to see what it was about, he could see that standing far in the distance was a woman wearing a red dress, staring. He proceeded to slowly back off and go back right where he came from. Maintenance could be postponed for a while.

He would later go to a Value Village store, buy a red dress, and scare the loving life of his co-workers on their Halloween party, which was held in the coolest place of the property. And I know I have previously called other places ‘the coolest’, but the more places behind the scenes we got to explore, the more I kept changing my mind. I am sure, however, that the place where he took us next was the coolest amongst all. After walking some more through the ridiculously complicated maze that was the hotel, we soon arrived at a room where the entrance read a quote alluding to Halloween. Finally, we were at the venue. Oh, and sixty feet under the city level.

It was awesome to encounter, and quite literally, an almost backstage of a theatre in one of the most luxurious hotels in Vancouver. Most of the random stuff that were stored in that space had been there since dinosaurs ruled the world, but this gentleman was not also your average employee and had had something to do with the room’s particular décor. It was clear that he had taken his college inner-self to work with him, as he had re-arranged some of the stuff and brought some others to create one of the most unique working environments I have ever seen. The space served to constantly scare engineering employees with the often appearances of new scenarios (but on a serious note though, it could have almost been foreseeable by now, no?) and for the department’s parties. It also served as the official venue for a haunted house, arranged specifically for Halloween night, for the employees’ children. I honestly envy these childhood memories of theirs. He had even installed a zipline and had put fluorescent paint on specific spots to be seen in the dark while one went on it. Genius. Take notes/that, Google and Universal Studios.

I was pretty amazed by the creativity and freedom that this gentleman had to be able to showcase and put to work not only his working professional skills but imagination. What was even more amazing was the fact that not even Carly, who had been working at the property for many years now, had ever been down there. She was as surprised as the rest of us.

Back to the ground level, we perambulated around the property for a little longer before having to say good-bye to Carly and all of her amazing staff. We finished the site tour way later than expected so most of us did not get to have a proper meal for lunch. The lunch I had may have been the lightest lunch I have ever had because it was only a few sips of vitamin water. Did not even get the chance to taste the vitamins when…

The clock hit 1:30 p.m. and we all met at the lobby of the Shangri-La Hotel.

Site Tour No. 三

Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver

1128 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC

Mathilde Bonin, the Human Resources Coordinator, and a crew of about three other executive staff members joined us and introduced us to the quietest hotel I have ever stepped on. The constant quietness, only shyly interrupted by a piano sonata, by some relaxing instrumental music with Asian influences, or by my stomach’s growls, and the signature scent of the hotel, are the two aspects that stuck with me the most after this site tour. But without further ado, let’s get to it.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver is a 62-storey, 200-meter long building, which makes it the tallest building in the city, eagerly intriguing the Vancouver’s skyline. The property’s aesthetics are based on both distinct Asian and contemporary touches that create a blend of a sophisticated and au naturel feel that spreads out, smoothly, to every single corner of the hotel.

The hotel features 119 guestrooms and suites, all equipped with the highest-end and latest technology available.

The guestrooms and suites are divided in the following categories: Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Executive King Room with Balcony, Executive Suite, One Bedroom Suite, Deluxe One Bedroom Suite, and the biggest suite, the Orchid Suite.

The bathrooms were, in my honest opinion, another bedroom within a bedroom. The majority of them were pretty petit compared to the ones from the previously visited properties, but they still loyally serve their purpose. One is even able to choose whether to look at yourself in the mirror or watch the news in the built-in tv attached to it… a deal-breaker for those who need to put in order their priorities.

The hotel’s amenities include a 24-hour business centre with a private meeting space with state-of-the-art technology and conferencing facilities; a 24-hour health club; a private studio for yoga, stretching, Pilates, and dance; an outdoor swimming pool; and Chi, the Spa, an amenity that features all-treatment suites with their own fireplace, private baths, and relaxation lounge.

Dining options include the Market Restaurant that features Modern Pacific cuisine, the Xi Shi Lounge that is more inclined to offer Gastro pub food, and a Ginger Juice Bar (adjacent to the health club) that offers blended fruit smoothies and healthy snacks.

As for meeting facilities, the Shangri-La has a total of 8 function venues that can be altered by removing or adding air walls and utilizing the foyers. A really cool venue is the Blue Moon Theatre, with its comfy cinema-style seats, that sometimes is used by staff members for meetings.

A disappointing meeting space for me and my stereotypical/prejudicial standpoints was the library as the furniture arrangement seemed rather awkward and as it barely contained any books. I may have been let down by it because the word “library” is depicted as something very different in my mind that did not meet my standards. If taken from an avant-garde point of view, however, the space could pass more as a statement to define the space rather than an actual library. But then again, it serves its function as a meeting space, and it probably cannot be altered in ways I wish it was because of this.

We were once again unable to get a sneak peak of what the back of the house looked like but if I can speak for the group, I would not doubt for a second on concurring why the property is rated as a AAA Five Diamond one. Overall, it is a stunning and absolutely relaxing hotel with friendly, great staff that clearly provides world-class hospitality to their guests.

The clock hit 3:00 p.m. and we were still on the Q&A at the Shangri-La Hotel when we were supposed to be touring the Four Seasons Hotel but we were also staying there so it did not seem to bother anyone.

The clock hits 3:30 p.m. and we start our tour of the Four Seasons (starving).

Site Tour No. Quattro

Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver

791 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC

The Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver is another old building that goes through constant renovations in efforts to keep their luxurious image up-to-date. During our stay, for instance, the electric escalator that connected the ground-level lobby with the second-floor one was receiving maintenance for at least two days in a row. As seamlessly as one tries to get things fixed and especially in public areas, these types of inconveniences happen and it is perfectly understandable to having to risk the annoyance of some guests in exchange for the satisfaction and commodity of others.

The hotel has 372 guestrooms including 66 luxury suites.

Although we did not get the chance to tour more guestrooms other than our own – with the exception of a lovely suite – one can conclude that the overall feel of the guestrooms is a simple, classic décor that features light colors that lead to a soothing, tranquil environment.

Our bathroom was quite spacious with a clean, ample counter yet I know this was not the case for everybody. It was lovely, regardless.

The toured suite was delightful and had very good lightning, as every ray of the setting sun was trespassing the clear curtains and hitting us right on the face through the windows.

The suite’s décor resembled an upscale, beautiful doll house but with the maturity, simplicity, and elegance that characterizes the Four Seasons. It also featured artwork that I found to be both intriguing and compelling.

The hotel offers a great variety of amenities and services that include a workout centre, a 24-hour business centre, spa, and an indoor/outdoor pool – the only of its kind in the city. As for dining options, the hotel features the YEW Seafood (Restaurant) + Bar that offers exceptional seafood cuisine as well as a great selection of wines with 300 choices by the glass. Another alternative is the 24-hour daily in-room dining.

The property also features meeting spaces that can be adjusted on their size by combining or taking away sections. For instance, the Park Ballroom is divided into three sections (A, B, and C) that altogether conform a 516-square meter function room. Other options include the third-floor foyer, Le Pavillon I and II, among others. This hotel was also shy when it came to showcase the back of the house so we could not take a look at areas like Housekeeping or the back offices.

The clock did not hesitate to hit 4:45 p.m. and in the blink of an eye, we were heading to the renowned Cin Cin Restaurant & Bar for dinner.

Cin Cin Restaurant & Bar

1154 Robson St., Vancouver, BC

Our large party arrived and we got seated right away at the beautiful Wine Room on a much more private area of the restaurant.

The waiters patiently waited for us to choose our courses from the pre-fixed menu. Once everybody had chosen, they continued to kindly wait for us while it took us an eternity to go through the extensive Wine and Cocktail Menus. I decided on a Tropical Sunset cocktail that did not manage to excite me as much as the food I was eager to get my cutlery on.

Editor’s Note: I remembered to shoot a picture of my food until the very last course but here is a photo of my chosen dessert to make up for the bitterness.

The evening went quite differently compared to the night at Joey’s but I presume it was because we were all starving and exhausted. We still had a pretty good time except when politics was brought to the table. My sincere apologies.

And as the evening was coming to an end for some and was just getting started for others, our official itinerary was over with and so was our second day at Raincouver, where it had not rained.

Epilogue

As we entered the Parq Vancouver lobby, I could not help to immediately lay my eyes on the one and only Dance of Time I sculpture, one of the most famous Salvador Dalí ’s artworks, and an iconic symbol of surrealist art. I was absolutely exhilarated that they were showcasing one of my favorite Dalí ’s on-site. What a way to make up for a breakfastless morning.

“The famous soft watches are nothing else than the tender, extravagant, solitary, paranoic-critical camembert of time and space.” – Salvador Dalí

The clock hits right now and it does not stop.

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unesortiearaincouver-blog · 7 years ago

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Day 3

Tuesday, March 13th, 2018.

In Hispanic and Greek culture, a Tuesday the 13th is considered a day of bad luck just like Friday the 13th is for many, many others. If you like to randomly Google search things like I do, I suggest that on your next one, you just simply type “Tuesday the 13th”. The results will show how, too, in other countries like Spain and Argentina, this date is also considered a misfortunate one.

I am not really a superstitious person so when I saw the date right before hitting the alarm’s snooze option once again, I really did not even make the connection that the day’s date meant bad luck.

I continued to sleep until Joha came out of the bathroom and I realized I had practically no time to get ready in a peaceful manner, like every woman likes to (or so I want to believe). For a moment, I finally made the connection of why the date seemed so oddly controversial and I just hoped it was far from being true. With my heart skipping a beat every now and then, I managed to shower and get ready, breaking a new personal timing record.

My amazing roommate had left already to get us breakfast and the group was already on its way to our first appointment of the day, the offices of Tourism Vancouver. I quickly pulled a power walk to catch up with everyone, as I visualized the streets of Vancouver in my head trying to figure out the best shortcut, and always keeping an eye on the extensive group of people dressed in a business attire making their way downtown. I kept hoping that all the pedestrian lights would turn green every time I reached a corner, and every time they would.

After walking faster enough to make my legs sore already, I caught up with the group on West Cordova St., right on time. After all, it seemed that luck was on my side and it just had been a rough wakening. Got to blame it on the Four Seasons bed, am I right?

Tourism Vancouver

9:00 a.m.

Suite 210 – 200 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC

The Tourism Vancouver presentation, mainly in charge of the Client Manager, Susan Graham, gave us an insight and a better understanding of how unionizing sales efforts and marketing strategies, assuage both Tourism Vancouver and the hospitality industry of the city to help each other to attract hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue when they get all types of markets to visit Vancouver. It was interesting to listen at how Tourism Vancouver also serves as an intermediator that canalizes and sends information where needed to create the perfect business relationship: match the right customer with the right provider at the right time.

While on the meeting, I had accidentally dropped my sugar package on the latte that Joha had kindly gotten me but I did not consider that to be bad luck as it had been pure clumsiness from my end. It actually felt as if I had luck on my side as I had managed to make it on time after a crazy, hectic morning. That being said, I wanted to be able to confirm or not whether the so-infamous reputation of the day was true, so I initiated a little game to test it out. So far, the initial scoreboard’s points looked like this:

Erika 1 – 0 Bad Luck

Vancouver Convention Center

10:00 a.m.

1055 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

The Vancouver Convention Center is an award-winning facility known as one of the leading convention centers worldwide. The facility has two main buildings, the East Building and the West Building, and combined, it creates 466,500 square feet of meeting, exhibition, function, ballroom, and theatre space. It was designed to simultaneously cater many events, which makes it a venue with the facility of attracting over 500 events and hosts hundreds of thousands of attendees a year.

It was inaugurated in 1987 and it has been generating huge amounts of economic profits for the Province ever since, by promoting Vancouver as a hot destination for memorable and sustainable experiences.

The venue was awarded the world’s first double LEED Platinum Certified Convention Centre. Many of their constant efforts to be sustainable include:

- The roof is actually a living one that is home to beehives that help pollinate the plants on it

- A black water treatment plant recycles grey and black water from washrooms that is used for rooftop irrigation

- Natural light and ventilation are top priorities that are maximized throughout the entire venue

- They take advantage of the seawater for the cooling and heating of the facility

I probably could not give Rod MacLean, our site tour host, enough credit for the amazing job he did at explaining all about this place.

Fly over Canada

11:15 a.m.

201 – 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

A fun ride. Short, but fun.

With the use of state-of-the-art technology, the ride features 8 minutes of a journey across Canada. The flying experience included wind, mist, and different smells that added to the natural and urban landscapes of this great country.

Tip: always look to the front. You do not want to spoil this flying experience by looking to the side and realizing you can watch your dangling feet’s reflection through the projectors’ screens. Whoops, I guess I just spoiled it for you.

After a safe landing, we had time to go grab lunch on our own. And as we were off schedule once again, Joha and I decided to grab pizza by the slice nearby. We made a quick stop at a Starbucks to use the bathroom – and get some iced chai tea latte, and then we carried on with our quest of feeding ourselves and not having to suffer from hunger like the previous day.

But maybe the 13ths that happen to land on a Tuesday actually do mean bad news. As we were coming back from the pizza place to attend the next appointment on schedule, we felt pretty confident on our knowledge of the city and decided to proceed without the use of any GPS. Very similar to “Marshall vs. the Machines”, if you are familiar to the show How I Met Your Mother. To our surprise, we discover that in our specific case, the machines were much more powerful than our own human knowledge. We got lost. And by the time we figured out where the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel was, we were about 30 minutes late already.

Tip No. 2: always rely on Google Maps, the human mind is treacherous.

Oh, and the scoreboard?

Erika & Joha 1 – 1 Bad Luck

Site Tour Fairmont Waterfront Hotel

1:00 p.m. (or 1:30 p.m., if you will)

1038 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC

The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel was astounding and very neat. With outstanding West Coast panoramic views, the hotel had a completely different feel from Fairmont Hotel Vancouver even if both possessed the Fairmont’s signature friendly attitude of service.

The hotel’s guestrooms are categorized in the Fairmont Room, Fairmont Terrace Room, Deluxe Partial Harbor View Room, Signature Harbor View Room, and Signature Harbor View Corner Room; but I am sure that if you were to stay at the property it would not matter which guestroom, you would still enjoy of some outstanding views and world-class luxury and comfort. The suites include the West Coast Suite, Vista Suite, Garden Suite, Royal Suite, and Harbor View One- bedroom and Two-bedroom Suites.

The property features a heated outdoor pool with a view, a herb garden that is also home to beehives, a health club, as well as Guest and Business Services. Yes, it is essential to mention that this hotel is also pet friendly! Hooray!

The dining options include the on-site ARC Restaurant that features urban artisan food, the ARC Bar with live music every night of the week, and In-Room dining.

As for function spaces, the hotel is well-known for catering events like weddings and meetings to perfection. The property has function rooms in 4 levels: the lobby, level 3, level 2, and the concourse level with a total of 12 rooms which are a combination of foyers, ballrooms, boardrooms, suites, and function rooms. The Waterfront Ballroom is the biggest meeting space of the property by being able to host 788 guests.

The hotel was a little louder in comparison to the ones we had previously visited but it did not seem to affect the classy and upscale environment nor seemed to affect any of the guests. The décor was high-toned and compelling.

When the tour site ended, we headed back to the Four Seasons and Raincouver finally started to show its true colors with its grey skies forecasting an intense rainfall. Afraid that it could rain at any moment now and having acknowledged that I, of course, had left my umbrella at the hotel, I was ready to accept my beginner’s bad luck and give in to the scoreboard’s new numbers but, and to my surprise and relief, I made it to the hotel safe and dry.

Erika 2 – 1 Bad Luck

Granville Island Brewery

4:00 p.m.

1441 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, BC

Having changed outfits and relaxed for a little, Hafdís, Joha, Max, and I took a cab to Granville Island and walked around while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. The next thing on our itinerary was to pay a visit to the famous Granville Island Brewery.

Once the group was reunited, we were divided into two so one group could tour the brewery while the other got to do some beer tasting.

My group got to do the tasting first, so we were soon walked into a little, cozy tasting room, where we sat at a family-style table, and were placed 3 tasters of 5oz each in front of us. A very nice lady explained to us what we had right before our eyes, and we were encouraged – or rather peer-pressured – to drink up as she spoke.

Our tasters featured the Sunshine Coast Hefeweizen, the Lions Winter Ale, and the Infamous IPA. I have enlisted them in the order in which I liked them best as I discovered that the lower the beer’s IBU, the more likely my palate was going to be able to tolerate it. That explains why the Hefeweizen’s IBU of 15 won over the IPA’s infamous IBU of 55.

Right after my group had drunk up, it was our turn to tour around the brewery to see how the beer that our stomachs had in store now had been initially made.

And although I am not a beer fan, it was an overall nice and pleasing experience.

Bistro 101

6:00 p.m.

Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts

101 – 1505 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC

Bistro 101 is the equivalent of TRU’s Accolades Dining Room but for the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.

We even got to tour the back of the house and observe the dynamic of the classrooms and working spaces of the soon-to-be professional chefs that attend the Institute.

The restaurant features a Market Menu and a West Coast Buffet, but for our group they had arranged a 3-course dinner, very similar to the dynamic we followed at Cin Cin.

The sitting arrangement was kind of sad as the group got separated into two different tables but we all seemed to be fine with it.

It was nice to see another extensive Wine Menu until you realize there is too many options and the situation turns overwhelming. I ended up going for a glass of (White) Cliffhanger, an off-dry and nice white blend of Viognier, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris.

From our dinner menu I chose the Potato, Bacon & Corn Chowder as my appetizer, Ling Cod as my entrée, and the passionfruit + Kalamansi for dessert.

This was our last meal together as a group and with which we concluded our official appointment-part of the itinerary. I can say it went quite smoothly and very lowkey as everybody was starting to realize how exhausting and hectic the city life can be – and yet still the most exciting, in my opinion.

After we figured out the billing chaos (something that I was definitely not going to miss from the trip), we took a cab back to the hotel.

Some of us concluded the trip at Celebrities, on 1022 Davie St., where my Tuesday the 13th’s bad luck made a small appearance when at the end of the night I realized that I had cracked my phone’s screen. What a game it had been.

The final scoreboard:

Erika 2 – 2 Bad Luck

A draw…

The rest shall remain a mystery.

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