It was no problem at all for me to find Burnaby’s tallest building the other day, when I set out on foot to visit Element Vancouver Metrotown. The recently opened LEED certified Sovereign building is balanced on the corner of Kingsway and Willingdon, overlooking the activity of Metrotown, the tranquility of Central Park, with a panoramic view of the North Shore mountains and Deer Lake Park. Within it you’ll find Element, a fresh, re-imagined perspective on the extended stay experience with 169 stylish, sustainable rooms and suites with an atmosphere designed to fuel a life in balance and on the move.
Image courtesy of Element
The signature Westin white tea aroma welcomed me in the lobby area before I set out for my tour with VP Ken Boyd who introduced me to the Element brand.
Element Vancouver Metrotown features light-filled studio guest rooms and suites featuring a fluid design of modular furniture, swiveling flat-screen televisions, large desks with open shelving and custom-designed closets. Bathrooms are spa-inspired, with an invigorating rain shower and dual-flush toilet. Rooms also offer fully equipped kitchens and the signature Heavenly® Bed. Other brand signatures include a state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness centre, an indoor saline swimming pool, and more than 6,000 sq. ft. of prime meeting space with modular furnishings. Guests can stay on the move with Element’s complimentary bikes to borrow and enjoy fun and free extras including complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, the signature RISE breakfast, RELAX evening reception, and salon bar carts stocked with premium wines and beers, soft drinks and snacks, available after hours.
What impressed me was that for a hotel with fewer than 170 rooms, it had multiple spacious common areas, both inside and outside, with large patios and lots of comfy couches.
The food options were great as well. On top of the grab-n-go pantry in the lobby there’s also Nosh at street level and Trattoria by The Glowbal Collection which will be able to fulfill in-room dining orders, although the circular bar around the pizza oven provides great atmosphere.
Image courtesy of Glowbal
Win a Staycation at Element Vancouver Metrotown
If you would like to check out this brand new sustainable and modern hotel, I have a gift certificate to give away for a one night stay (for two) as well as a gift certificate for dinner at Trattoria (value $100). Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Element Vancouver Metrotown on Twitter and Facebook for more information. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, March 17, 2015.
Fine Print: For guest room reservations please call 604-568-3696. Reservations for this gift certificate cannot be made through Starwood.com, or through the toll-free reservations phone number. Please present original gift certificate upon check-in. Guest responsible for all incidental charges. Includes RISE breakfast buffet for two people per room, per day. Does not include alcoholic beverages or gratuities. Applicable guest room taxes included. Acceptance of this certificate is subject to hotel availability. Valid only at the Element Vancouver Metrotown. No cash value. Not for re-sale. One time use. No extension of expiry date or replacement of certificate if lost. Not valid with any other promotions, certificates, or discounts. Black-out dates may apply.
Update The winner is Christine W!
Vancouver has officially established long-lasting and passionate love affair with craft beer, and the growth of the craft beer industry in BC has been astounding in the last few years. The market share for artisanal beer in British Columbia has doubled in the past four years, from 9 per cent of all beer sales in 2009 to 19 per cent in 2013. Today, there are over 80 craft breweries in BC and there were 10 craft brewery openings slated for 2014 alone. So how can you take in all of this delicious, local beer and sample some of the best brews being made today? With the Vancouver Craft Brewery Shuttle, of course!
Photo credit:
brad. on Flickr
Vancouver Craft Brewery Shuttle
“I think people love craft beer because of the variety and taste,” says Ira Thomson, a tour operator for Wildside Vancouver, which runs the Vancouver Craft Beer Shuttle. “The atmosphere in a tasting lounge is awesome. Trying unique creations at different breweries and tasting rooms while beer is being brewed right in front of you.”
Wildside tarted doing their craft beer tours about 2 years ago, when there was only a fraction of the breweries there are now. Ira told me that since then the industry has grown — exploded to be precise — the demand for tours has definitely gone up. “It’s exciting as their are so many different options so each tour can be unique and the shuttle offers a way for people to see multiple locations in a single day.”
The Vancouver Craft Beer Shuttle operates as a connection between Main Street, Commercial Drive (East Vancouver area) and North Vancouver craft breweries. There are currently 7 breweries on the tour to ensure that the loop can be completed frequently enough and participants can “hop” from one to the next with ease. You can pay $5 per stop or ride all night for just $10 — it’s cheaper than a cab!
The Vancouver Craft Brewery Shuttle runs every Saturday from 3:00pm to 10:00pm, rain or shine, and it loops around every 90 minutes with more frequent runs during the evening. You’ll have enough time to enjoy a flight of craft beer tasters with your friends, then hop the shuttle to another brewery destination. En route, enjoy Brew Trivia and the chance to win prizes.
Follow Wildside Vancouver on Twitter and Facebook for more information about this shuttle and their other regional tours.
This Sunday, March 15th, BC’s camping reservation system will open for the season. From Cultus Lake and Sasquatch Park to Liard River Hot Springs, Wells Gray, and Mount Fernie, you can start planning your summer of camper, trailer, and tent camping around our beautiful province.
BC Camping Reservations
The BC camping reservation system connects you with 115 front country campgrounds in 99 provincial parks.
New for the 2015 camping season, families can now reserve campsites in Summit Lake, Juniper Lake, Whiskers Point and Kootenay Lake provincial parks. More campsites are also available in Mount Robson and Kentucky Alleyne provincial parks.
This year, Haynes Point and Okanagan Falls provincial parks are being managed by the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB). Campers to these Interior parks can expect the same recreational opportunities enjoyed previously. The Province and OIB are working to have both parks open April 1, 2015, for the camping season, and for Haynes Point to be on the Discover Camping system. The campground at Okanagan Falls remains first-come, first-serve.
Starting at 9:00am on March 15th, you can call 1-800-689-9025 or visit the Discover Camping website to book your exact campsite. You can make your reservations up to 3 months in advance of your arrival date. Up to three reservations can be made in one transaction for those looking to book more than one camping excursion.
If you’re looking to stay close to home, here are the closest BC Parks available for camping, within a 90 minute drive of Vancouver: Sasquatch Park; Golden Ears; Cultus Lake; Rolley Lake; Porteau Cove; Alice Lake.
You can read about more camping locations (from all parks services) in this post, and click here to find out about camping in north west Washington State.
The spirit of one of our favourite getaway destinations is coming to town as over 30 unique exhibitors from Salt Spring Island’s creative communities participate in the second annual Salt Spring in the City at Heritage Hall.
Salt Spring in the City
Salt Spring in the City returns Friday, March 27th until Sunday, March 29th with jewelers, potters, clothing designers, painters, wine-makers, candle-makers, cheese-makers, preserve-makers, woodworkers, sculptors, writers, musicians, and even poets.
Salt Spring Island is the largest of the Gulf Islands, located between the mainland and Vancouver Island, and it is known for its artist community. This event is a unique opportunity to pick up your favourite items from the island, and shop for some amazing finds.
Heritage Hall (3102 Main Street) will be open on for Salt Spring in the City on Friday, March 27th from 4:00pm to 9:00pm; Saturday, March 28th from 10:00am to 6:00pm, and on Sunday, March 29th from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Admission is $3 for adults, and $1 for kids — with partial proceeds going to Save-On-Meats’ Sandwich Token Program, which helps those in need. For more information visit the event website or check out Salt Spring in the City on Facebook.
Win An Amazing Gift Basket
As a proud media partner of the event, I have a gift basket to give away, filled with a bounty of goods from Salt Spring in the City exhibitors and valued at over $500! Here’s what is included:
Cherry Blossom Hoodie
Salt Spring Tweed cuff wristlet set
End of Her Rope Accessories necklace
Two Monkey Designs wooden toy and toque
Salt Spring Kitchen Company jam
Salt Spring Cheese
Bite Me Treats cookies
Zandra Stratford Painting 16×16
Julie Mackinnon Ceramics cup and saucer
Harosef Designs Love Tote
Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment naming an exhibitor at the 2015 show (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Salt Spring in the City on Twitter and Facebook for more information. The winner must be able to pick up the gift basket at the event, tickets are included in the prize. Prize cannot be exchanged for cash value. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, March 16, 2015.
Update The winner is Ramona!
During March and April I will be featuring a Cherry Blossom Photo of the Day, sourced from the Miss604 Flickr Pool and/or the #Photos604 tag on Instagram. You can barely walk a full block in the city without encountering a photographer capturing this pink blooms — or stopping yourself — so it’s the perfect time to start this series. Enjoy!
View more photography posts on Miss604 along with the Vancouver Photos of the Week – and be sure to tag your photos with #Photos604!
