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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Review — I was not paid to write this post, or any other, and a review was not expected. I did have 1 complimentary night at The Burrard. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
The Burrard Hotel has recently undergone a complete renovation, overhaul, re-branding, and everything else associated with bringing this 1950s style motor hotel up to Vancouver’s world-class city standards. Tipping their hat to their roots, you can find retro charms like plastic patio furniture in the swinging garden courtyard mixed with modern amenities like complimentary WIFI and a guest iMac in the lobby.
The Burrard fell into disrepair for decades, sporting the same heavy, smokey 1970s decor until new management tore it apart in 2010. Over a year later, it re-opened last fall with more than just a fresh coat of paint. Walls were torn apart to upgrade wiring and plumbing, carpeting was completely re-done, and the antiquated furniture was replaced, and a re-branding was in order. Playing a bit with their old image, the new branding incorporates a sharp font, bright colours, and hip activity ideas for your visit.
Before the renovations, in 2010. Photo courtesy of The Burrard.
After the renovations. My photos from 2012.
I don’t envision The Burrard as an ideal destination for large families spending a week-long vacation in the city as it doesn’t have things like a restaurant or a pool and the rooms have just one bed. However, its appealing price point, value, location, and amenities are perfect for a grown-up weekend downtown for an event or concert, conference or corporate getaway. It’s close to the Granville entertainment district, walking distance to shopping on Robson, and right along the bus line that will take you to Kitsilano, Granville Island, and much more that the city has to offer.
I liked that the WIFI was included (pay WIFI is a common hotel guest complaint), the parking was gated (accessed using your room key-card), there are complimentary rental bikes, and the rooms were cozy with a pod coffee maker, iPod dock/clock radio, and a large flat-screen TV. I’m not a huge fan of the cheeky quotes found in the stairwells but that could be appealing to others. However, playing my web-developer nerd card, I am a fan of the font used for the messaging.
Right now one night at The Burrard runs from $93 to $119 – which is a pretty great deal for downtown. With the “old Burrard” behind them, they have already climbed up to be #16 on Trip Advisor’s list of hotels in Vancouver (as of March 2012). After having breakfast with General Manager Dani Pretto, and learning more about the dedicated staff, I see a bright future for The Burrard. Follow them on Twitter @TheBurrard for news and updates.
Despite the chilly weather and frozen rain pelting down on the coast, winter is almost over and local company Spring Advertising is once again hosting “Boink Day” to celebrate. On the first day of spring, March 20, 2012, stop by the Vancouver Art Gallery for a public pogo challenge in support of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.
WhatBoink Day 2012 Where Georgia side of the Vancouver Art Gallery When Tuesday, March 20, 2012 From 7:00am to 7:00pm.
For every pogo bounce performed by participants, Spring Advertising will donate 10 cents to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. The public can also make cash or non-perishable food item donations on-site. You can stop by to be a spectator, donator, or pogo-bouncer for however long you like.
Follow Spring Advertising on Twitter or Facebook for more information.
BC Place will be transforming into Canada’s largest indoor carnival for spring break this year as it once again becomes PlayDome.
Rides
The 100-foot “Mega Drop” will be joined by 45 other rides like the Zero Gravity spinner, the Ring of Fire, the Super Shot, 1001 Nights, the Ferris Wheel, the Zipper and more. Games, attractions, and a carnival concession will top off the experience.
Hours
PlayDome is only around from Friday, March 16th to Tuesday, March 20th, 2012. It will be open every day from 10:00am to 9:00pm except on the very first day when it will open at 2:00pm.
Tickets
Options include a $25 Dome Pass (valid for all rides), a $6 Guest Pass (required to enter as a spectator), and a $40 Ultimate Pass (multi day Dome Pass). Children under 2 years old are free but cannot go on the rides, for safety reasons. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
In honor of this festive event, the Northern Lights 360 degree light display around BC Place will be illuminated with a colourful carnival theme.
Update I sent John Biehler to BC Place to take some photos during a sneak preview of the carnival.
Elvis Costello & The Impostors play the Orpheum in Vancouver April 10, 2012 at the Canadian debut of their Spinning Songbook Tour.
At each performance, select fans are invited on stage to spin the songbook wheel, creating a different set at each show. The gameshow-style songbook wheel contains over 40 hits, rarities, and a few surprise selections.
For a warm-up, you can visit Elvis Costello’s website to spin a digital songbook and hear pieces from his collection.
From Vancouver, the tour will head to Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, San Diego, LA, then over to Florida and North Carolina. Tickets are currently on sale through Live Nation for $34.50, $59.50, $79.50, and $99.00 (plus fees).
I also have a pair of tickets to give away to a reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win Elvis Costello tickets from @LiveNationWest & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/9COY9
I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Tuesday, March 19, 2012 at 11:00am.
Flickr, the popular photo sharing site, began in Vancouver back in 2004. Now owned by Yahoo!, it has grown to over 50 million users worldwide. It offers Creative Commons licensing on images, privacy settings, a free version (as well a paid, pro version), and intuitive search functions.
I have been a Flickr user since 2004 and have been curating my Miss604 Flickr Pool for Metro Vancouver since 2008. The benefits are numerous but my top reasons for sharing my photos on Flickr include the licensing options, tags (for being searchable), and the community of people that will see (and potentially share) your work. John actually had a photo of his published in a book about craft beer in the Pacific Northwest after the author searched Flickr and came across his shots from Howe Sound Brewing.
The famous “kissing couple” photo from the 2011 riot in Vancouver was also posted to Flickr by Rich Lam and then licensed through Getty Images.
There are several other Vancouver-related Flickr Group to which users add their images so I thought I would profile a handful.
Vanishing Vancouver
Group Link: Vanishing Vancouver
Description: “This group is for photos of disappearing aspects, or little fragments of the city that won’t be around much longer. Maybe you have a photo of a house down the street that’s slowly falling apart, or perhaps a building downtown facing the wrecking ball, or maybe you’ve even got some photos of some places that are already gone. Then this is the group for you!”
What’s left of the Pantages Theatre. Vanishing Vancouver. Photo credit: Photocat62 on Flickr
Vancouver Transit Group Link
Description: “Photos and discussion about Vancouver’s transit system, including buses and trolleys, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and the West Coast Express.”
Vancouver Transit. Photo credit: rbrtwhite on Flickr
Guess Where Vancouver Group Link
Description: “In this group you should post intriguing pictures of something (people, places, things) in Vancouver. Vancouver is being defined by the group as the GVRD (now known as Metro Vancouver). You post a photo. We guess where it was taken. Participating is a great way to get to know the city — or show off how well you know your ‘hood.”
Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay Group Link
Description: “Please add your photos of Medal-Bearers taking part in the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay. We would also love to see photos of community activities as the Relay passes through your town/city. All photos posted here will appear on RickHansenRelay.com.”
Rick Hansen Relay. Photo credit: heatherinpei on Flickr
Foncie’s Fotos Group Link
Description: “Street photographer Foncie Pulice must have shot over a million people walking along Granville Street in Vancouver between 1946 and 1979. He’d hand you a ticket as you passed which you could redeem for your picture after 24 hours. There must be tens of thousands of these photos kicking around in albums, scrapbooks, etc. Do you have any?”
My Opa on Granville, captured by Foncie.
While the Foncie’s group doesn’t have very many members, I wanted to profile it in case there are any other Foncie photos out there. I wrote about Foncie Pulice back in 2007 when I first came across my Opa’s photo. His story is a very interesting slice of local street photography history.
To add your Flickr photos to a group click on Actions > Add to Group. Only groups that you have joined will appear in the list.
Be sure to read the group’s rules before adding your images as well. Some have daily limits on the number of photos you can share and others are very specific about the type of images they allow in the pool. Pay particular attention to the rules for Guess Where Vancouver, which can be a really fun visual trivia game.
Feel free to add your Metro Vancouver & Fraser Valley images to the Miss604 Flickr Pool to share with others and for possible feature on Miss604.com.
Rides
