Canada Travel Guide
Tags: Olympics Hotels / Whistler Hotels / 2010 Olympics Hotels / Pan Pacific Hotels / → All Tags
Pan Pacific Hotels in Whistler Still Have Rooms Open for The Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics will kick off in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada in just a few short months and we fer sure thought that the city's and ski resort's hotel rooms would be long gone by now. In fact, wasn't someone planning to dock a cruise ship in Vancouver to increase the hotel room supply?
Well, thankfully you won't have to train your sea legs. You just have to dip into your savings. The Pan Pacific Whistler has released a limited supply of suites for "public consumption." (Yes, that's what the press release actually said.)
The rooms are open from February 11 to February 28, 2010 at both the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside and Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre. Guests must reserve a five-night minimum stay. The average room rate is about $1,119 CAD a night for a 1-bedroom suite with a mountain view. Yes, we know. $1,119 a night. And in U.S. dollars it's not that much of a difference--$1,080.
Tags: Fairmont Hotels / Room Rate Gimmicks / Quebec Hotels / HotelChatter Reader Deals / → All Tags
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Turns 110, Offers Rooms for $110 a Night
Another gimmicky hotel rate! Although, this takes place in Quebec and it's a Fairmont Hotel so it's a little pricier (and Frencher) than other room rate gimmicks we've seen as of late.
The stunning, cliffside Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu is turning 110 years old and to celebrate, the hotel is offering rates for--you guessed it--$110 a night. While the stays are good through December 22, you must book between October 12 to 31. The rate is also open based on availability. The hotel suggests you call in person at 1-888-403-9199 to book. Normally, rooms are about $170CAD a night.
So what do you get for $110 a night? Well, nothing really besides a room which is non-refundable and full pre-payment is required.
Tags: Hotel Delays / Gansevoort Hotels / Gansevoort Hotel Group / Toronto Hotels / Hotel Hype / → All Tags
The Gansevoort Toronto Will Have To Wait
We thought having to wait until 2011 for the Gansevoort Toronto was already too long of a waiting period but thanks to credit woes, it looks like we'll have to keep waiting some more. Maybe forever. Scene Advisor reports that the project has been "halted" before ground was even broken. They also said that construction was to begin in 2010 with an opening date of some time in 2012. But we think you will to wait even longer.
We checked in with the hotel's construction company, TAS DesignBuild, and Steve Fernandez said this about hotel's construction timeline:
Final opening date is not confirmed, as will commence with the start of the selling of the project.
Hmmm....According to a rep for the Gansevoort Hotel Group, the Gansevoort Toronto is still something they are interested in opening once construction plans are more finalized.
In the meantime, we'll focus our energy on Gansevoort Park Ave South and possible locations in London and Istanbul.
Tags: Film Festival Hotels / Toronto Hotels / Hotel Packages / Fairmont Hotels / → All Tags
The Fairmont Royal York's 'TIFF and the City' Package for Film Festival Folks
From September 10 to 19th, all eyes will be on the big screen (and big-time celebs) at the 34th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where more than 300 films will be presented. Thanks to our little bro, Jaunted, we already know that this year's roster includes "Whip It," Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, "Up in the Air," starring George Clooney, and a smaller film called "Precious" which is backed by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, both of whom are expected to show.
Now, what would a film festival be without a hotel package to go along with it? A wasted opportunity which is why the The Fairmont Royal York has introduced its “TIFF and the City” package.
Tags: Hotel Packages / Montreal Hotels / Loews Hotels / → All Tags
Montreal's Hotel Vogue Will Pack a French Picnic For You
Oh, Montréal, ever the cultured temptress: Culture hounds forgoing their Parisian jaunts this summer can get their French art fix in our northernly neighbor. To help them out, Loews Hôtel Vogue is offering a package called “Culture and Nature à la Montréal Style,” which helps guests “experience the beauty of Montreal both indoors and outside.”
In other words, that means overnight lodgings, two museum passes to the renowned Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and an oh-so-French picnic lunch for two packed in a keepsake backpack. (Think sandwiches, baguette with local cheeses, mixed salad, pita chips, fresh fruit, cookies, and bottle water.)
Tags: Summer Cocktails / Hotel Cocktails / Fairmont Hotels / Toronto Hotels / → All Tags
The Fairmont Royal York's Festive Buzz
We've kicked off our Summer Cocktails series where we profile fun new summer drinks that hotels are making. Got one we should know about? Send us the recipe with a photo of the drink. Otherwise, enjoy and @reply us when you're wasted!
We know all about the 40,000 bees living atop the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, but we had no idea that they could give us a really good buzz.
The three beehives on the hotel's rooftop terrace produce up to 700 pounds of honey every year. And that honey goes directly into the hotel's cocktails. Ok well, not all of it and not directly but the hotel's Festive Buzz champagne drink does include about 1/4 oz of Royal York Honey, giving the bubbly a little sweet kick. Mmmmm....
The recipe for the Festive Buzz is after the jump.
Tags: Hotel Packages / Pride Week Hotels / Opus Hotels / Vancouver Hotels / → All Tags
Opus Vancouver Celebrates Pride and Wants You To Propose, Too
The Vancouver Pride Parade might only happen on August 2, but the Opus Hotel in Vancouver has Pride-related deals happening for much longer — how festive!
The Pride 2009 Package runs from July 18 through to August 10 and includes a Superior Queen room (yes, they made it a queen room intentionally) and a "special welcome indulgence", plus a $50 credit to use in the Opus Bar or, if you need a bit more privacy, on your room's minibar.
And the final bonus: while you're out enjoying some Pride festivities, room service will be visiting you to add an "extra special pride downturn" to be there waiting for you. We don't know what these special additions are but if you stay there, please let us know, because we sure are curious.
You can take the romance of Pride a bit further if you like, because the Opus also has a Propose on Pride package as well. This one includes a bottle of champagne to toast your proposal (assuming it works out well), and breakfast for two in bed the next morning, finishing off with a late checkout of 2pm. Package costs vary according to the date so check directly with the hotel, but you're looking at upwards of C$320 a night.
[Photo: taminator]
Tags: Hotel Hype / Hotel Rumors / Toronto Hotels / Thompson Hotels / → All Tags
What is Happening With Thompson Toronto?
Um, remember Thompson Toronto? Perhaps not, as it hasn't opened up yet and there hasn't been a whole lot of buzz about the place in recent months — but we assure you, it's still on its way.
At least: we were assured the place is still on its way. We don't have an exact opening date for you, but a fairly official Thompson-er told us the place was set for the end of 2009 (and the hotel's website still exists and lists 2009, which is promising) — but all the press releases we'd seen for the Do Not Disturb restaurant group [sidenote: yes, the Thompson dudes started their own restaurant group — in case you missed it] seem to be hinting at a 2010 opening.
Here is what we know: there will be a pool and an ice rink, and the rooms will look a little bit like this.
...Annnd that's all we've got. What can you tell us? Any word? Do share.
Tags: Hotel Openings / Canada Hotels / Westin Hotels / → All Tags
Montreal's New Westin Opens In Old Newspaper Headquarters
You know you're in Montreal when a newly-opened Westin sticks a "Le" in front of its name. Please welcome to the Canadian hotel scene the Le Westin Montreal, a 454-room property housed in the historical building once belonging to The Montréal Gazette.
In homage to the former tenants, the hotel has named its restaurant "Gazette" and its bar "Le Reporter." As far as the rest of the hotel goes, it's a standard Westin with Heavenly beds in every room, a WestinWORKOUT fitness center, and even an indoor pool. Special attention has however been placed on the work spaces within the rooms, since Montreal is just as popular a destination for business as it is for leisure, and the Westin happens to be centrally located in the downtown district.
Rates for such a fresh and well-situated property are excellently low to start off; this summer is looking at rooms from $150 per night. For once we may be freed from the expensive appeal of Le Saint Sulpice, but for how long?
[Image: Le Westin Montreal]
Tags: Killer View / Toronto Hotels / InterContinental Hotels / → All Tags
A Toronto Budget Hotel View That's Worth the $30 Upgrade
We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
The photographer who snapped the shot of the Toronto Days Inn with the budget view actually switched hotels in between two conferences — and then upgraded (well, the view at least) to a Holiday Inn with this view.
He reportedly paid $30 more here at the Holiday Inn Midtown than he paid at the Days Inn, and we'd most certainly be happy with a window like this.
But it's possible that all you're really paying for is the location and view; TripAdvisor reviews seem to mostly say positive things about the hotel's area and convenience to U of T (though, to be fair, those are only the most recent reviews — earlier posts say the hotel is "consistently fine").
Rates here look to be startin' at $135.99 CAD ($120 USD).
[Photo: Rick's Pics]
Tags: Anti-View / Flickr / Snapshot / Days Inn Hotels / Toronto Hotels / → All Tags
A Budget Hotel in Toronto With an Appropriately-Budget View
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
Usually when you check yourself into a budget hotel, you're not expecting much out of the view — you pay a low price for a room, the most you can really hope for is a nice, comfortable stay. You're not so picky about the view. No frills needed.
But occasionally you luck out — take that Best Western with the sweet-ass view in Oregon, for example — and your less-than-a-Benjamin room rate lands you a more-than-a-Benjamin view.
Okay, but not the case here: this is a poopy view from a (somewhat dated-looking) Days Inn in Toronto. Room rates here look to be around 105 (CAD) right now, which comes out to $93-ish in the states. This comes from Rick's Pics, who was in Toronto for a conference — and then he switched hotels, apparently, for another conference and got majorly hooked up with one of those budget hotels with the expensive-looking views.
[Photo: Rick's Pics]
Tags: Olympics Hotels / Floating Hotels / Vancouver Hotels / → All Tags
Vancouver is So Hard Up for Hotel Rooms That a Cruise Ship Is Stepping In
Vancouver has already sold-out its hotels rooms for the 2010 Winter Olympics next February but there is a way to create some extra inventory without having to build a new hotel---use a cruise ship! From the Seattle PI:
A company is bringing in a Norwegian Cruise Line luxury ship for February's Winter Games to help accommodate visitors. Dennis Laliberte, Newwest Special Projects LP president, said the Norwegian Star can fit almost 9,000 people.
Much like a regular hotel, the cruise ship has different room sizes ranging from simple staterooms to bigger suites. But it's also got 13 restaurants, eight lounges, a spa, a fitness center and "sensational nightly entertainment." There will also be live satellite coverage of the Olympic Games so you don't even have to step off the ship to go to the events. Yeah, but you should. You really should.
Packages for the floating hotel start at $350 a night.
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