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Tag: British Columbia Hotels View All Tags

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That Swarovski Hotel in British Columbia is Gonna Have Ice Ice, Baby

June 10, 2009 at 4:00 PM | by Jenna | 0 Comments

We were cruising around VegasChatter this morning when we pictured the glittering lights of the Vegas Strip — and our train of thought, naturally, wandered back to hotels, which made for an entire morning filled with visions of sparkling hotels dancing in our heads. And then we remembered: a sparkling hotel is going to exist soon.

Here's what the latest renderings of the interiors of that Swarovski crystal hotel up in British Columbia, Canada — officially called Sparkling Hill — are looking like. These should be ready for us to look at in real life when the hotel opens in March 2010, but for now we'll have to make do with these semi-blurry and not-so-sparkly sketches. But! We thought this place was going to have some crystal accents, not be totally blinged out with Swarovski. We're happy to report that we were wrong.

Also, rumor has it that the hotel will have a cold sauna for Whole-body Cryotherapy, where you spend up to three minutes in a chamber set at -110°C. Apparently this is a popular spa treatment in Europe (huh — who knew?) that helps reduce pain and releases mood-lifting endorphins.

Damn. That's a lotta ice! (Get it? Ice? Like bling? Okay.)

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Meanwhile, In Canada, They're Building Hotels Out of Crystal

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Vernon, B.C., Canada
March 18, 2009 at 1:29 PM | by Jenna | 0 Comments

Well, it's official: we're just gonna give up and move to Canada, the land of good hockey, positive attitudes, yummy chocolate, delish beer — and now, apparently, sparkly Swarovski crystal fantasy hotels.

As we watch the financial rug being pulled out from under developments all over the U.S., we can't help but want to high-five our Northern neighbo(u)rs for going ahead with plans for the Sparkling Hill Resort and Wellness Hotel, the first hotel project in North America to incorporate Swarovski Crystal elements into every aspect of its design. This does not appear to be a joke.

According to a press release announcing the official unveiling of the hotel's design, Andy Altmayer, head of Circle of Innovation at Swarovski, is overseeing the Vernon, British Columbia project.

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Pacific Northwest Hotel Guide :: Bubblegum Tea at the Empress in Victoria

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 721 Government Street , Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 1W5
July 11, 2008 at 9:05 AM | by Tim L. | 1 Comment

HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, seeing the hotel scene from a family travel perspective. All prices are in Canadian dollars--which currently trade slightly higher than U.S. dollars. Enjoy.

Where would the original grand hotel in the most British town in British Columbia be without high tea in the afternoon?

The Empress Hotel opened in 1909 in the style of an Edwardian chateau and hosted a steady stream of British royalty and celebrities. It went through several rounds of additions and renovations and became part of the newly formed Fairmont chain in 1999, when the Canadian Pacific railway company spun off its hotels and rebranded them.

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Pacific Northwest Hotel Guide:: The Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria, BC

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 463 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8V 1X3
July 10, 2008 at 9:00 AM | by Tim L. | 0 Comments

HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, seeing the hotel scene from a family travel perspective. All prices are in Canadian dollars--which currently trade slightly higher than U.S. dollars. Enjoy.

The Inner Harbour of Victoria, on Vancouver Island in Canada is a hub of activity. Seaplanes land and take off, whale watching tours go in and out, and Little "pickle boats" circle it all on tours. It's easy to catch the action from Hotel Grand Pacific, where nearly every room has a killer view (more than half facing the harbour) and each one has a balcony.

The video tour here is actually from a lower third-floor room, but with a wall of windows and two balconies, suite number 352 is sweet indeed.

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Pacific Northwest Hotel Guide :: Standard Gold-Standard Fairmont Experience in Vancouver

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 900 West Georgia Street , Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6C 2W6
July 9, 2008 at 9:00 AM | by Tim L. | 0 Comments

HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, seeing the hotel scene from a family travel perspective. All prices are in Canadian dollars--which currently trade slightly higher than U.S. dollars. Enjoy.

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is known as simply "Hotel Vancouver" by many taxi drivers and it is indeed the iconic hotel in town, competing with the Wedgewood Hotel as the top prestige address. The stone and peaked metal roof building was constructed jointly by Canada's two national railways and completed in 1939, just in time for a Royal visit from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

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Pacific Northwest Hotel Guide :: Marriott Pinnacle Vancouver Has Great Location But Some Fees Apply

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1128 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6E 4R5
July 8, 2008 at 9:00 AM | by Tim L. | 0 Comments

HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, seeing the hotel scene from a family travel perspective. All prices are in Canadian dollars--which currently trade slightly higher than U.S. dollars. Enjoy.

The Marriott Pinnacle Vancouver comes across as your basic high-rise business hotel, but with a gracious staff and a hotel restaurant that gets high marks on its own, this one is a cut above the norm.

You will recognize the furniture and the bedding as it sticks to very bland Marriott look, but the service goes beyond business traveler briskness to help tourists make the most of their time in the city.

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Cubicle Dreamin': King Pacific Lodge

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 255 West 1st Street, Princess Royal Island, BC, Canada
April 12, 2007 at 1:55 PM | by annie0007 | 1 Comment

Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.

In this episode, Hotel Maven Annie0007 picks out her ideal spot for the ultimate getaway. Enjoy.

When that last phone ring, buzz, e-mail, fax, post-box icon, meeting reminder, deadline, and pressing need has me teetering on the edge of sanity all alone in my cubicle, I dream of fleeing to somewhere far, far away.

Perhaps somewhere only accessible by airplane, surrounded by 4.4 million acres of nothing, and I mean nothing, but wilderness? How about a floating eco-lodge with suites outfitted with huge stone fireplaces, hot tubs, and almost guaranteed bear sightings? How about a place where they recommend you bring long underwear?

More on Annie0007's getaway after the jump.

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