The destination for our 2007 annual conference was Vancouver. All we needed was a hotel. After discussions with our travel coordinator, I chose the Pacific Palisades. I had heard great things about this hotel and was excited to arrive. After a 5 ½ hour plane ride, my boss and I arrived at our hotel at about 11:30pm. We were greeted by Ken who grabbed my suitcases and took me over to the front desk. Upon checking in, I was informed that I would be in the West Tower, the tower opposite the lobby. Ken helped me with my suitcases, laden down by conference materials prepared at the last minute. He showed me into my room and lifted my suitcase up on to the storage bench located in the kitchen.

I was immediately impressed by the size of the hotel room, er... suite. I had a full bedroom with king-sized bed and TV, a big bathroom, a full living room with a desk, Internet access, pull-out couch, and TV, a kitchen with a microwave, fully stocked mini-bar, dishes, kettle, table, and a huge closet (including an iron and ironing board) and storage for all my clothes. The decor was fresh. A friend felt like she was in Florida! There were plenty of windows to brighten up the space during the day and a large balcony on which to check out the action on Robson Street at night.

The only major glitch the entire weekend was the missing breakfast on the first morning. I had put out my room service card the night before but my breakfast did not arrive. A call down to the kitchen revealed that they never received the card. Hmm ... maybe a ghost? Probably not. I ordered breakfast and although I was told it would take up to 25 minutes for it to arrive, it was there in less than 15!

The rooms were cleaned and tidied up more than once a day as evidenced by pillows and robes moving around some time after supper. On the third day of my stay, I received a goldfish to keep me company. My bed was super-comfortable and I had restful nights of sleep thanks to a heavy blind behind the wooden-slatted blind in front of it. Robson Street is a hot spot of activity throughout the day and night and the single-paned windows did little to keep out the noise. Luckily I always travel with earplugs and that solved the noise problem.

The staff were courteous and superb attending to my needs and those of our conference delegates. All the delegates were impressed with their stay at the Pacific Palisades and declared 2007 the best conference yet. I would highly recommend the Pacific Palisades to any traveler and would not hesitate to stay here again.

Pacific Palisades Hotel
1277 Robson St.
Vancouver, BC
800/663-1815
www.pacificpalisadeshotel.com

I stayed in a suite in the Pacific Palisades Hotel, which was all right, but I wasn't too sure of what style they were trying to accomplish with the interior. The room was orange and lime green (what I imagine a Miami hotel room would look like), but then the bathroom is peppered with oatmeal soap and fragrant candles, like a Vermont bed-and-breakfast.

They bragged about spa services, but could not accommodate me in a short notice. They tell you about the Jacuzzi in the pool area, but it was out of order when I wanted to use it. They offer free wine tasting at 5pm everyday, but of course, I was never back in the hotel at that time–some of us actually went to Vancouver to see the city instead of stay in the hotel lobby.

The beds are comfortable and the outside balcony would have been a plus if it wasn't 40°F outside. If I stayed longer, I would have also cooked us a meal in the kitchen after our trip to the Granville Island Public Market (see separate entry).

With all the amenities available to their guests, I wonder why the cleaning staff could not hang our bathrobes when we purposely left them on an ironing board and on our bed during our stay.

The Pacific Palisades is a modern, chic boutique located in the heart of... well... everything. Just a hop and skip from the park, I loved being able to wake up and go on a nice run beside the water without having to drive anywhere.

Inside the hotel: The front lobby is an explosion of color, from the geometric patterns painted on the walls, to the beautiful vases on the glass shelves behind the front desk, to the lobby phones covered in decorative jewels... I always enjoy a hotel with a personality.

Our room itself was actually a suite accented with lime and lemon yellow. My husband and I threw our suitcases into the master bedroom. My son would end up sleeping on the fold out couch in the living area. Though we didn't use our kitchen, we broke into the mini-bar's Twizzler licorice while deciding what we wanted to do in Vancouver. If you're traveling with kids, you'll appreciate the two televisions and the Playstation... both nice features for "downtime." We also had a small balcony with a nice view of the city.

Other hotel features worth noting: Don't miss the giant indoor pool at this hotel. You can relax in the whirlpool while your children splash out their extra energy. (How I wish someone could figure out how to bottle that!) In this spa center, you can also make an appointment to get a massage.

The on-site restaurant, Zen, provides a decadent breakfast. I also enjoyed getting drinks here one evening with a group of friends.

Tip: If you want another place to get drinks, you might walk over to the Cloud 9 Restaurant and Lounge in the Empire Landmark Hotel (1400 Robson.) Minors aren't allowed here, but if your party is all adult, you'll find gorgeous views of the city to orient you to what Vancouver has to offer during your visit.

Have you ever dreamed that you spent the night under the colorful tent of the Cirque du Soleil? Such is the feeling at this delightful hotel. I love a great hotel and thrive on great room service. I arrived for a dream long weekend and loved it all. You enter the hotel on Jervis just off the main shopping drag of Robson Street in Vancouver's west end with the entrance tucked far out of reach of wet weather. The greeting on the driveway is both cheerful and welcoming: feels like coming home, even if for your first visit. I had to giggle. My gosh, the colors! Orange, yellow, blue, red in art and decor.

A fast check in and a question. Where would I like to stay in the hotel as there are two buildings with over 20 floors in each. I asked for and received a very low floor, the first (one above ground level) in the building without the lobby. I love to watch people and hear city sounds.

My suite, a 3 room apartment which I toured with the eager bellman. My new home had a kitchen, a covered balcony with 2 chairs, a nice dining area, living room with desk and plenty of furniture to start. Add to that a big bathroom (with hand made soaps), and a master bedroom with a window that opened. I decided I could move in for good.

The suite's nearly hidden feature is a large walk-in closet in the kitchen with a ton of storage, 2 terry cloth robes, a large orange umbrella and enough hangers for an entire circus troupe.

This hotel virtually insures your happiness as the bed and pillows are comfy, the towels huge and the mini-bar contents....cheap! Liquor, beer, sodas (called pop this far north), bottled water, cookies, cereal, ramen noodles, munchies and toys at such reasonable prices you feel free to have a ball (pun intended).

I opened the windows and much later that night slept the entire night through with the fresh Canadian air helping me to feel so fine. The luxury of a great hotel and fresh air! Indeed! Throw my mint on this pillow for sure! I will return for one of their special air and hotel package deals. (They give Alaskan Airline miles.) I adore Vancouver and now have a hotel to match.

From my balcony I had a view of the restaurant where each evening the manager gave a no charge wine tasting for guests and the courtyard garden. Stanley Park waited a mile away. Devine!

www.pacificpalisadeshotel.com

If Robson Street is the trendy area of town, then Pacific Palisades is the signature hotel for this area. The hotel is Kimpton's fun and funky Vancouver jewel.

IGO UGO booked this hotel as the headquarters for our 2004 member get-together, and a good choice it was. First, the location is in the center of Robson Street, so exploring Vancouver is only a few steps outside the front door. The hotel is made up of two 20-story twin towers. The hotel once was a pair of apartment buildings, and by the size of the rooms, they must have been great apartments. From the outside, they are a bit bland, but they blend in well with the Vancouver skyline.

When checking in, the staff was gracious and welcoming. I have found in some boutique hotels that the hip staff can be cold and aloof, but this is, Canada and a being cool does not mean being cold. The staff was helpful and friendly the entire stay.

When I walked into my room, I had to stop and take it all in. It was huge. The hotel has a number of large one-bedroom suites. I was on the 10th floor and had a great view of Vancouver and Robson Street. The living room was all done in bright apple green, persimmon and yellow. It was cheerful and bright. My bedroom was separate, with a huge walk-in closet. It, too, had a large window with a dazzling skyline view. The room comes with fluffy robes and a stocked mini-bar. The balcony was large and had a spectacular view of the city.

With a family, I am always on the lookout for a room with space. I found it here - the only problem was that I was alone!

The hotel has some fun Kimpton features. One really fun item is that the hotel is pet friendly - they will even have the chef down at Zin cook up some doggie treats for Fido!

The health club is large. It has a 55-foot indoor pool that is inviting. It has two workout rooms. The only problem is that the spa and pool are in a different building and you have to take a short, brisk walk outdoors to get to them.

The hotel has full concierge service and offers a Starbucks coffee bar in the lobby each morning. The hotel restaurant is called Zin and is not only popular with guests, but with locals.