We were heading over to Vancouver and as we were only going to stay one night, we decided to stay somewhere on the nicer scale.

The Westin Grand proved to be that, and more.

Our room was what they classified as a Superior Queen Room, which meant it had a separate living room. One wall consisted of floor to ceiling windows, which overlooked the pool.

Both rooms had TV''s but what made it special was the kitchenette. Hidden behind two full length doors was a sink, dishwasher, toaster and microwave-plus all the dishes, cutlery and other items that you may need. The coffee maker was ready with packets of Starbucks coffee and to the left of this was a small mini bar, where you could put anything you needed to keep cold.

The Westin Grande is located in an ideal area-epecially if you are going to the Queen Elizabeth theater to watch a play as we were ("RENT") or if you are heading to one the sporting events. Robson, one of the main shopping streets, is easily reached in just a few minutes walk.

If you have an Entertainment Card, make sure to use it! The regular price for our room would have been about $250 a night but the Entertainment rate brought it down to $180. They also offer corporate rates as well.

You can book online, as well as by phone. If trying to get one of the rates (Entertainment, Corporate etc.) I suggest booking by phone well in advance.

Their webpage is located at:www.westingrandvancouver.com

You don’t have to be a business traveler to enjoy a stay at The Westin Grand, on trendy Robson Street, at the edge of up-scale Yaletown. But, if you are on business, you’ll see that The Westin is indeed "redefining the boundaries of business.

In this all-suites hotel, you’ll experience style and flair that makes traveling so much more pleasant. All suites feature spacious bathrooms with luxurious soaker tubs, bathrobes and hair dryers, a work desk with easy access to power, dataport and two phones and two phone lines, two televisions, and numerous other feature. It's enough to make you want to stay in your room all the time.

The Westin Grand in Vancouver is the first hotel in Canada to offer guests high speed Internet access in all of its 207 guest suites and meeting rooms. Guests can also print e-mails and other documents through a dedicated printer near the hotel’s front desk.

With the @Hotel.PC service, you don’t even have to travel with your laptop. The service, for a flat fee of Cdn. $12.95 a day, combines business and entertainment services in one convenient, user-friendly package, with the TV serving as the PC. Rates, as of this writing, are C$289 to C$399 (approx US$197 tp US$273), with seasonal promotional rates at $C149 or US$100. Call or e-mail for current rates. All rates are Canadian, with a great exchange rate for U.S. currency.

For more information about the Westin Grand, call 1-888-680-9393, or visit their web site at westingrandvancouver.com.