Tagged : Hotels

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The Argonaut Hotel San Francisco

Overall Impression
This is a great place to stay at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. While I’m not a big fan of tourist traps, it’s easy enough to escape the area on foot or by taxi for less than $10 each way. The advantage to staying in an area where tons of tourists congregate is an abundance of late night stores to grab supplies, or a bite to eat. The Argonaut itself was great. The rooms are the typical San Fran nautical theme. Nice beds, Aveda toiletries (if you care about that kind of stuff—I don’t, but it’s a nice touch), and very friendly and helpful staff. The proximity to everything is good, and typically cheaper than staying downtown around Union Square. Continue reading “The Argonaut Hotel San Francisco” »

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The Waldorf Hotel Vancouver

It’s about high time that Vancouver got a cool boutique hotel. Sure Vancouver has some nice boutique hotels like The Opus Hotel, or The St. Regis Hotel, but we haven’t found that grunge meets approachable chic thing that has been done so well in Toronto with Queen Street West’s Drake or Gladstone Hotels.

While The Waldorf is no Ritz, it is not intended to be. This is a fun community space that is part cafe, part restaurant, part live music joint, part lounge, and part hotel.

Walking into the Waldorf feels like entering 60′s California. Light pastel colours, teak furniture, wood panelling, and palm trees.

The new owners of The Waldorf have renovated in a way that has left many parts of the original hotel intact. I was a little concerned when I heard about the Tiki theme, but upon seeing the finished product it is fun and not over the top in most areas. The restaurant and cafe are mildly Tiki with a tropical ocean-side inspired menu. The wine list is adorned with a range of interesting South American and Spanish wines like Tannat and Tempranillo.

The hotel rooms are retro-cool and a little reminiscent of the Ace Hotel boutique chain. They feature massive 80′s stereo tape decks with mix tapes rather than CD players, and Native plastic shoes instead of slippers. Room rates are to start around $89 and will offer an alternative place to stay for those looking for someplace affordable and an alternative to the big chain hotels. The location is a little off the beaten path, but close enough to Downtown by cab, or 20-30min walk. Commercial Drive is also very close. It is central enough to use for business given that you allow a few extra minutes to get to work.

Downstairs is the Cabaret area and bar for live music performances and larger events, and upstairs, in a previously boarded up part of the hotel, there is the Waldorf Tiki Bar, which has been preserved in its original state with only a few touch-ups. This is perhaps the only part of the hotel that is over-the-top, but it is authentic in its tackiness.

Overall I like the Waldorf. It’s a refreshing change to the Sheratons and the Deltas that are prevalent in Downtown Vancouver. While it may not be for everyone it would certainly make a fun place to spend the night on a personal or business visit to Vancouver.

The Waldorf Hotel
604.253.7141
info@waldorfhotel.com
1489 East Hastings Vancouver, BC, Canada V5L 1S4.

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Delta Calgary Airport Hotel Review

Calgary is oddly a city that at the time of this posting I have never actually stayed in a hotel downtown. Maybe it’s the proximity to Vancouver which leads to short Calgary stays, or the lack of “foreign” culture flair, but I just haven’t been culturally engaged in the city of Calgary — thus, I have stayed at the Delta airport hotel on at least 5 occasions.

Overall the rooms feel a bit 70′s airport, but are more than adequate for a quick stay. The beds are comfortable, there’s free slow wireless internet (you can pay to upgrade to faster speed), and there’s a pool and in lobby pool and hot tub.

The proximity to the airport check-in is great and the airport has everything you might need from Starbucks Coffee to magazines close at hand. My only knock on this hotel is the fairly average restaurant fair and the distance to downtown Calgary. Otherwise this is a great place to stay for a short business trip to Cow Town.

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The Gladstone Hotel Toronto Review

The Gladstone Hotel is the original Queen Street West boutique hotel. Set on the corner of Gladstone and Queen Street West near Dufferin, the hotel is in the midst of a neighbourhood undergoing rapid gentrification.

This area of Queen Street West once home to junkies, crappy diners, laundromats, and other old school shops, is now the home to some of Toronto’s hippest bars and boutiques.

The Gladstone was first on the scene of the hip retro-conversion hotel, and remains the most authentic to date. The nearby Drake Hotel has mimicked the Gladstone in it’s approach, and has perhaps executed it even better, but is still lacking in the street cred that the Gladstone eschews.

The hotel itself is an old building complete with super old elevator requiring an operator. The rooms are all individually personalized with different art and decor, and each is a unique spot unto itself.

At times the hotel can be a bit noisy due to the hipster/scenester crowd that tends to hang out here, but if you’re looking for a fun and eclectic place to stay here in the 416, the Gladstone is a good choice.

The rooms are comfortable and the hotel oozes personality. There is also a live-in artist in residence.

While it’s a little far from the business districts to walk, if you can spare the time the Gladstone is an interesting choice and a welcome change from the typical business class fare.

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Tactile Soap Design

This bar of soap by June Jacobs was in my hotel room at the Delta Calgary Airport hotel. It’s a bit funny shaped for a bar of soap and reminds me a bit of a lego brick. The raised dots make gripping the bar of soap easier while wet. Form and function.

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Celebrities Hotel St. Denis Review

This is probably a boutique hotel in the truest sense. The Lovely Celebrities Hotel on St. Denis in the Latin Quarter of Montreal is an old four story building that has been brought somewhat up to date with new decor.

Overall I enjoyed my stay here. The staff were reasonably friendly and the hotel was kind of cool.

The Latin Quarter is a fun place to be and is within walking distance of the Plateau, Boulevard St. Laurent, and St. Catharines Street. The area has enough to do on its own though, and is populated mostly by students and a younger crowd. There is also a BIXI bike stand nearby for quick bicycle jaunts to another neighbourhood.

As far as my room goes it wasn’t the greatest but it was decent for what I paid ($89 per night) and at least there was some energy put into the decor. The bed was a little spongy, and the room smelled like it had once been home to a man with a smoking jacket, but overall it was not too bad. The walls here are quite thin and the building itself is creaky, but that’s to be expected in an older building.

This hotel is a little charmer and a good spot to crash if you’re on a budget. If you don’t like stairs you may want to request a room on the second floor as there is no elevator and the stairs are long and steep.

I would stay here again for the neighbourhood and for the price. It’s a neat budget traveller spot with some personal charm in a fun up and coming neighbourhood.