Add a little celebration to your Victoria, British Columbia, vacation with a stay at the Fairmont Empress. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the city, and you can join the festivities and save money at the same time.

The Fairmont Empress, perched in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, is offering plenty of opportunities for you to give your wallet a break while enjoying the resort. The Victoria 150 offer includes a limited-time room rate special of $150 CAD. From May to September, rates start at $150 CAD for room only. From January to April and October to December, rates start at $150 CAD and include express breakfast and parking.

The Fairmont Empress features 477 luxuriously appointed non-smoking guest rooms and suites, with jaw-dropping views of the city, courtyard or Inner Harbour. Make a long detour to the hotel’s Willow Stream Spa to say goodbye to all your worries, and choose from a handful of tasty dining options at The Veranda, The Bengal Lounge, or The Empress Room.

Don’t forget to wish the city a very happy 150. She doesn’t look a day over 100, does she?

Fairmont Empress, 866-540-4429
721 Government Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W1W5

Photo courtesy of Fairmont Empress

More Victoria-related information:
Victoria Clipper Ferry—A Fun Way to Visit Victoria, British Columbia

Everyone deserves a little pampering, especially on vacation. But luxury comes in many flavors—not all of which are tasty to your palate. If your idea of a luxe hotel is more contemporary than old-school regal, make sure you get a room at the Loden Hotel in Vancouver.

The Loden, in Vancouver’s Coal Harbor neighborhood, has 77 stylish hotel rooms, all with décor inspired by the surrounding environment: mountains, forest and sea. As a result, your room is a reflection of the city and its setting in nature.

Rooms feature marble bathrooms (including a deep soaking tub and separate rainfall shower) with an integrated sound system, 42-inch flat-screen TV, iPod/iPhone docking station, in-room yoga props for traveling yogis, comfortable bathrobes and slippers, a corner sofa and workstation space for on-the-road devices. Wi-Fi and wired Internet are available, however for an extra charge of $14.95 per 24 hours. Rates start at $199 and vary, depending on season and type of room.

If Vancouver wasn’t such a beautiful city, full of attractions and tasty dining options, I would have been happy to hang out in my room and enjoy the views from the bed. That was my favorite thing; each morning, I didn’t want to get up because I was so comfortable.

Visit Tableau Bar & Bistro next door for mealtime, the BeFit Studio for your workout, or relax with a massage in the spa suite. To get  great view of green Vancouver, take advantage of the hotel’s complimentary Cruiser bicycles—and take a spin around Stanley Park.

Even Fido will appreciate the Loden—pets are welcome for an additional $35 charge, and there’s no weight limit. Next time I come, I’m bringing my big chocolate Lab.

Loden Hotel, 877-225-6336
1177 Melville Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Photo courtesy of the Loden Hotel

Additional Vancouver-related information:
Three Different View Restaurants in Vancouver

On Wednesday February, 16, the newest addition to The Ritz-Carlton family opened its doors in Toronto, becoming the only Ritz-Carlton in Canada.

Naturally, The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto will provide guests with luxury befitting its name. Guests can expect beautiful views, elegant architecture and decor, and a full-service spa providing unique pampering experiences.

But what made this hotel opening really unique was the way it was shared with people all over the world through social media. Over 200 people watched on the dedicated Livestream Channel on Facebook as the ribbon was cut and the first official guest was handed the first official key. As one of those viewers, I can say that it was pretty neat to be able to participate remotely in this event from my home office in Central Florida and it definitely made me more likely to put the property on my “must-see” list.

If you missed the live stream, check out their Livestream channel soon for video of the event.

The Ritz-Carlton brand has been active on social media networks for some time. Individual properties, such as the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, have their own Facebook pages for guests and fans alike. The RitzCarlton twitter account is very active and actually interacts with other twitter users (and not just guests), something you don’t always see from hotel brands in social media.

Congratulations to The Ritz-Carlton, Tornoto!

Photo courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton

Want to know where to stay, play or eat in Vancouver? Karra Barron and the UpTake Vancouver – Local Getaway Crew have you covered!  Today’s post from Karra and UpTake Vancouver features a great place to celebrate the holiday season.

It’s a wonderland of holiday hotels here on Uptake.com, and here in Vancouver, where the winter weather is just as unpredictable as how long you can fend off a kiss from Great Aunt Mildred and her sandpaper lips, the Hyatt Regency Hotel offers you a fantastic place of refuge from both.

Take a trip down Gingerbread Lane, which is celebrating its 20th year in the Vancouver hotel lobby until December 27th 2010. Kids and grownups alike will be awed by the amazing display of nearly 40 individually crafted gingerbread creations of all shapes and sizes. There are gingerbread men, women, animals, and of course, houses.

Read More »