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A gracious host city - Vancouver
From the contemporary lobby to the spa-like marble bathroom featuring Acca Kappa Italian spa products, the luxury boutique hotel L’Hermitage is a welcome haven for budget-conscious visitors to Vancouver before, after, or during the 2010 Olympic  Games. Ideal for families, the one and two bedroom suites are fully equipped with gourmet kitchens and foldout sofas. Located midtown, the hotel offers the ultimate in convenience: adjacent to a gourmet food market; close to major department stores and city attractions; close to public transportation – ferry, bus and light rail connections, including Canada Line, the new high-speed airport rail connection constructed especially for the Games. This eco-rated ‘Green Key’ property is committed to environmentally safe building materials and maintenance, with no off-gassing of interior building materials for allergy sensitive visitors. With an internet business centre, fitness studio and outdoor heated lap pool...it makes for a perfect inner city Games retreat. Lhermitagevancouver.com
Welcome mat with a view – Whistler
PHOTO: PAUL MORRISON
A short stroll from midtown, the Whistler Gondola takes you to the world’s longest, free-span lift, the Peak 2 Peak Gondola spanning Whistler and Blackcomb. The 4.4 km journey, 436 metres from the valley floor provides a 360 degree view to get you up-close-and-personal with these majestic mountains. One day isn’t enough to enjoy the endless adventures from hiking and skiing, to wine tasting and dining. peak2peakgondola.com
The family-run Wedgewood Hotel & Spa - a Condé Nast Traveler Gold List regular and among Travel + Leisure magazine’s 2009 Top 500 World’s Best Hotels – is a luxurious home away from home for its guests. The multi-award winning elegant Bacchus Restaurant and Lounge is the place for a special ‘Olympic’ dinner. Chef Lee Parsons created a new menu that reflects good  value in light of the economic times. The ultimate appetizer platter features: onion and zucchini pakoras, baked spanakopitas, fennel pollen dusted shrimp, pheasant and chestnut sausage rolls, and croquettes of woodland mushrooms risotto. Pasta selections include Garganelli with basil and Chorizo; and a variety of Bacchus thin-crust pizzas, all $19 each – dine French on a budget. Listed as a prestigious ‘Relais & Châteaux’ hotel, the Wedgewood is the place to spot celebrities enjoying the newly created Hennessy Olympic City cocktails in the Bacchus lounge. wedgewoodhotel.com
The smoke free, The Westin Resort & Spa, in the centre of Whistler Village, offers spectacular views of Olympic downhill events. This all-suite hotel includes kitchens and amenities to suit the entire family. Experience fine dining in the Aubergine Grille or with cocktails fireside in the FireRock Lounge. The Avello Spa & Health Club boasts a comprehensive menu featuring 75 different treatments. Their environmental initiatives include: recycling, using VOC-free paints, utilizing the latest heating and air circulation technology and championing carbon footprint and climate-friendly programs. The Westin’s hybrid bus shuttles guests to the Whistler Sliding Centre on Blackcomb Mountain showcasing bobsled, skeleton and luge events. South on the Sea-to-Sky Highway is Whistler Olympic Park, site of the cross-country, biathlon, Nordic combined and ski-jumping events. westinwhistler.com |
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Steps from Whistler Mountain, in Whistler Creekside, Nita Lake Lodge combines solitude along with the luxury of an alpine resort. Floor-to-ceiling basalt rock fireplaces grace suites and rooms. Elegant French doors lead to marble and wood bathrooms with soaker tub,  separate rain shower and heated stone floor. Bedrooms offer views of the mountains and an open terrace. Dine in Jordan’s Crossing with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Nita Lake. Celebrate with ice wine and exceptional Waldorf salad while watching an event at the bar, a massive fireplace roaring in the background. At every turn, you’ll be reminded of the majestic mountains and sky. nitalakelodge.com
PHOTO: GARY FIEGHEHEN
Opened in 2008, the Whistler Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (where rivers, mountains and people meet) represents a shared journey for these two First Nations people. The massive 30,400 square foot douglas fir beam and glass cultural centre built into the bedrock showcases traditional design, the Squamish longhouse and the Lil’wat Istken (pit house). Sitting on 4.35 acres, the LEED certified cultural
centre houses an 80-seat theatre, exhibitions, rare artifacts and Gift Gallery with original artwork and jewellery. The Lil’wat are known for their basket weaving and canoe building, the Squamish for their cedar Longhouses and wool spinning. The Centre’s dining experience has been created by The Four Seasons Resort Whistler, a five-diamond hotel. Using local ingredients, the unique menu of First Nations cuisine offers bison, arctic muskox, wild boar prosciutto, Squamish salmon and Lil’wat venison. Special live performances will be featured during the Winter Games. slcc.ca
At the fashionable Whistler dining haunt, Bearfoot Bistro, owner Andre Saint-Jacques and Executive Chef Melissa Craig make an extraordinary statement. Craig, not yet thirty, continues to tour the world since taking home the Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships. Experience Bearfoot’s gastronomic delights with a choice from the  Chef’s three or five-course Tasting Menu. Begin with delicate organic greens, move on to Vancouver Island black cod, whet your appetite with a selection of raw sashimi and finish with Wagyu beef from Japan or Australia. The 1,500 square foot wine cellar has the longest list of champagne in Canada and the highest quality in fine wine including Margaux, Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild, and Château Latour. These elegant offerings make this a dining experience not to be missed. bearfootbistro.comfont
PHOTO: MAY GEORGINA DELORY
By train or plane
Scout Olympic venues by air before or after the Games from April to mid October. West Coast Air offers a 40-minute floatplane getaway from Vancouver to Whistler over Garibaldi Provincial Park and its awe-inspiring glaciers. After you enjoy any of the activities Whistler has to offer, travel back to Vancouver on the Whistler Mountaineer train. Relax in the exceptional Glacier Dome or Coast Classic car and enjoy a delicious meal and beverage served at your seat as you cross quaint trestle bridges. Or heighten your adventure with a seat in the open Observation car where you pass so close to the waterfalls that you’ll feel its spray! Travelling by train, plane or bus to Whistler makes the 2010 Games’ adventure all the more relaxing and memorable. H&L
westcoastair.com
whistlermountaineer.com
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