Last minute 25th Anniversary trip to Vancouver - HELP!
 

I have trusted this board for valuable information in the past and I really need it now! My husband and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on August 12, which unfortunately is just a few days before our children start school, so we had not planned that we would be able to take a vacation to enjoy this landmark in our marriage. Family members have rallied to support us and take care of the back-to-school details and we have decided on a 3 night excursion to Vancouver, August 11 - 14. I need advise about hotels. We want to enjoy the view of the water and mountains, and I should mention that I'm a sucker for sunsets. We are looking for something truly memorable and the budget can handle the very best. Any advice on romantic sightseeing destinations, romanatic restaurants, or other not-to-be-missed romantic ideas (romance is on my mind) will be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you in advance to those who take the time to reply to this post. We really appreciate your suggestions.

To find an appropriate hotel anywhere in BC I recommend that you go to this web page:
http://www.travel.bc.ca/lodging.html

For other tourism info on Vancouver, try these web sites: www.tourismvancouver.com
www.city.vancouver.bc.ca

You may enjoy visiting the Vancouver Aquarium at Stanley Park. You can take a ride in a horse drawn carriage at Stanley Park. There is a rotating lookout at the top of one of Vancouver's tall downtown buildings. I have been there once and the view is pretty good from up there. I think you could watch the sunrise or sunset from there. I think it's called the Harbour Tower Lookout.

For the very best in Sunsets and Romantic settings as well as five star quality the Pan Pacific is the place. It's Vancouver's landmark hotel sittring atop the Canada Place Cruise Ship Centre and features the five 'sails' sticking out into the Harbour. While it's a five block walk to the centre of downtown it is only a block or two from Gastown and a lovely 1-2 K walk along the Seawall to Stanley Park. This year is the worst in many for tourism in Vancouver so perhaps you could make a deal on the rate but expect to pay at least $250-350CAD. By the way the Five Sails Continental Restaurant in the Hotel also fits your bill for Romantic and Excellant.

The Wedgewood Hotel was voted number one in Canada by Conde Nast. We stayed there and loved it. The staff all know you by name and most of the rooms are suites with balconies. It is not on the water though and I do not know if the top floors have a view. We were on the third floor and had a view of the street only.

If you are not tied to staying in Vancouver, I would consider the Sooke Harbor House on Vancouver Island. It is a destination in itself -- right on the water. Check out their web site.

We were impressed with Stanley Park but Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island was also beautiful.

The Wedgewood Hotel is excellant and it always amazes me that it doesn't rate the AAA 5 Diamond award that the Pan Pacific, Four Seasons and Sutton Place get BUT...tmeth is looking for Mountains, Water and Sunsets and only the Bayshore and the Pan Pacific can deliver the unobstructed views combined with top quality and if you're willing to pay a little more there is no question which hotel suits her bill the best and that is the Pan Pacific. End of discussion.

I second the Pan Pacific hotel. It shows the best of Vancouver, as every room has an amazing view, with almost floor to ceiling windows. Be sure to ask for a west view over the harbour, and you see the seaplanes taking off and the park etc... They are close to everything, eliminating hassle and time, which offsets their higher price. My most memorable sunset was on their patio on the lobby level, just behind the 5 sails, and it was breathtaking. It is expensive, but they also have deals in the summertime, sometimes called Spa weekends, where you get 2 or 3 nights plus a massage or spa treatment in the health club, and other stuff, for one good price. I think they have their own website too.....i'm sure a search engine would bring it up.

Friends of mine just got married in Vancouver and spent 5 nights in the penthouse at the Wedgewood. They could not say enough about the experience!
(These are well travelled folks who often are in Vancouver on business).

In the previous replies to your inquiry, I note a couple of endorsements of the Five Sails restaurant in the Pan Pacific Hotel. Let me tell you about our Five Sails experience. Because it was my 60th birthday, I had called ahead (10 days) from our home in Ontario for reservations and asked for a window table (there are approximately 6-7 with great views). I was assured at the time that in light of my ahead-of-time booking there would be no problem. On our arrival at the restaurant we were offered a table nowhere near a window, and, when I explained our situation, were offered a "window" table with an obstructed view, buried behind the kitchen. I can assure you that both my wife and myself were dressed appropriately and considerably in advance of the jeans-and-sneakered crowd who occupied the tables that we had hoped for. I inquired of the maitre d' as to who the occupants of the tables were and his response was: "important guests of the hotel". I confess I lost it a bit at that, and suggested to him that he was over-promoted. We left, and he followed us right to the door of the restaurant muttering sotto voce imprecations. Not a nice guy, not a nice experience.

We wound up at Bacchus at the Wedgwood Hotel where we were treated perfectly in accordance with the $CDN 300. that we dropped (great table, service and food).

I should add that I told Pan Pacific officials on the way out that I would strive to take every opportunity to blacken the name of their restaurant in every theatre that presented itself to me. This seems like a good start (we were reserved for June 10).

If this sounds a bit vitriolic, I suggest you check my other posts on Fodors and judge for yourself. I'm a nice guy.

DES

DES,
Believe me, I am NOT judging you. I know what it is like to be treated in that manner. You made reservations! At the very least, they should have called you to let you know what was going on...or they could have offered you a comp bottle of wine. Something!

I am glad you found a better place :)