VICTORIA – I’m shocked it took this long. But at least it’s here now. On my recent trip to Victoria, which is far more hip than you might think, I wandered into the Victoria Public Market on Douglas Ave., one of the main streets. It’s located in the old Hudson’s Bay building, just a few blocks north of the main part of downtown. And it’s a magnificent addition to the city, a fun and giant and sunny space with ceilings high enough for a giraffe and immense concrete pillars. They’ve added splashy, colourful paper umbrellas to give the place Read more
Canada
Congrats to Sherry Hildebrandt of Huntsville, Ont., whose name was drawn earlier today for my great family getaway contest. Hildebrandt picked up a one-night stay for four people in deluxe Double Accomodations at the terrific Eaton Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto, one of Canada’s top properties and probably the best family hotel in the country The deal is valid until Aug. 15 of this year, and also includes dinner for four people in their signature restaurant, Bb33 Bistro and Brasserie, as well as breakfast for four at Bb33. Plus free parking and a family pass to the Ontario Science Centre. Read more
VANCOUVER – An unusual sushi spot, classic outdoor walks and an historic hotel. Despite what we might think of the weather out west, it does occasionally snow in Vancouver. Such was the case early last week, when my planned frolic in the canyons of North Vancouver and crossing of a couple of pedestrian bridges turned into something a bit chillier than I had planned. Mind you, it was extremely beautiful and not very cold by Ontario standards; around plus 4 Celsius. And the snow wasn’t particularly bad, only a few centimetres. I’d probably prefer to tour the canyons in good Read more
VANCOUVER – A classic restaurant and a newly-old classic hotel. I spent the first couple days of this week in one of the world’s favourite cities, eating and drinking and checking out some great locations. Topping the list has to be the Rosewood Hotel Georgia , a 1927 beauty that was given a five-year renovation and re-opened in 2011. I’d seen it before but hadn’t stayed the night until this trip. And I’m happy to report it’s just as sexy and seductive and luxurious as it looks. I love hotels with a real sense of style and arrival, and that’s Read more
Welcome Rewards, the Hotels.com loyalty program, has just reached 10 million members and has redeemed more than one million free nights since its launch in 2008. In the program, customers can earn a free night at more than 100,000 hotels across the world for every 10 nights stayed, with no blackout dates. They issued a list today of where Canadians are using their points. And it’s mostly to stay close to home. Here’s the list of the top 10 redeemed destinations for Canadians in 2013: 1. Toronto, 2. Montreal, 3. Niagara Falls, 4. Edmonton, 5. Calgary, 6. New York City, Read more
