Golfing is a popular sport in British Columbia. The coastal city of Vancouver is nestled between rugged seacoast and tall mountains, about a two-hour drive north from Seattle, Washington. It is home to the Vancouver Golf Tour, which, in 2010, will host 24 professional and amateur tournaments at courses in the area. In addition to the many private courses in and around Vancouver, the Vancouver Parks Board operates three public courses within the city as well as "pitch and putt" and instructional facilities for children and adults.
Shangri-La Hotel
The 119-room luxury Shangri-La Hotel was the first North American entry of the Shangri-La Resorts and Hotel chain. The hotel occupies the first 15 floors of Vancouver's tallest building, the Living Shangri-La. Higher floors are dedicated to office space and condominiums. Vancouver's weekly magazine the West Ender, in its June 11, 2009 edition, named the outdoor dining terrace of superstar New York Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Market Restaurant one of the best new patios in Vancouver.
Suites at the Shangri-La range in size up to almost 1400 square feet, and the bathrooms are large by any standard--up to 150 square feet--and feature three-headed showers that are separate from the deep-soak tubs. Flat-screen TVs are embedded in the bathroom mirrors.
Shangri-La Hotel
1128 West Georgia St.
Vancouver, B.C. V6E 0A8
Canada
(604) 689-1120
shangri-la.com
Westin Bayshore Resort
At the Westin Bayshore Resort, gound-level bar service is available at the expansive pool patio. The Seawall Bar and Grill's patio is a popular gathering place for having drinks and dining outdoors. On the waterfront, the hotel offers a full service marina so you can enjoy the waterways of Vancouver up close.
Westin Bayshore Resort
1601 Bayshore Drive
Vancouver, B.C. V6G 2V4
Canada
(604) 682-3377
westin.com
Granville Island Hotel
Granville Island is a small island surrounded by the waters of False Creek, Alder Bay and Broker's Bay. The island is home to a public market where vendors include fish mongers, butchers, bakers and crafters. Granville Island is also home to the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. The Granville Island Hotel is the only hotel on the Island. Its Dockside Restaurant and Brew Pub was named an Open Table Diner's Choice award winner in 2009. The restaurant's patio, at the water's edge, is a perennial favorite where locals and tourists watch ferries bringing visitors to and from the island. The hotel offers high-speed wireless Internet and modest-sized conference facilities.
Granville Island Hotel
1253 Johnston St.
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6H 3R9
(604) 683-7373
granvilleislandhotel.com
About The Author
Lois Lawrence is an attorney and freelance writer living and working in Stonington, Conn. She has written on many subjects including travel, food, consumerism, relationships, insurance and law. Lawrence earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1976, and a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law in 1979.
