Posts Tagged ‘Sunset Inn’

We have the perfect gift for Mothers Day at The Calixica Spa

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

Here are some great suggestions for Mothers day

We have a great package set up with Calixica Spa on Granville Island.
As a special treat for Mothers day, you can treat Mum to a wonderful stay at the Sunset Inn and include our great Spa Package deal as a perfect gift for this special day.
At the Calixica , the Sunset Rose Bliss Massage engages all the senses. Your mother will be greeted at the door and offered tea in the Secret Garden Lounge. The healing touch of the Calixica spa practitioners instils trust, candles and quiet music transform the space, and the rose oil melts away tension, renewing a sense of harmony and balance. Since rose oil is also an aphrodisiac, the stage is set for the rest of the evening. Your Mum will return to the Sunset Inn with all the accoutrements for a fantastic evening infused with Calixica’s organic and wild crafted scents and oils.

Sunset Inn Rose Bliss Spa Package includes:
One night in a Sunset Inn Executive Suite and Complimentary Parking
Rose Bliss Beyond Couples Massage – 90 minutes at Calixica Holistic Spa Boutique on Granville Island
Foot Reflexology
Calixica Treasure Vase filled with Rose Gemstone Massage Oil, Calixica Rose Essence Spray, Chakra Candle, Two Single Roses and ChocolaTas Rose Chocolates.
Package price starts at $458.00 plus taxes (based on double occupancy).
Calixica Holistic Spa Boutique on Granville Island

#109-1535 Johnston Street
Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9
Telephone: 604.568.0086
Spa Hours of Operation
Monday to Friday: 10am ~ 7pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am ~ 6pm

http://calixica.com/

The location of the Spa is on Granville Island, and it is close to some very special restaurants in the area, notably, the fantastic Sandbar Restaurant and a relatively new spot Edible Canada. Both have great patios and some of the best food the city has to offer. What with the Spa package and great food, this will be a Mothers Day to remember for quite some time.

http://www.vancouverdine.com/sandbar

http://www.ediblecanada.com/

The best 3 tour operators to see Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler right at your Doorstep.

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

As the official start of the Tourist Summer season is right around
the corner, we will like to help you see the best of Vancouver,
Victoria and Whistler. We want to show you how you can maximize your
time at a an excellent cost that will not damage your budget, all of
this right from the doorstep of the Sunset Inn and Suites hotel.

There are 3 major tour operators in the area that we feel confident
will show you the best of Vancouver and the surrounding areas
including the North Shore Mountains, the Suspension Bridges and
further afield to Whistler and Victoria. All of this in just one
day!!!!

Not only should you spend time in Vancouver, but you must see the
wonderful capital of BC, Victoria. This tour – like Vancouver, gets you
around the city and also the world renowned Butchart Gardens. Then
there is Whistler, where you will head north along the stunning sea to
sky highway that takes you directly to Whistler and its alpine
village, along the way you will see spectacular water falls, looming
mountains, popular hiking trails and have time to peruse the village
at leisure.

For the City of Vancouver, try either Vancouver Living Earth Tours
(and Big Bus city tour – which we will explain a little further down),
where you will visit the most popular and famous sights all in just
over 4 hours. You can also do a “snapshot” tour of Vancouver in 2
hours with Landsea Tours, an ideal tour if you have time to kill in
between checking out and your next destination to St Elsewhere…..

For the sights of Victoria and the gloriously beautiful Butchart
Gardens, again, you can choose Landsea Tours. They will pick you up and drop you
off at the hotel, where you will get to see Victoria without having to
worry about the how to get from A to B as they will have the whole day
planned out for you. We try our best to discourage you from getting there by yourself, it takes roughly 4 hours to get to Victoria itself, and after trying to orientate yourself around Victoria, we feel through experience that may lose
out on the best sights, these tours are designed to do all the hard work for you so you don’t have, you ARE on holiday!

And finally, good old Big Bus, they offer a fantastic One Day or Two
Day city pass, where you can use their Hop on and Hop off tour at your pleasure> The
bonus of this is that the pick up stop is literally a 30 second walk
around the corner from the hotel, if you decide to take the tour all
at once it is roughly a couple of hours to get around the city.

We highly recommend that you use these tours which you can book with
us at the front desk, we will help with advice and make sure that this will
be the perfect trip to Vancouver and the surrounding area.

http://www.vancouvertours.com/

http://bigbus.ca/home/

http://www.livingearthtours.com

April is the beginning of Whale watching season.

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

As the spring season starts to warm up Vancouver, one thing that you will begin to notice is the breathtaking nature of the area coming alive before your eyes. It has been announced in the news that the first pods of Orca Whales (commonly known as Killer Whales) have been spotted swimming up through The Georgia Strait.

Whale watching season runs from April though to October each year, and if you do decide to venture out to the strait with a Whale Watching operator you may very well be lucky enough to be surrounded by a plentiful pod, as they migrate on their long journey north towards the Alaskan waters.

Not only are there Orca’s, the Strait also has other passing visitors such as Grey Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. In actual fact, last year, a lone grey whale decided that it wanted to come along and see what Vancouver is all about, the Whale decided to take a small trip through English Bay and take a look at False Creek much to the delight of onlookers lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, visitors along Granville Island and False Creek really were blessed with such a rare sight. The Whale decided to come back to False Creek a few days later, must have been tipped off that there were some above par buskers and yummy seafood on offer at Granville Island…and why not?

To see these Whales as they migrate up the Strait you need look no further than ‘Wild Whales Vancouver’ who are located on Granville Island. Wild Whales Vancouver have been operating since 2004, run by a former fisherman and Whaler, you will be in the capable hands of people who are passionate about Whales and really want you to experience the true wonder of these majestic mammals.

If you wish to book with Wild Whales, you can do this via their website at the bottom of this page….

Or better still, just simply book through us at The Sunset Inn front desk whilst you are staying with us at the hotel.

So go ahead, get adventurous and get your Whale on, you will not be disappointed.

Also check out the Orca Network, this is a fantastic site that has people writing in and letting us know what Whales and other sea mammals have been spotted throughout The Strait and the Gulf Islands of the US and Canada.

Visit the website here and keep up to date with the current migration of 2012.

www.whalesvancouver.com

www.orcanetwork.org

Who wants to go and watch some Contemporary theatrical comedy?

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

Do you fancy some Contemporary theater that is sure to leave you smiling from ear to ear? We know just the place and show for you to see.

The Sunset Inn is proud to accommodate the theatrical company Visible Fictions, the team will be staying with us in Vancouver whilst their production of Jason and the Argonauts will be playing at the Carousel Theater on Granville Island. Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, the Visible Fictions production team are touring the US and Canada and are getting some incredible reviews from The Times in the UK and The New York Times to name but a few.

http://www.carouseltheatre.ca/

http://www.visiblefictions.co.uk

Their show Jason and the Argonauts will be running until April 28th, this production is sure to bring you plenty of laughs and entertainment with this high energy and hugely physical performance.

Not only that we highly recommend that you make a day of it when you head down to the Island. So here are some suggestions…

Feeling hungry? Check out The Sandbar Restaurant, this is a very popular dining establishment with an extensive menu that encompasses a wide price range from regular pub food to higher end cuisine, whatever you fancy we are sure you will be satisfied.

Fancy some Wine? Go and grab a bottle at Liberty Wine Merchants and mention you are staying at the Sunset Inn, we have a customer number set up so you can receive a discount at this Wine Store, the staff there sure do know their wine and have extensive knowledge of their wide and varied selection of high end wines.

Need to unwind and reset, have some relaxing time at The Calixica Holistic Spa, check out our promotion on this webpage that we have set up with them.

http://calixica.com/

And finally, make sure you explore the Island, there are plenty of boutique shops and craft stores to peruse, as well as the very famous Granville Island Market, open daily between 9am and 7pm.

http://www.granvilleisland.com/

To get to Granville Island, we recommend taking the False Creek Ferries, its cute, quick and a moment where you can reach for the camara and snap some shots of False Creek and English Bay.

http://www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/

We do hope that you make it to the show, it will not disappoint.

Clip from the Visible Fictions production of Jason and the Argonauts

Visible Fictions production of Jason and the Argonauts

Happy Easter

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

Hello everybody, looking outside we feel confident that it is going to be a very pleasant Spring, and all in time for us to celebrate the Easter Season.

So Happy Easter to you all, we will like to put you in the right direction of events and places of worship if you are looking for somewhere to celebrate this very famous occasion on the Christian Calender. If you are just celebrating as you have some days off, we are sure we can find something for all the family to enjoy.

At the Sunset Inn, this time of year marks a major transition from Winter Season to Summer season, and it is now just a matter of weeks before the Cruise Ships start to move in and welcome the tourists from all over the globe, many of whom are getting ready for the big cruise north to Alaska. This means that the hotel and Vancouver will be getting very very busy and the city now has its lively summer hat on, we feel it is is going to be yet another busy and fun packed summer, so please keep up to date with the blog as we will keep you up to date on all that will be going on.

So as this is Easter Week, Vancouver has various events happening all around the city, here are some of the highlights that we feel you will enjoy!

Vancouver Easter Egg Hunts.

The Great A-Mazing Egg Hunt at VanDusen Botanical Garden
For all ages
Friday, April 6, 2012
10am – 12pm or 1pm – 3pm
Tickets: $6.50 for kids; $10.75 for adults. Tickets sell out fast. See site for details.

http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/vandusen/website/media/eggHunt.htm

Stanley Park Miniature Railway presents “Easter in the Park”
Train ride, Easter egg hunts and visits with the Easter bunny for all ages
Friday, April 6 – Monday, April 9, 2012
11am – 4pm
Tickets: $6.50 for kids 2 – 12; $3.50 for adults to ride the train

http://vancouver.ca/parks/par.htmks/stanley/fun

Easter at Grouse Mountain 2012
Easter brunch, Easter egg hunts and the Easter bunny for all ages
Sunday, April 8, 2012, Tickets: $15 for kids; $25 for youth; $42 for adults (includes general admission)

Places of Worship

Holy Rosary Cathedral, located at Richard and Dunsmuir Street, easily accessible by Cab or the Number 6 Bus.

hrc.rcav.org

St Andrews Wesley United Church, located at Nelson and Burrard St – a 10 to 15 minute walk away from the Sunset Inn.

www.standrewswesleychurch.bc.ca

As well as Easter, we will like to place a special mention that the month of April is Daffodil month, this is to raise awareness for the fight against Cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society will be campaigning all month for donations, which you will receive a daffodil pin in acknowledgment of your contribution. Friday April 27th is Daffodil day…for further information please go visit their website at the bottom of this page.

www.fightback.ca

So happy Easter to everyone, try not to eat too much chocolate!!!!

Cherry Blossoms are Blooming!!!!

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

Video of Vancouver Crows coming home to roost

Spring season has arrived, and like clockwork it is very visible throughout Vancouver.

One of the most telling signs that the Spring is here is by noticing the Cherry Blossom trees awakening all around the city, and what a beautiful site these trees are. Vancouver is blessed to have so many Cherry Blossoms throughout the city and it will be quite the display from now until May.

Between April and May, Vancouver will host the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival The festival is run by a non profit Society that celebrates the season with Arts, poetry and entertainment, it was set up in 2005 to celebrate and give thanks to the trees that were donated to the city back in the 1930s. They also have a fantastic website that follows all the trees as they begin to bloom, there is an interactive map that points out where you can go and locate the very best in bloom. The festival runs from April 5th until April 28th.

www.vcbf.ca

What we really adore about Vancouver is how the area is really divided by the seasons, not only do we have the four well known seasons, but also Wet and Dry, it is this time of year where we see the beginnings of Spring appear, also the rains now begin to taper off marking the beginnings of the transition between wet and dry

Check out the local flora and fauna which are now visibly awakening from their slumber, the suburbs of the West End are by far a stunning sight to see. Also keep an eye on the skies above you as Vancouver has many migrating birds of all shapes and sizes appearing overhead, it is not unusual to see Herons, Bald Eagles and more hovering majestically above our heads. If you want further help on where to see the best of the natural world make sure to check with us at the Front Desk, there is a wonderful spot in Stanley park where the Herons build their huge nests (located near the open air Swimming Pool and Second Beach), and nesting season for the Avian gang are well and truly here, we will be able to recommend other great areas such as Queen Elizabeth Park – located in the south of Vancouver, formally part of a quarry, the park is situated on the highest point of Vancouver and has incredible 360 degree views of the area it is a must for all plant lovers.

Finally, everyday of the year look out for the Crows heading home to roost, a remarkable sight that sees a huge flock (believe it or not it is commonly known as a murder!) of crows all heading home one before sunset, they congregate from many areas of the city (such as English Bay, False Creek and Stanley Park) where they head south East towards Burnaby where hundreds of the Vancouver Crows settle in for the night!.

So from every at the Sunset Inn and Suites, we say a warm and welcome hello to Spring, the good weather is on its way…..

Why stay at the Sunset? Well let us explain…..

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Many of our blogs have been focusing on the surrounding areas of what to see and do in Vancouver, we feel that this will be a great time for you to get to know the hotel, as we truly believe that we have an exceptional product that is sure to go above and beyond your idea of a hotel.

All year round, we the staff all do our part with the upkeep of the hotel and we are constantly striving to see what we can do to make this hotel the very best for your needs. This blog will explain why you should choose us, and why would you have to pay for MORE during your stay, because by staying at the Sunset Inn and Suites, you will find this is by far the best priced hotel for quality, comfort and location.

At no extra cost The Sunset Inn offers Free complimentary parking for 1 vehicle per room.
A light continental breakfast (which includes a variety of Fruit, Bagels, Croissants, Muffins, Coffee, Tea and Juices.
We now have wireless and Hard wire Internet in ALL rooms, if you do not have access to internet, you are more than welcome to come to the front desk and use our computer, here you can print Boarding Passes or anything else that you require.
We boast some of the Largest suites in the area, with a fully equipped and fully furnished Kitchens, living space and balcony’s, we are an Apartment style hotel, with full amenities at your disposal
Self Service Laundry (Laundry soap is provided by us) 24 hour access close to the Lobby.
Complimentary Bike Room.
We also boast a very large and eclectic selection of DVD’s to watch at no extra charge. If there is no DVD played in the room, we have more to sign out (also no charge) from behind the Front Desk.

HIGH DEFINITION TVs have now been installed into the Executive Hotel Rooms, so you can enjoy maximum viewing pleasure in your bedroom and the living room….!

So when you are shopping around and are looking for the ultimate deal, WHY PAY MORE ELSEWHERE????

St Patricks Day Festivities

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012


The big weekend is almost upon us where we dig out our lucky charms, don big red beards and wear green green green, for this is the weekend of St Patricks day, celebrated worldwide every March 17th.

Vancouver has plenty of events for you to celebrate this occasion, from Big Parades, to Green beer, and even a huge Rugby game against the English….please read further for the scoop on where to go to celebrate the Emeralds Isle biggest calender date.

The majority of the Irish bars will be welcoming one and all for this festive occasion,.so here is the list of what is Hot, Green and full of shenanigans…
The Blarney Stone – Probably its biggest day of the year for this popular bar and music venue, the Blarney Stone will be offering up a delicious Full Irish menu, Green beers and fun for all the family to enjoy, the festivities for the family begins at 9am, then after 6pm it is open for anyone over the age of 19+ . There will be Irish dancers and live music to get you in the Paddy’s Day Spirit.
Ceili’s Irish Pub (Granville St location) will have live dancers, bagpipers and a huge crowd to get you into the swing of things!
Other notable locations are, Doolins (Granville Street) Lamplighter (Gastown) The Irish Heather (Gastown) probably one of the most classic of all Irish Bars in Vancouver.

On the day itself, back in Europe there is the finale of the very popular 6 nations rugby tournament, the very final game of the 2012 season is between Ireland and England at Twickenham. Ceili’s Bar in Kitsilano will be showing the game live at kick off from 11am, this will be an incredible chance to see a potential scalp of the old enemy, wouldn’t this be an incredible way to get St Patricks day started with a win against the English….it can not get better than this. The bar will be open for the earlier match showcasing another Celtic cousin, Wales v France at 7.45am, so if you want to get ahead and start earlier head to Kitsilano at Ceili’s – 1774 West 7th, Vancouver, V6J 4T3.

There is also the St Patricks Day Street Parade, this will be on Sunday March 18th, and will wind its way north along Howe St beginning at the Drake St intersection, it will then turn onto Georgia St and finish at Georgia and Granville St where you can enjoy the fun packed Street party.

And finally, running all week is CELTICFEST….this is Western Canada’s largest celebration of all that is Celtic and of cultural heritage, now in its 8th year, this festival promises to rock your socks off throughout Vancouver, it encompasses dancing, family friendly events with over 50 free and ticketed venues for you all to enjoy, no matter what age you are, come and join in the fun!

Huge Sporting weekend coming up in Vancity!

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

Vancouver is going to be one hell of a busy city this weekend and it is going to be a huge treat for any budding sporting fan out there.

Saturday March 10th is the beginning of Soccer season for the Vancouver Whitecaps, whom are opening up their first game of the season at a Jam packed BC Place with 23,000 faithful supporters coming to cheer the Whitecaps on against The Montreal Impact…………. there is more!!!!

To cap off this sporting weekend, the Vancouver Canucks are also entertaining Montreal just across the road at Rogers Arena in the NHL, where the faithful Canucks Supporters will fill Rogers arena with almost 20,000 in attendance. It is quite literally a doubleheader battle between East Vs West, Anglophone vs Francophone…so bring it on!

This year will also mark the beginning of the first full season of soccer games at the newly renovated BC Place Stadium, a few of the last games were played immediately after the renovations were completed in mid 2011. Whilst the majority of games of the 2011 season were played at at the temporary home for the Whitecaps, out at The Empire Field in East Vancouver, which is next to the PNE fairground attraction. BC Place is also home to the BC Lions Football team of the CFL League.

BC Place stadium has been a very famous landmark on the Vancouver Skyline, built in 1984, the Stadium was famous for its unmistakable Inflated roof. The roof itself made the headlines back in January 2006 when due to severe weather and the weight of Rain and Snow, the elements managed to tear a large hole in the roof, which marked the only time the roof had to be temporarily deflated in its history.

The stadium went through some major and massive renovations during 2011, it was time to say goodbye to the old inflated roof, and a welcome to a more modern structure. The stadium now literally looks like a huge Crown and further more it now boasts a stylish retractable roof. As sad as it was to see the Inflatable roof disappear, the venue has not lost its dominance on the Vancouver skyline and is still just as unique today as it has been years gone by. The renovations have really brought this venue into the 21st century and is proud to boast of some impressive facilities which is sure to impress any visitor here.

The Whitecaps are now in their 17th year. For many of the staff at The Sunset Inn and especially one Micheal Wright, the Whitecaps are now quite the institution in the Vancouver Sporting world. The fans are really what make up the atmosphere at this Stadium, specifically the famous ‘Southsiders’ who are the largest group of supporters here, who feature regularly at events associated with the team and can be seen and heard very clearly at the home games, there are some that come to the game just to witness the Southsiders at play! Also, a recently formed group called “La Doce’ were created in January 2011, these are fans who are made up from the old Spanish group of supporters, formally known as the ‘Spanish 12′ adopting the idea that they are the 12th member of the Whitecaps, the group is made up of Latin American and Spanish Fans from all over.

The Whitecaps V Montreal Kicks off at 3PM at BC Place.

Then the Vancouver Canucks vs Montreal kicks off just across the Georgia Street Viaduct at Rogers Arena at 7pm.

If you will like to see them on the TV you can catch these games on Sportsnet and in HIGH DEFINITION, we are proud to announce that as of this week the hotel now is now HD.

Sunset Inn suggestions for Valentines day.

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

February 14th is Valentines day and it is fast approaching. So for all you lovebirds out there who are searching for ways to celebrate this romantic occasion, the Sunset Inn is proud to announce a new package that sees the hotel team up with the Calixica Holistic Spa on Granville Island. Calixica Holistic Spa opened in late 2011 and are located on Granville Island very close to the Granville Island Public Market. We strongly believe that this package will be perfect for such an occasion as Valentines day.

The Spa offers a transformative Spa experience which combines the earths natural healing energies, with a holistic approach to the spirit of personal Inner Health, wisdom and harmony. Please see the attachment to read further information of this exciting package.

http://www.sunsetinn.com/specials.php?cat=31&id=82

As this is a great time to be able to wine and dine our loved ones, not only will you find the Spa experience on Granville Island, there are more options to help make this the perfect ‘date night’ for you and your loved ones.

If you are looking to share a pretty awesome bottle of wine together, you have to look no further than Liberty Wine Merchants on Granville Island, located near the Market and the Spa, here you will find an excellent selection of the finest high end wines locally and world wide. The hotel has a customer number assigned for a 10% discount off any wine you may purchase there, please ask at the front desk for the customer discount number.

http://www.granvilleisland.com/directory?name=liberty&type=All&location=All

We are sure that you agree with us that chocolates are a must for Valentines day, at least we think so at the hotel…. as the majority of us here are addicted to the stuff, the amount of chocolate we consumed over Christmas was pretty obscene to say the least!!!! So to make us feel less guilty about this guilty pleasure, we recommend that you pay a visit to Roger’s Chocolate shop, which is conveniently located next to Calixica Spa and heartily indulge…you know you want too!

http://www.granvilleisland.com/directory/rogers-chocolates

A few tidbits on Valentines Day, the term Valentine is attributed to early Christian Martyrs. Many of these people were saints in ancient Rome and to be named a Valentine meant that you were ‘Worthy, Strong and Powerful’…some may say that the staff at the Sunset are worthy of the Valentines status as you will no doubt agree!!!

It is also debatable as to the origins of St Valentines day, was there even a Patron Saint of Lovers? Or was it associated with the Medieval Poet George Chaucer who encouraged Courtly Love in the middle ages, it seems that this would be the beginning of Valentines Day as we know it.

No matter what, it is a great day to sweep your loved ones off their feet and to enjoy the moment however you see fit, hopefully that includes our suggestions above.

Have a fantastic loved up Valentines day.

http://www.sunsetinn.com/reservations.php