Checking In and Never Leaving

I heard Christopher Heard interviewed on the CBC this morning. He makes some wonderful observations about hotels and his recent book includes stories of famous long-staying guests: Warren Beatty's decade at the Beverly Wilshire and Keannu Reaves calling the iconic Chateau Marmont home for more than 14 years. Definitely on my must read list!

New and Newer

It seems like just yesterday that the 377-room Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver opened its doors to visitors to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Bright and shiny and luxuriously modern - it's a bit suprising that a brand new hotel would be undergoing major renovations so soon.

Yet the configuration of the orginal meeting space (in particular two adjacent ballrooms - "hard walled") limited the size and scope of groups that could be accommodated. The solution: take down the wall and create one, large, more flexible space. 

The brand new Star Sapphire Ballroom measures 57.6 x 121.5 ft, providing 6,852 square feet of ballroom space, and 12,322 square feet of combined foyer and ballroom space.