good sleep: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

I love a good hotel. So much that, at one point, I lived in a hotel for a year. 

The Hollywood Roosevelt has all of the things that I love about a good hotel: a good bed with premium linens, a dark, mysterious hotel bar with experienced bartenders, interesting patrons, a beautiful pool with chair-side service, attention to aesthetics and, hopefully, a sense of history - and it's this one that The Hollywood Roosevelt has in spades.

Opened in Hollywood in 1927 at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, The Roosevelt was a glamorous destination for anyone who was "anyone".  And by anyone, I mean the likes of  Charlie Chaplin, Clara Bow, Greta Garbo, F.Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Marilyn Monroe.  Founded by a group of Hollywood power players (including Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford) as a place to house East Coast talent, The Roosevelt was a true Hollywood hotspot in it's heyday. Today it is owned by theThompson Hotel group who have returned the hotel to it's original splendour. The Hollywood Roosevelt of today is popular with all of the young stars who are often photographed coming and going from the restaurants and sipping cocktails by it's very famous pool (that features a David Hockney mural on it's floor). Most famously - it was the site of the very first Academy Awards Ceremony. It was also a one-time home to Marilyn Monroe, whom, *it has been said*, haunts the hotel. Her particular room, now updated as a luxury suite, can be reserved for upwards of $800 / night. But don't let that nightly rate scare you. While this hotel is definitely not for those on a budget, it can be more affordable than you might think. Basic rooms start at around $250 US per night. Some of the larger rooms are even equipped with fridges and dining areas. And, since Hollywood is not the best of neighborhoods, there are plenty of inexpensive places to eat (hello In n Out Burger)!  within walking distance. And if you don't want to have a car at your disposal - you can walk to many attractions or take public transit.

I will be checking into the Hollywood Roosevelt once again when I visit for Oscar Weekend. With it's close proximity to the Kodak Theatre and being a key location for industry parties, it'll be a great place to chill, enjoy the warm weather, people watch and take some great photos. And based on my last visit, I'll no doubt have some excellent stories to share here...

Day 4: "Reaaaady"

Another early start with a ride on the Skytrain to the Richmond Oval to watch the Men’s Long Track Speed Skating. It was a long and rainy walk (1.5 km) to the venue from the station but it was amazing to see everyone so excited for the event. It did seem a bit odd that everyone (and I mean, pretty much everyone) was dressed in orange but we quickly got up to speed that the Dutch “own” Speed Skating. As we walked along the Fraser River, in the rain, it actually started to feel more like Holland than Vancouver. We were even given a free (and cool) pair of orange Dutch mittens en route to the venue.


The Richmond Oval is a brand new venue that is really beautiful – lots of great light and natural wood. The track itself was amazing but I was most impressed by the camera that moves along a track and follows the skaters at some incredible speeds. One favourite thing - the computer voice that says "Reaaaddddy" when the skaters need to be at the starting line. You can't hear that and not giggle. Just try it, I dare you. Our seats were killer – in the corner in the middle of a sea of orange. For this particular competition, the skaters competed in heats of two with the slowest skaters going first and the strongest last. Although there were some exciting moments along the way, the man to beat – Sven Kramer – ended up crushing an Olympic record and winning gold. When he realized he had won, he climbed the boards to hug his family who happened to be sitting a few rows away from us. Needless to say, the place erupted in celebration!

After the skating, we then headed over to the Richmond Ozone to check out the fun! The rainy walk was fun and we were passed by many Dutch bikes that could be borrowed for the journey. We hoped to have ourselves a beer at the Heineken house but the enormous line and cold rain made us turn back and head home.

Dinner was spent with some great friends and colleagues both present and past at a cool pub called the Regal Beagal (and no, Larry and Jack couldn’t make it). It was great to unwind and chill but it was most amazing to see so many great friends come out! (Thanks to you all! xo)

Day 3: Let the Games Begin!

So despite the many glasses of sangria the night before, we made an early start. We brunched downtown at The Templeton – a really cool, retro diner that serves up an organic (and delicious) breakfasts and diner favourites for lunch and dinner. Breakfast runs about $12 a person including coffee (which comes served in oversized mugs), tax and tip. You can sit at the 4 person booths complete with personal jukebox or on the red vinyl stools at the counter. If you feel like cereal – you can even order single serving packages of all your childhood favourites. I had the farmers breakfast which was delicious and my eggs were perfectly poached. Yum.
After lunch we met up with some business colleagues for a nice glass of wine and then made our way over to Gastown for some lunch and a beer at the Steamworks Brewing Co. before the big show. The city was buzzing and literally draped in red and white.

With strict instructions that we were to be seated before 5pm, and with our concerns about line-ups and security we arrived at BC place at 3:30 pm. Of course, there was no line-up and security was a cinch but we didn't care, we were just stoked to be there. When we arrived at our seats we discovered our "participation kit" and settled in. We were surrounded by people from all over the world - Holland, the Ukraine, Poland (man, do they know how to party!) and Russia. At 5 pm we were finally given some instruction on our kits which included a white cape, a flashlight, a battery-operated candle, a drumstick and a Canadian flag. The box itself became both a drum and a sign that was used as part of the amazing crowd countdown. We also received a collectible book about the event and it's participants. The crowd was really into it - everyone was in the white cape and it was cool to see how we all blended in together. Each section had a volounteer team leader who helped us with our parts - the countdown, the lights, the quiet, and the drumming.  It was a long wait...but finally the games were about to begin!

It's funny how many negative things I have read about the ceremonies - because from where I was sitting it was simply incredible! From the colours and lights and music choices (the Joni Mitchell destroyed me, and KD killed it) to the audience participation - the whole thing was incredibly (and surprisingly) moving. I will post some videos soon but for now here are some of the tons of photos I took...

After an unbelievable 6 hours in the stadium, we ventured out in the pouring rain and ended up back at Steamworks for a few beers with some of Shannon's friends. A great way to end an incredible day.

Here is a video I took of one of my fave sequences of the night - The Whales:

Vancouver: Day 2

It was raining. But it was raining less than the day before!

We started the day off with a great brunch at Caffe Barney. I had a delicious Cajun Benedict that had a spicy salsa and chorizo on it, topped with a delicious hollandaise. Mmmm. After watching two hours of Mario Batali's adventures in Spain on the airplane, I had been seriously craving some chorizo and this helped to satisfy it. Barney's is in the South Granville area where I am staying.My girlfriend (and work colleague) Shannon is hosting me at her place during my stay and will be my partner in crime for this trip. South Granville is a great neighborhood just across the bridge from downtown and is quite upscale with lots of shopping and restaurants. Very similar to my own neighborhood, Yonge and Eglinton, back home in Toronto.

After brunch with Shannon and Christy (an old friend and former colleague), we made our way on foot to Granville Island. First stop - the Granville Island Brewing - to warm up and enjoy a flight of their feature beers including a Chocolate Stout, Hefeweizen (my fave), Lion's Winter Ale, and Jolly Abbot Ale. Yum.

After a stroll through the market - and a visit to a hat store that was worthy of a bad-movie-montage, we grabbed a water-taxi to take us to Yaletown. There, we visited Casa Italia and sampled some parmagiano-reggiano (and took home a complimentary cheese knife) and then the Irish House for some live music, over-priced Guiness, beef pies and smokies...plus some free champagne.

With a good power nap behind us, we headed back downtown to one of my favourite restos in Vancouver - La Bodega - to once again satisfy my chorizo craving. La Bodega has been in business for thirty some odd years and serves up amazing tapas in an authentic and charming environment. We shared a pitcher of sangria and several of their amazing dishes including fried Chorizo (to-die-for!), Patatas Bravas (potatoes in a zesty sauce), Albondigos (melt-in-your-mouth Spanish meatballs), white beans salad, and Pimiento Relleno (pork stuffed peppers)...and a booze soaked dessert of peaches and homemade ice cream for dessert. Yum. Enjoy my pics - I promise you'll be craving Spanish food too!

Vancouver: Day 1

After a "very" early morning alarm buzz, I made my way through a good heap of fresh, unplowed snow to the airport...in my Mini Cooper. Talk about the start of an adventure. My flight was fairly uneventful despite having a middle seat at the front (I'm a tailie who likes an aisle) but it was cool to see so many other excited people en route to the games...including two Olympic participants from Brazil sitting in the seats behind me in their uniforms. And this time my personal TV screen worked! Yay.

I arrived exhausted and was happy to find that a friend from the Vancouver branch of my company could pick me. I spend the day working from the local office but insisted on a lunch time visit to Whitespot for what is now a Vancouver tradition. Mmmmm. Triple O, how I love you.

It is raining here, of course. But it's warm, so it's all good as far as I'm concerned.
It was a very low-key day...and an early night. Pedicures, a walk in the pouring rain, warm comfort food and then a really good sleep. The real adventure starts tomorrow.