• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

Coal Harbor's Loden hotel offers scenic views and complimentary transportation.   (Photo: Courtesy of Loden Vancouver Hotel)

Don't bother upgrading at the Shangri-La (from $326)—even standard rooms at the ten-month-old hotel come with TV-embedded bathroom mirrors, bedside-controlled drapes, and a $92 hotel credit to use during your stay. We suggest applying it toward the six-course tasting menu downstairs at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's new restaurant, Market ($68; reservations recommended).

Enjoy waterfront views at the year-old Loden Vancouver ($245), a design-conscious boutique property near the upscale Coal Harbour area that offers first-come, first-served free bike rentals and a complimentary London hackney cab to squire you about town.

Get a deal at Moda (from $100), the downtown budget-boutique hotel housed in a restored century-old heritage building. Walk to nearby Robson Street shops and Granville Street clubs, or pick up a bottle of Victoria Gin ($53) from the Viti Wine and Lager Store downstairs; the delicate local spirit is rarely found outside the province.

Published on Oct 8, 2009 as a web exclusive.