by Anne Garber & John T.D. Keyes

Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel
1088 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2R9
604-331-1000
fax: 604-893-7200
e-mail
Website

Easy to Get to? The soul of simplicity. The hotel is roughly halfway between the Burrard Street Bridge and the downtown core. You can't miss it. It's the tallest cluster of buildings in the city -- two glass towers on a immaculately landscaped urban park.

What's It Near? It's directly across the street from St. Paul's Hospital and two churches -- St. Paul's Cathedral and St. Andrew's Wesley Church (a United Church). There's a terrific new IGA grocery store just down the street a bit, and trendy Yaletown and Robson Street are 10 minutes' walk away.

What's the Clientele Like? You'll certainly find tourists here, but the place caters mostly to business and high-end incentive travellers. In other words, fairly demanding and discriminating guests, which explains the quality of the services and amenities. If you choose a "Club Level" room, you'll have access to the Club Lounge, including free Continental breakfast/hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and daily and financial newspapers. The atmosphere is respectfully quiet, without feeling restrained. In short, a totally comfortable and welcoming retreat for the harried business traveller.

Looks Cool from the Outside It's pretty cool from the inside, looking out, too. Many of the design touches are courtesy of the builder's wife, Mrs. Wall, who made available many of the Asian and African artworks that grace the walls and the walkways between the hotel towers. We're talking serious attention to detail. The metalwork in one of the atriums is painted to exactly match the shade of one of Mrs. Wall's lipsticks, Revlon's "African Violet" shade. The three richly hued Japanese maples in the courtyard weren't expected to thrive when they were transplanted, but they did. Guess they think it's pretty cool here as well.

I'm Strictly Here for Business You have a couple of choices. You can work in your room -- all rooms have high-speed access and fax-data ports -- or you can use the computers and photocopier in the fourth-floor business centre on a pass-card basis (inquire at the front desk). There are also many options for business people, from a start-the-day-right breakfast meeting in Café One, to appropriate meeting rooms and even larger gatherings -- all with state-of-the-art technical capabilities.

Creature Comforts? Here's a smart idea. Instead of offering a mini-bar crammed with overpriced stuff you don't want, there's a "Build Your Own Bar" program. Either you can fill the fridge yourself (that's what the IGA down the street is for), or you can fill out a form asking that the fridge be filled with only what appeals to you. If that means nothing but Scotch, Evian water and chocolate bars, so be it.

Oops! I Need My Teeth Whitened! Funny you should mention that. What a coincidence! Turns out there's a dental clinic specializing in such cosmetic procedures right on the ground level.

Where Can I Work Out? If you're into jogging and are a first-time visitor to Vancouver, you really owe it to yourself to head over to nearby Stanley Park. But if time's of the essence, the hotel has a state-of-the-art health club, with weight room, stationary bikes and other aerobic equipment, lap pool, hot tubs and saunas. For a gentler workout, visit the adjacent Vida Wellness Spa, which follows ayurvedic principles and has 11 treatments rooms, so if there's a gang of you in need of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation, you can all book appointments for the same time.

I'm Hungry There's an on-site Starbucks, of course. If you want something light to eat, Café One has an array of tasty choices, plus decor touches of glass by Martha Sturdy, a local artist of worldwide reputation. For heartier appetites, Indigo Bistro is sure to have something that will hit the spot. We sampled the P.E.I. mussels and crab cakes, followed by salmon and scallops, and a hefty rib-eye with frites. Classic bistro fare, perfectly prepared.

Visit The Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel website...