We love coming across creative use of words in unexpected places -- pretty sentiments carved into cement or deep thoughts scrawled on bathroom walls -- so it made us smile to see that the new Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver is almost literally building their hotel with poetry.

The text of an original poem by Liam Gillick (a British artist) will wrap around the exteriors of the building all the way up to the 23rd floor.

We were up in Vancouver, B.C. for an 08.08.08 wedding this weekend and stayed in Kimpton's Pacific Palisades Hotel to supplement our sloshy time with a bit of "fun and fabulous" (the hotel's tagline) -- but, unfortch, so was everyone else in the greater Vancouver metro area! It was busy! It was an adventure!

Follow along as we take you through a hotel experience full of broken elevators, ice cold shower surprises, heart-shaped coffee tables and staffers who say "dude" a lot.

Our Guess the Hotel from yesterday was easy, and hotel maven CourtneyMay was the first to call it. It was the Pacific Palisades in Vancouver, a Kimpton property with a sort of funky retro beach-y vibe. [Note: when we think Canada, "retro beach-y" does not come to mind. We know.]

We hinted about the wine hour -- a tradition at all Kimpton properties -- and noted that they talk funny here. Since the Pacific Palisades is the only Canadian Kimpton (and Canada is clearly the only place in the world where they talk funny), it should have been a dead giveaway...but we thought a shot of the home of Kimpton's famed

Ok, so it wasn't really a glowstick rave -- but people had glowsticks!

Unfortunately, those glowsticks were the most high-tech amenity available at Vancouver's Pan Pacific Hotel and Fairmont in the last couple of days due to a downtown power outage.

Pan Pacific had to relocate about 100 guests because some rooms had no running water (delicious!) and the rest of the guests who were moved around inside the hotel were given free rooms.

The Globe and Mail reported that the staff also went out and bought glowsticks to give to guests -- who had no TV or internet and were forced to (gasp) entertain themselves with things like conversations and recreation -- and

HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, seeing the hotel scene from a family travel perspective. All prices are in Canadian dollars--which currently trade slightly higher than U.S. dollars. Enjoy.

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is known as simply "Hotel Vancouver" by many taxi drivers and it is indeed the iconic hotel in town, competing with the Wedgewood Hotel as the top prestige address. The stone and peaked metal roof building was constructed jointly by Canada's two national railways and completed in 1939, just in time for a Royal visit from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, seeing the hotel scene from a family travel perspective. All prices are in Canadian dollars--which currently trade slightly higher than U.S. dollars. Enjoy.

The Marriott Pinnacle Vancouver comes across as your basic high-rise business hotel, but with a gracious staff and a hotel restaurant that gets high marks on its own, this one is a cut above the norm.

You will recognize the furniture and the bedding as it sticks to very bland Marriott look, but the service goes beyond business traveler briskness to help tourists make the most of their time in the city.

So two days ago we briefly reported how Starwood Capital and Marine Drive Properties is developing the 1 Hotel & Residences Vancouver Island in British Columbia (that would be Canada), within the Wyndansea development, but it took a day for us to realize just how cool this 1 Hotel location is.

Remember that scene in "Pulp Fiction" where John Travolta is shocked by the $5 shake at Jack Rabbit Slims? Better add River Maiden Artisan Coffee to his list of places to miss: The cafe serves up a $15 cup of Panama Esmeralda.

The ultra-rare beans that River Maiden uses are also available by the half pound for $100. One customer interviewed by CNN swears by the stuff:

It is very complex. It's wonderful. This one has some tropical fruit things coming through, notes of pineapple and a little bit of mango.

But not everyone's a fan. Another customer says she'd need a good reason to spend 15 bucks on a coffee:

Maybe if it was in Turkey or some place, but not off the streets here.

Related Stories:
· River Maiden Artisan Coffee [Official Site]
· How Much Is That Coffee? [CNN]
· Starbucks Alternatives coverage [Jaunted]

The city of Vancouver isn't just a great place to see celebrities or fly to Hong Kong any more. While the next Winter Olympics are two years away, Vancouver and nearby Whistler are already experiencing a construction boom, according to the New York Times, including an all-new light-rail line and several luxury hotels that will be ready to accommodate travelers in 2009.

Traveling to Olympic host cities before their big games is a great way to get a deal on a new, or newly renovated, hotel. The celebrities are just a bonus.

[Photo of Olympic mascots Miga, Quatchi and Sumi: stevenbuy_toy2005]

Vancouver-based Vacant Ready has the scoop on the latest hotel from Kor Hotels saying that the Loden Vancouver is nearing completion but obviously didn't make their expected Fall 2007 opening date.

Vacant Ready says  the hotel is expected for March 2008 and has already hired some key personnel--GMs, sales directors, etc. The hotel is also ramping up its Voya restaurant helmed by executive chef  Marc-Andre.

While the place isn't open, the website has listed some packages and special rates that will be available such as the 21-day advance rate (book three weeks out and get a special rate) and a special web-only rate. We checked out some rates in April and found a Loden King Deluxe