Staying LEVEL Blog

Time to meet LEVEL’s VIP guests….. I’d like to take the time to quickly introduce some of our favorites, and the ones who come by Guest Services the most to hang out and say hi! Ok, so maybe they’re 4-legged, but we treat all of our guests at LEVEL with the same care and attention! Vancouver is known for being a dog-loving city; we were even ranked by petfriendly.com as #1 of the top 10 cities for being dog-friendly. It’s no surprise considering all of the trails, dog parks and huge population of outdoor enthusiasts that Vancouver is known for its love of the 4-legged!

‘Angie’, who visits at least twice a day, is our most polite lady. She walks with class into the lobby and offers a paw shake before receiving her treat. She is very fashionable and always dresses for the weather.

Anytime you see ‘Rosie’, you can’t help but smile. She was a bit camera shy for our photo shoot, but we were finally able to get a close up.

The title of King at LEVEL has to go to ‘Prince’. He can sleep all day as long as his Mommy is around, but when she leaves Prince tends to get a little lonely. Fortunately, the girls at Guest Service love to babysit while she’s gone!

Cat lovers, fear not! We are happy to welcome all feline friends as well. Although they may not want to hang out at the front desk with us as often, we still like to have them around.

LEVEL offers Vancouver pet-friendly accommodations in the heart of the city. We’d love to have you and your companions stay with us. Contact us today for more information.

It’s that time of year again! Dine Out Vancouver 2012, starts this weekend, Friday January 20th and runs until February 5th. Make sure to get online and start perusing the menus as reservations fill up quickly. We have compiled our top 5 Yaletown choices that are within walking distance to LEVEL. http://www.tourismvancouver.com/dine/dine-out-vancouver-2012

1. Cento Notti- Opus Hotel $28
2. Chinois Restaurant $28
3. Glowbal Grill Steaks & Satay $38
4. Goldfish Seafood & Chops $38
5. Section (3) $18

We also are suggesting that you venture a little farther on another night (I know, ugh, we are suggesting leaving our little bubble we love, called Yaletown) and take part in Feast Van. It runs the same date, January 20th to February 5th and $1 from every prixe fix dinner sold will go to the Vancouver Inner-city Backpack Food Program. Please visit www.feastvan.com for a list of all the participating restaurants.

With New Years Eve fast approaching and SOLD OUT banners popping up on many event pages.  The question that still remains for many of us is how to ring in 2012.  We did some digging and found a few events still have spots available.

New Years Eve Classy Cruise – 19+

There is no better way to ring in 2012! Join in for a sumptuous triple entrée gourmet catered buffet style dinner while sailing onboard the elegant MV Harbour Princess. Visit website.

Tickets: $125

2010 Midnight Stardust – 23+

Dinner is sold out, but you can still enjoy an evening of dancing at the Marriot Pinnacle Hotel downtown. Visit website.

Tickets: $95

2012 Earls V Lounge Yaletown – 23+

Walking distance from LEVEL, escape the predictable Downtown scene to indulge in something different. Sit back and enjoy wonderful cocktails and fabulous canapes, find your way onto the dance floor, or try your luck on the casino tables. Visit website.

Tickets: $100

Red Card New Years 2012 Party

Walk down the street to Red Card Sports Bar & Eatery to catch the game, buy 50/50 tickets for a good cause and wrap the night up with midnight pizza and bubbly! Visit website.

Tickets: $30

Robson Square Kids New Year’s Celebration

Ring in an early New Year skating with the kids.  Bedtime friendly countdowns at 7pm and 9pm ushered in with a live music.

Free if you have skates, rentals available. Visit website.

Vancouver Theatre Sports – Year in Review Celebration

In this parody of local, national and international headlines, the improvisers will take you on a journey back through “the year that was”. Who was in the news? What was hot? Who got arrested? Who got married? Who had a baby?  Multiple shows including the Celebration show at 11pm with champagne. On Granville Island. Visit website.

Tickets: $25+

New Years at Home

There’s something to be said for a New Years Eve at home, or your home away from home, here at LEVEL.  Pop over to Viti for a bottle of bubbly, enjoy an evening hot tub, watch the ball drop in Times Square, ‘rent’ a movie, and listen to the liveliness in the city as 2012 arrives.

However you choose to spend it – we’re glad you’re doing it in Vancouver.  There’s a reason we’ve been called “the best place on earth”.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The LEVEL crew has been in the Christmas spirit since we started decorating the lobby on the 1st of the month.   Of course we want our guests to always feel at home and nothing is more ‘home’ than a beautiful tree, wreaths and 24 hour Christmas tunes flowing through the already red themed lobby! And not to toot our own horn too much, but we are receiving continuous flow of compliments on the little Christmas wonderland feel as you stroll through the doors.  Now for all our guests who are staying in Vancouver through the holidays we’ve compiled a list of the best Christmas activities to do this season.

Bright Nights at Stanley Park

The 14th Annual train and light show runs 7 nights a week from 3pm-10pm until January 2nd (excluding Dec 25th). Enjoy a train ride through the forest while sipping hot chocolate, nibbling roasted chestnuts and being mesmerized by over 2 million twinkling lights! Proceeds benefit the Fire Fighters Burn Fund. View website.

The Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain

The true family experience of winter and the Holiday season can be experienced at Grouse Mountain.  Activities from taking the kids to visit Santa, to skating on the outdoor ice rink, to visiting the reindeer or taking a sleigh ride!! From December 14-24 you can even have breakfast with the Mr. himself . View website.

Festival of Lights at Van Dusen Gardens

Take a stroll through the transformed botanical gardens that are lit up in celebration of the holidays through to January 2nd (closed Dec 25th).  Be sure to catch the dancing lights show that takes place at the top of the hour and again at half past.   Bring some cash for holiday treats while you take in the sights.  Open until 4:30-9pm daily for all to enjoy. View website.

German Christmas Market at Queen Elizabeth Plaza

Celebrate a 700 year old German tradition in the heart of downtown Vancouver.  Shopping and holiday cheer readily available to get you in the Christmas spirit, including carolers.  Seasons tickets available for shopaholics.  Open daily 11am – 9pm until December 24th. View website.

Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge

Bundle up and go for a walk on the North Shore.  Capilano Suspension Bridge Park has decked the trails to light your way on a treetop adventure.  Open 5-9pm nightly until January 1st (closed Dec 25th). View website.

So visitors to the City or Vancouverites needing an extra Christmas boost go check out LEVEL’s recommendations! Also if you only need a little boost stop by the lobby and say hi to Guest Services and  believe me you’ll walk away feeling the Christmas spirit!

Ok, maybe Vancouver isn’t a city classified as a Winter Wonderland, but it is a rocking place to spend the winter.  As our days are becoming shorter and weather becoming more un-summer-like, and the Canucks back to the ice this week, it’s time to start looking forward to winter.  February will kick of the 2nd Anniversary since we hosted the Winter Olympics, which reminds the world that Vancouver is a great place to visit year-round.

Short Term Rentals

LEVEL Furnished Living offer’s a great option if you are looking for short term rentals in Vancouver this winter.  Use our Yaletown location as your base while you hit the local slopes one day, ride a bike on the seawall the next, and purchase local fish at Granville Island the following day!  With mild temperature in the city most attractions are open year-round, and it’s only a rumor that we get rain .  But if it does happen to down-pour one night while you are here, LEVEL’s suites all offer fully functional kitchens, so it’s a perfect set-up to make a home-cooked meal and relax watching a movie on the couch!  Or just call down to the 24 hour concierge desk and have them recommend the best delivery food!

And you can’t come this far without checking out the world renowned Whistler Blackcomb area! With the renovations to the Sea to Sky Highway, the drive is still picturesque and tranquil, but also safe and doable for visitors who have never driven it before.  The best part about Vancouver short term rentals with LEVEL is you can leave everything in your suite and throw together an overnight bag and head to Whistler. The drive is now less than 2.5 hours from LEVEL Furnished Living. Also make sure stop by Guest Services before leaving for recommendations on what to do while in Whistler!

With winter just around the corner, make sure to contact our sales department for availability and rates for short term rentals@sales@stayinglevel.com

The south-west corner of Seymour and Nelson has had a face-lift and Sunset Burgers has replaced Paul’s Stir Fry. Sunset Burger’s opened its doors this past month and everyone is raving about the 80’s inspired Burger joint. It was sad to see Paul’s Stirfry close its doors, but since ownership did not change we are happy to see a fresh idea and know that we will definitely be frequenting this place. The items are well priced and you even have the option of having it “Yaletown Style”; instead of a bun any item can come wrapped in lettuce! The menu is nice and simple and you pretty much build to order. The best addition is the patio seating. Great place to sit, enjoy a burger, have a beer and people watch .

The LEVEL staff is starting to get on the wagon, the healthy wagon that is! Most folks like to start this regime early spring to be beach ready for July and August, but we were a bit late (just like summer). Since LEVEL houses such fantastic gym and personal training facility, it’s pretty difficult not to take advantage of it! It is Level 10 Fitness’ mission to provide a unique service which enhances each client’s quality of life through consistent, positive, energetic and safe practical guidance. At LEVEL we feel pretty blessed to get to interact and have the option of joining either Terry or Dana’s boot camps. Both trainers offer 1 hour drop in classes at $20 per session! Great value and believe me you leave sweating! Every class is different and it doesn’t matter the level of fitness, they always make sure it is tailored to each individual in the class!

The current drop in schedule is:

Monday                12:00pm
Tuesday               1:00pm
Thursday             1:00pm
Friday                   6:00am

In addition to trying to hit the gym on a regular basis, we are also continuously trying to find healthy eating options walking distance from LEVEL. Our newest crave, is ‘The Chopped Leaf’ on Robson and Richards. Their logo says it all “Making the world greener one salad at a time…”  Either, go and sit or order and bring back to work at your desk . As the food is great, do expect to wait at least 5 to 10 minutes or call ahead to order before walking down to pick it up! My personal favorite is the Sunshine Salad, spring mix, avocados, apples and a whole bunch of goodness! If you’re not feeling any of the menu choices, you also have the option of building your own salad which always allows you to crunch any craving you may be having that day.

Feel free to send us any of your favorite healthy eating choices around Yaletown as we’re always up for a new place to try and then pass on to our guests and followers .

Well if you’re like me and unfortunately do not have exciting mini vacation plans for this upcoming long weekend, you’re probably wondering what there is to do in the city this weekend! There are numerous fun things going on and the weather is looking fabulous (well for Saturday at least ).

Saturday night kicks off the Celebration of Light in English Bay. China will open up at 10pm for “China Storm”. After that there will be three more nights (August 3rd, and 6th). This year a new addition of bleacher seating has been added and tickets are still available. The tickets are $35 a seat, and this allows you front row seating without having to camp out all day! There has been controversy over the bleachers potentially blocking viewing for others, but hopefully not.

And close the weekend off right by heading downtown for the Pride Parade! The parade will begin at 12pm and starts at Robson and Bute. Last year some 640,000 people lined the streets, so expect the 33rd parade to be even bigger and better! The parade goes through the downtown core, then down Denman St finishing at the Sunset Beach Pride Festival. The festivities continue with over 140 booths, DJ’s and of course a beer garden!

So that sets up your August long for you! I know I didn’t include a plan for Monday, but everyone needs some R & R, so take advantage of the day off  .

Visitors to Vancouver always rave about the summer in Vancouver. It’s taken a bit longer than average to get here this year, but once the sun is shining, we quickly forgive Mother Nature for the freezing rain for 8 months. Guests are always asking what are the best things to do in Vancouver in their free-time? So here is LEVEL’s Top 6 Summer Must Do’s!

1. Grab a blanket and a book and head to Jericho Beach on your bike to sun bathe and people watch.
2. Hit Granville Island for fresh fish and local produce. Grab a coffee and stroll through the market.
3. Get on your bike (or hit up a rental shop) and tour around the whole Seawall. Stop at 3rd beach for a swim and lunch. If you have kids, make a 2nd stop at 2nd Beach and go crazy on the playground.
4. On a clear day, bus over to North Vancouver and go up Grouse Mountain (if you’re a fitness Guru ditch the tram and hike the famous Grouse Grind). Enjoy the city views and have lunch or dinner at The Observatory.
5. Every Tuesday until August 30th, there will be a movie played at dusk at Ceperley Park (Second Beach)  on a giant inflatable screen.   Pack a picnic then spread out your blankets on the grass. More information here.
6. And last but not least, stroll through our neighbourhood, Yaletown and stop at one of the many patios for an afternoon cocktail and lunch!

The list (obviously) could go on and on, with all the cool beaches, nature walks, shopping and dining areas throughout the City, but these six can keep any visitors busy.  Of course depending on when you are here there are also many weekend festivals to check out.  If you don’t already have plans for this weekend, start with our #1 suggestion, as the 34th Annual Vancouver Folk Musical Festival is held at Jericho Beach July 15, 16 & 17!

Photo Credit: Granville Island

With the Royal Wedding buzz for the last few weeks leading up to today, it has weddings on everyone’s mind.  Not that we expect to plan anything nearly as large as Will & Kate, we do want the world or at least Brides planning on getting married in Vancouver to know that LEVEL Furnished Living offers patios and lounge areas to hold the perfect wedding ceremony and reception!! Our 12,000sq ft 8th floor patio, serves as the ideal location for a cocktail or wedding reception on a beautiful summer evening, or a mid day ceremony.  The patios have been designed to also be tented and heated, so shall you decide a November wedding is more your style, you can still do it outside surrounded by Vancouver’s city lights!

Just like our motto for accommodation ‘Choose your level, stay your way’ the same applies for wedding planning.  Our dedicated LEVEL team can help organize everything from the wine, to decorations, to catering, or you can just rent the space and have your own planning committee. The facility offers underground parking, and obviously fantastic accommodations for out of town guests!  From extravagant to intimate, LEVEL’s function are perfect no matter which style you are planning.

It has been a busy first year for LEVEL Furnished Living!  Quickly, furnished apartments have become the new culture in accommodations.  And LEVEL is proud to be one of the leading Vancouver properties in this industry, which of course we feel is a direct reflection of the team we’ve built. Since we have not updated the blog, it’s well overdue to introduce the members of our LEVEL team!

Camilla Jadhav, who joined the LEVEL team in 2009, has been promoted to the General Manager.  Her role in Regional Guest Relations Management for Cactus Club, has given her the tools to develop superior Guest’s experiences at LEVEL.  Javier Cepeda and Ivan Evelyn make up the sales team and both joined us in 2010.  Both relocated to Vancouver after spending several years in the hospitality industry in Whistler, BC.  LEVEL recruited Panying Lin, our Housekeeping manager and her loyal team from a respected Vancouver Hotel, and they are kept very busy offering exceptional weekly service.  The newest addition to the Operations Team is, Laura Prouse, who spent the last few years in Hospitality Management in the Caribbean.

LEVEL is also proud to announce that our neighbors, Commune Café and Paul Stir Fry are fully open and operational.  Even though our furnished apartments offer functional state of the art kitchen amenities it’s always nice to have the option of a quick meal without cooking it yourself!  Both offer the option of calling ahead for a pick-up, Commune Café even offers an application on the iPhone for ordering.  It would be rude to blog about restaurants and not let you in on my favorite picks.  At Commune my choice for lunch is always the Cobb Salad and at Paul’s its hands down the Chicken Satays!   In addition, to high occupancy keeping the team busy, we are also hosting numerous events and meetings in our event spaces!!  The ground floor of LEVEL Furnished Living offers two meeting rooms and an Amenity Lounge and Patio, available for rental.  We have restructured our packages to fit any guests and companies needs.  So far 2011 is shaping up to be another busy and successful year for LEVEL Furnished Living! Please follow us on our team’s journey as the leaders in Vancouver’s Furnished Apartment market!

The wait is over – Paul Stirfry officially opened their doors on December 13 in the LEVEL furnished apartments in Vancouver! Located at 550 Nelson Street, Paul Stirfry is a Chopstick House that specializes in South Asian street food. The menu consists of a variety of options from appetizers, to fresh salads, to Paul’s signature dishes, and make your own dishes for the picky eater. The menu also caters to the health-conscious and socially-aware eater, featuring many vegan dishes and some gluten-free dishes, as well as Oceanwise seafood.

Located at street level in the LEVEL furnished apartments in Vancouver, Paul’s décor is understated and modern creating an extremely inviting interior. With a variety of high-top tables and booths, you are bound to find somewhere comfortable to enjoy your meal. And, if take-out is more your thing – Paul Stirfry offers all of their dishes to go!

This new addition to the Yaletown neighbourhood is not one to be missed! Paul Stirfry is located at 550 Nelson Street in the LEVEL Vancouver furnished apartments, at the corner of Seymour and Nelson. For menu and more information, please visit www.PaulStirfry.com.

Looking for the perfect venue to host your party this holiday season? Look no further, because the short term rentals in Vancouver, LEVEL Furnished Living, have the perfect BYOB & Food package for you!

With a lounge and dining room, the space is perfect for a Holiday event of any size. Plus – it comes with a full catering kitchen!

In addition to state-of-the-art furnishings, an inviting lounge with cozy fireplace and a convenient downtown location, the fully furnished apartments in Vancouver allows you to save on the mandatory food and beverage prices that other venues force you to pay. At LEVEL Furnished Living, bring in your own caterers, buy your own beverages and decorate the amenity space at the fully furnished apartments in Vancouver as you see fit! LEVEL Furnished Living’s BYOB Holiday Package includes use of amenity space, access to full catering kitchen, outdoor patio space and 10 complimentary underground parking spots.

As always, our helpful staff at the short term rentals in Vancouver will be more than happy to refer you to some of our favorite providers to meet your Holiday needs. Please contact Javier Cepeda at jcepeda@stayinglevel.com for further information or to tour the event space.

Happy Holidays from the LEVEL Team!

Something new is popping up at LEVEL Furnished Living, the short terms rentals in Vancouver located at 1022 Seymour Street in Downtown Vancouver. This July, a new café-concept, Commune Café, will be opening its doors at the fully furnished apartments in Vancouver.

Commune Café is owned by Ali and Amir Samei and the menu was developed by Chef Fineza while the wine and beer list was developed by Rawilson. The day menu will include 24 items including braises and paninis and a short list of beers and wines.

Commune Café is slated to open at LEVEL Furnished Living in the first week of July located at 1022 Seymour Street (Seymour at Nelson).

Source: Scout Magazine. http://scoutmagazine.ca/2010/05/31/the-commune-cafe-to-open-at-seymour-and-nelson-this-july/

There’s a new type of accommodation that’s attracting a lot of attention so we have asked Level’s General Manager, Camilla Jadhav to introduce it to you. LEVEL Furnished Living – the fully furnished apartments in Vancouver offer a new way to stay, and she wants to share the secret with you.

Q: Camilla, can you introduce the concept of LEVEL Furnished Living?

Camilla: LEVEL can be summed up as your own apartment with the convenience of hotel services. It is like your own home-away-from-home, but without having to do all the housework. We feature fully furnished apartments in Vancouver with everything you could ever need; from contemporary furnishings to iPod docks to fully-equipped kitchens, and provide services such as weekly housekeeping and 24 hour concierge. Read the rest of this entry »