Soak in beauty from North Van’s new hotel
North Vancouver’s new Seaside Hotel is the latest jewel in the North Shore’s crown.
Perched above the boardwalk in the revitalized Shipyards District, just along the pier from the Lonsdale Quay and SeaBus station, the newly built property offers spectacular views across Burrard Inlet of the Vancouver skyline.
With only a 12-minute SeaBus ride across the water to downtown, this boutique hotel makes a great place to drop anchor for a little staycation — perfect in these times of limited travel due to the novel coronavirus.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Seaside is part of the Executive Hotels & Resorts chain, whose owner and chief executive Salim Sayani grew up in North Vancouver.
But this part of the North Shore looks nothing like it used to.
The Lower Lonsdale area, North Vancouver’s historic arts and dining neighbourhood stretching from 15th Street down to the water, has been dramatically transforming over the last decade, making it the perfect place for a hometown stay with a whole new vibe.
New highrise apartments have sprung up, former industrial sites have been redeveloped, the waterfront area around the Lonsdale Quay has expanded and the City of North Vancouver is pouring money into the fast-developing urban area, now nicknamed LoLo, to attract people and business alike.
The $35-million Shipyards District, the North Shore’s newest neighbourhood, revolves around the revived Wallace Shipyards, an 84,000-square-foot retail and community hub that is now a landmark regional attraction.
Among the refurbished docks and warehouses around the lively Shipyards Commons is a new water park; the contemporary silver-and-glass Polygon Art Gallery, which opened in late 2017; local craft brewery Tap & Barrel’s 14,000-square-foot ale house; Joey’s Shipyards Restaurant; Jamjar Canteen Lebanese restaurant; and a newly opened seasonal ice rink.
In the summer, the bustling Shipyards Friday Night Market attracts more than 10,000 people who come for food truck fare, artisan vendors, live music on outdoor stages and more.
You can grab a coffee rinkside from Caffe Artigiano and go for a skate. Head out for a walk along the boardwalk, formerly the Burrard Dry Dock Pier. Or rent an e-bike from Reckless Shipyards, an outpost of Vancouver’s popular bicycle shop, and join one of its guided tours.
After, stop off for a small-batch ice cream at the Welcome Parlour or up the hill at Earnest Ice Cream, before heading back to your oceanfront accommodations.
THE DIGS
Designed by ZGF Architects, the contemporary West Coast finishings at the Seaside have a refined nautical theme. Hallways are adorned with thick rope and mirrors that look like portholes, plush carpeting is loomed to look like waves, and walls are clad with rough-hewed reclaimed wood bleached to the palest of whites. You could be on a ship.
Two 650-square-foot oceanview, corner suites boast floor-to-ceiling windows with jaw-dropping views of a city that really light up at night.
Even the marble-clad bathroom, which features radiant underfloor heating, rain shower and mirror with inlaid TV, is all windows. But the pièce-de-résistance is the huge soaker tub, where you can truly soak in the view.
The room itself is teched out with automated roman and blackout blinds, an in-room tablet, a swinging chair that looks like a giant bird cage, an Illy coffee maker and a huge floating bed softly lit from underneath to soften the glare during a nighttime trip to the bathroom.
The only thing not on a large scale is the room safe, which is too small to fit a laptop.
Also compact is the spa, an efficient use of space on the southwest corner of the third floor overlooking Vancouver Harbour, which features two treatment rooms, two pedicure chairs and two nail stations.
In-room treatments are also available.
FRONT OF MIND
There is no actual lobby at Seaside, but a glass-enclosed check-in area sits just off Provisions Restaurant and Lounge, which takes up the entire first floor of the building and is referred to as the Living Room.
Here “shells, fins and claws” feature prominently on the menu. The seafood-forward eatery has a beach house feel with pale watery colour palette, Japanese glass floats suspended from the ceiling and wicker light fixtures over the west-facing raw bar. A second bar overlooks the open concept kitchen.
Oysters are served chilled on ice, lit from below with blue lights evoking the sea, accompanied by three eyedroppers with chili oil, lemon juice and ponzu to ratchet up the flavour.
Scallops are seared to perfection and the paella, when it’s available, is not to be missed.
Boardwalk Brunch, served daily from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., features a choice of Champagne cocktails from the “Bubble Bath” and their signature tot waffle, a savoury version of the Belgian staple made from potatoes instead of flour and topped with jamón ibérico, smoked salmon or wild mushrooms.
The popular happy hour takes place Wednesday to Sunday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to closing. Try the signature Beach Life cocktail, a vodka and raspberry purée concoction served in a stainless steel tallboy cylinder or the She Sells Sea Shells — if you can manage to order it without getting your tongue tied.