"You're stepping into the lobby. What do you see?Enter through the striking, marble-framed doors and step past the futuristic bell-shaped light shaft, and you'll find a small, yet appropriately modern, reception desk that's suitably sized for a 96-room boutique hotel. Over the last 15 years, Opus has become a focal point in Yaletown, Vancouver’s answer to New York City’s SoHo. Got it. So what's the story behind this place?The Opus was a gust of fresh air when it opened in 2002. As one of the neighborhood’s first boutique hotels, it quickly became a part of the area’s vibrant dinner and nightlife scene, and its street-facing lobby-level bar, an eclectic den o’ sin, drew fashionable 20- and 30-something professionals. It’s a stylin’ place; after all, Lady Gaga and Johnny Depp wouldn't lead us astray. The rooms themselves: What can we expect? Any particularly notable accommodations?In one suite, you’ll find a lizard-skin-print Louis XIV chair positioned next to a modern velvet sectional, which in turn sits under a giant photorealism shot of blood red lips—you get the idea. Each suite is different, and some are certifiably quirky. How's the restaurant on site? Worth a stop?After a 2014 facelift, the lobby lounge remains a busy after-work staple, and you’ll find well-dressed locals, splendid in their business casual, crowding around the small tables and sipping well-made cocktails. The onsite restaurant went through a several hit-and-miss iterations before the current occupant, La Pentola, took over. This spot isn’t just an afterthought; rather, it’s one of the city’s best Italian restaurants, turning out carefully prepared standards like veal osso buco and eggplant parmesan. You can also simply tell your server what you like, and the chef will prepare a five- or seven-course tasting menu, served “alla famiglia,” just for you. Delicious. And how's the service?Overall, the staff is helpful and delighted to recommend a great restaurant, say, or cocktail spot. (And in Yaletown, there's a lot to choose from.) Who else are we likely to see staying here?A true hipster army, bags of designer fashions clutched in manicured hands. How does it fit into the surrounding area?Some were skeptical when the Opus, a new-construction project that looked like it could have been a warehouse in a previous life, opened in a district known for its actual converted warehouses. But the purpose-built small hotel quickly became a part of the neighborhood; in fact, it has been one of the area’s main drivers. Right nearby, there are several blocks full of very good restaurants and bars, but if you want to explore farther afield, you can do so with little effort. A half-block away is the Canada Line subway station; go another two blocks toward the water, and you can catch a water taxi to Granville Island. Downtown is a brisk five- to seven-minute walk away. Anything else we should know before booking a stay?Need to be somewhere? Call up the hotel’s gratis car service. You can wait for it in the bar while sipping your complimentary welcome cocktail. So when you get down to it, why would you recommend this hotel to a visitor to Vancouver?If you want small intimate hotel experience that's also a chill, funky place to stay, the Opus ticks all the right boxes." - Guy Saddy
