Here at the Vibe Agency, we’re always on the move scouting out the latest haute cities for events. The Pacific Northwest is high on our radar this fall, as a few months ago we hosted an amazing meeting for a corporate client in Seattle. It’s worth checking out both Seattle and Vancouver as host cities, as they’re equally beautiful and both packed with trendy, creative spaces to amp up any kind of event. Here are some of our favorites in each destination, which happen to be just a 90-minute ferry ride apart.
Vancouver
Opened in May, the boutique Hotel Belmont features 82 guest rooms in vibrant downtown Vancouver. Four spaces can be converted into meeting rooms, including the Basement, decked out in Millennial Pink with a bowling lane, two bars, a dance floor, a dessert window and arcade games (in addition to the usual suspects, like a projector and screens for meetings).
Parq Vancouver is known as Vancouver’s premier entertainment district. In addition to restaurants and bars, a casino and two hotels—the Douglas and a JW Marriott—it has 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, but perhaps none as hip as D/6. This contemporary rooftop lounge space atop the Douglas blends indoor and outdoor space, and even has another hidden lounge behind a bookcase for a more private event experience.
Located in Stanley Park with views of Coal Harbour, Vancouver Rowing Club blends rich history (it was opened in 1911 and still retains its original character) with modern amenities for seminars, business retreats, cocktail receptions and gala dinners. It also has three rooms for events and is just minutes from downtown.
No two rooms at Granville Island Hotel are exactly alike, though the Boardwalk Suite (with three balconies and unparalleled views) is a guest favorite. For events, check out the waterfront Dockside Restaurant (capacity: 200), filled with natural light during the day and a patio perfect for evening cocktail parties overlooking False Creek, Yaletown and the North Shore mountains.
Seattle
It’s hard to beat the cool factor of Graduate Hotels, and the brand’s Seattle location doesn’t disappoint. Particularly alluring for events is Graduate Seattle’s Mountaineering Club, recently opened on the 154-room hotel’s 16th floor. A menu of coastal plates (think shrimp gumbo and Loki salmon) and playful cocktails (like a rum drink named Banana Pancakes) would make for a fun, casual opening-night dinner.
If you visit Seattle and don’t go to the Space Needle, did you even really visit Seattle? Following a $100 million renovation, the 57-year-old landmark got a major facelift, making it a fresh pick for events again. The 500-foot level, The Loupe, now has a rotating glass floor revealing incredible downward views of the structure that’s available for private bookings. Talk about taking your event to new heights!
Opened earlier this year a few blocks from Pike Place Market, Aerlume restaurant is (naturally) focused on using and preserving the full bounty of seasonal ingredients. The interiors feature live fire elements for built-in entertainment, while the menu (Dungeness crab corn soup, fresh peaches with citrus ricotta) is equally enticing. Book the 18-seat Fire Table for an intimate dinner.
New this spring is The State Hotel, a 91-room boutique property in a restored early 1900s-era building just a block from Pike Place Market. Filled with a certain energy from the waterfront, the hotel’s guest rooms feature a modern, minimalistic aesthetic. Event spaces include restaurant/bar Ben Paris, as well as a rooftop deck.
