EntErtainmEnt
City skyline as seen from
Queen Elizabeth Park
Ask a Concierge
“a day trip to Niagara Falls.” yuki Fournier is
recalling one of the most memorable requests
made of her—one that even her connections
as concierge for the Fairmont hotel Vancouver
couldn’t fulfill. “people don’t understand how
enormous this country is,” she says. even after
explaining the distance (the flight to toronto
alone is 4.5 hours), the guest still wasn’t con-
vinced. so Fournier took the task
on: “i said, ‘okay, i’m going to
make it into a challenge for myself.’
i searched high and low, the flight
schedule, including the bus from
pearson international airport to
Niagara Falls.” in the end, even
determination can’t trump geogra-
phy: “it was impossible,” she says.
Making the impossible possible
is part of the job description, so it’s
no wonder that an insurmountable
request sticks in Fournier’s memory. the gold-
en keys on her lapel indicate her membership
in les clefs d’or canada, an elite association of
concierges that have logged at least five years
in the industry and passed rigorous tests. “basi-
cally, we are the local experts, showing off this
beautiful city to our hotel guests,” she explains.
there’s plenty to show off. her list of must-
see attractions includes stanley park (page 83),
Granville island (page N2), chinatown (page
N2) and Gastown (page N2). if you have a car,
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“ideally, do a loop around ubc,” she says. and
the young and young-at-heart should head to
the Vancouver aquarium (page 81) or rich-
mond olympic experience (page 80).
When it comes to cuisine, seafood is the
most requested. Fournier recommends local
stalwarts like coast (page 96) or her personal
favourite, ancora (page 102). For asian fare,
she suggests Miku (page 104)
and tetsu (page 102) for sushi,
and Kingyo (page 101) for Japa-
nese izakaya. chinese restaurants
like Kirin (page 96) top her list,
as does casual hon’s Wun-tun
house (page 113).
For the best views of the city,
she says, “My favourite is span-
ish banks. if you’re athletic, cycle
down there.” the next-best thing?
“the top of Queen elizabeth park.
it’s the highest point within Vancouver.”
While you’re making memories on vacation,
concierges like Fournier may be making some
of their own. another unforgettable request
involved helping a guest pull off the perfect
proposal, which had Fournier dashing into the
couple’s suite while they were out to spell “Will
you marry me?” in rose petals on the bed. “it
was so cute. and fun,” she says. “those are
the things that make you feel so good.” Not
impossible, but memorable all the same.
a local concierge dishes on where to make a reso, must-see attractions and out-of-
the-box guest requests by Jill von sprecken