This past Thursday, May 31, Vancouver Elites took the express lane back in time to the legendary Palm Springs' untamed '50s & '60s heyday. This exclusive Elites-only affair was where one of Vancouver's last remaining mid century hotels, The Burrard, encouraged us to throw on our most spectacular caftans and party in the city's playground to the stars!
Greeted by The Burrard’s iconic neon sign, the tone of the anything-goes evening had been set. Judy H exclaims, "This was my first Elite event, and I've never felt so welcome. We stepped into the lobby and felt like we were transported back in time. I can just picture women in Twiggy dresses having a cocktail and men in sunglasses smoking cigars." Yelpers were quickly swept away to what Vincci L describes as "the tropical oasis courtyard at the retro-esque Burrard," where this renovated hotel proved that it's more than just a pretty face – it's an experience for those craving something a little out of the ordinary.
Converting a hotel room into a "candy oasis," Frankie's Candy Bar sweetened the evening for many a Yelper. Colene C's "favorite part of the night was seeing the hotel room decked out into a candy room. This was something out of a childhood fantasy. And speaking of childhood, they had all my faves: candy necklaces, fun dip, ring pops, salt water taffy, and even a cotton candy machine!" Restyled into a fabulous photoshoot location, "a second hotel room utilized props and whatever else was in the room for some fun group shots. Photos on a bed? Only for a Yelp party!"
Speaking of parties, what kind of Elite event would this be without the highest of quality libations to imbibe in? Martina M lays down the options for us: "For the drinks, there was a cute bar that offered Bear Flag blended wines, Prairie Organic vodka, and Revel Stoke spiced whiskey. You could drink the organic vodka without any mix… I'm a huge fan of the Bear Flag blended white wine, and the Stoke and colas were delicious. I was pleasantly surprised to see Aaron from the Barefoot wineries booth at Yelp's Night At The Museum a few months ago; he's awesome!" Providing small bites that were bursting with monster flavors, "delicious Korean tacos were being served courtesy of Cartel Taco. We each got a beef and a pork taco topped with homemade kimchi, and a small side of papaya salad." They even made special vegetarian offerings for our veggie-loving Elites!
"What a deviation from the norm this venue was." DJ Niña Mendoza, "wo-manned the decks with tunes that kept our tooshies shaking" while "there were a lot of old school games available, including giant Jenga, etch-asketch, and tic-tac-toe." I'm sure I saw more than one Yelper pick up a hula hoop! But as Theresa W said, "It was intimate, it was fun, people dressed up, Johnson C lost in collecting the most name stickers, and I got to meet a ton of new people and say hello to some old friends. A smashing success overall!
Thank you so much to Dani, Anita, and the rest of the staff at The Burrard for making the evening such a spectacular event; to Craig for helping at the bar; and to the Yelp Elite for always dressing up.
Check out the amazing photos by Lindsay's Diet here and read the glowing reviews as they pour in here.
Until next time, Yelpies,
/ robin m
Yelp Vancouver's Excessively Fabulous Community Manager
