Waldorf Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia (hotel)

On 2010-10-28 16:15, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2010-10-28 14:48, mick9 wrote:
Looks like it opens on Saturday Night!with the original JBL speaker system from the 50s and DJs spinning vinyl

Wow! Please, any local Tiki agents, report, with photos!

Hey Bigbro! Yeh, It sounds pretty awesome! Here was a little more about the system from the article in the Sun:

"Bob Mills also bought state-of-the-art speakers for his hotel back in the mid-50s. They’re called JBL Lansing Hartfields, and are simply huge. “They’re literally the best speakers that were being made at that time,” said Anselmi. “Consequently some of the best speakers that have ever been made.”

Anselmi found them while poking around the Waldorf basement, plugged them in and found they still sound killer. He plans to install them as part of a vintage music system in the lounge. Record collectors will play vinyl records on turntables, which will be hooked up to tube amplifiers and the JBLs.

Internationally-renowned artist Stan Douglas and CBC radio legend David Wisdom will be among the people spinning discs for the opening night party, which is free and open to the general public."

Mahalo, TabooDan

Soooooooooo TabooDan .... what was it like? Dying to know!! I've heard so many rumours.. especially about the downstairs rooms... the suspense is killing me!!! :wink:

... but I must say, this is probably the best case scenario for this treasure, no matter how brutal the renos may have been. At least it's been given a new lease on life!!

[ Edited by: Pepe le Tiki 2010-11-03 21:20 ]

Well, would love to answer you PePe but I got stuck in the lineup outside for over 2 HOURS and didn't get to get in!! It was unbelievable!! I should have tried to get on the guest list but didn't think about it until after.

I arrived early, around 6:20pm, already there was long line up that snaked around the building, down the stairs and into the side parking lot. I guess no matter what the venue, if you offer free admission, live bands and DJ's spinning you are going to get a turn out! The day before Halloween also ensured a huge turn out! I heard over 4,200 people on Facebook said they were going!! I could swear I was the only person there to actually see the building and the decor! I was the only one not wearing a costume as well! I kept thinking what the hell was I doing there??!!

It also sucked because there was line up coming from the other way for the people on the Guest List and that was long itself. Oh....and it started pouring down rain after being in line about 45 minutes :(

By the time I got to about 15' from the door I had been there for about 2 and a half hours. Some girls ahead of me said that the doorman said it would be another 2-3 hours as they reached capacity! I couldn't believe it! Well, I will just have to come back another time. With all those people inside it would probably be hard to get good pictures and talk to who I wanted to anyway so I figured it was time to hit the road. An hour drive back home now!

All this being said, the Waldorf has finally gotten it right. They are doing events, booking shows, opening the rooms, new restaurants, new menus, and really focused on showing themselves off and talking about their past. This is truly a landmark worth seeing and finally all and come here and enjoy.

Here is a shot of some of the snaking line up looking from the sidewalk down to the lower level:

They were even selling Taco's out of the truck in the back to all the people in line! Now that's a long line!!

Here's a shot of the entrance area where the two line ups met:

The whole exterior has been refinished and looks pretty good. The front has windows all along and you can now see into the building where the cafe and lobby area is. On the wall just inside I saw this Tiki which I have not seen at the Waldorf before:

This is probably a new one, like it looks, but I will look into it. It was also hard to see good detail from outside. As the Waldorf got older, alot of items were kept in storage because they didn't want their original relics, mostly hand carved and one of a kind, to get broken or stolen. I'm hoping a few of these have been pulled out now and are on display.

Here is a PNG style shield just inside the doorway and off to the right (sorry bad photos!):

Did not see this one at the Waldorf before either. There were a few other carvings that I could see but I just couldn't get any clear photos. Soon!

Here's a shot of their new exterior sign that has been redone:

The font is really cool and the sign does look good. I did like the old sign better but this sign still looks pretty good. The addition of the moon and stars at the top is cool. Gotta get a daytime shot.

Another thing that helped keep the Waldorf alive this long was the Liquor Store. The Waldorf has a small Liquor store on the side of the building and they always had pretty good sales from it. With the Reno, they have kept the liquor Store open and it now has a very cool wall sign in front of it:

Also a nice sign above the doorway as well:

The Logo is really cool and I am very glad they have used the their 'Logo' Mask and Tiki's from the Waldorf's old menus and paper work! It looks great!!
All the posters that featured this event had this logo at the top. It was very good to see this vintage art still being used. Hopefully they run with this logo and keep using it. Who knows, they may even start printing items with it on. I'll talk to them about that one!!

More info. to come!!!

Mahalo, TabooDan

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2010-11-04 16:15 ]

Taboo Dan,

Way to give it the old college try, sorry you didn't make it in. Great to hear the opening was a success. Look forward to your return trip and photos.

DC

Wow, that looks really promising! Man, I feel your frustration to have to wait all this time in the rain and not get in!
They should have had THREE lines: One for the general public, one for the guest list, and one for hardcore dedicated Tiki archeologists such as our breed. But noooooo..... :)

Thanks for trying Dan, you're a dedicated Tiki trooper and I agree with Bigbrotiki about the third guest list!!! I just found out that one of my friends is going to be a promoter for them.. excellent.. we now have an 'in'!!! (I hope I can convince him to have a Tiki event soon!!)

The New Waldorf Hotel - Vancouver
We arrived really early, at about 5:45pm, so we got in on opening night. It was pretty hectic - people seemed ecstatic to be there and awed by the renos. Amazing atmosphere. So here’s what I noticed about the renos:
The non-tiki upstairs pub was fully obliterated and two really nicely designed restaurants installed, lots of bamboo and style. You'll like it. The lobby was also spruced up nicely with a few new elegant Polynesian touches.
The upstairs hallways had been painted and carpeted – okay, but not great. I think flat paint or textured wall coverings look best on old walls. I liked the ceiling fixture treatments though, the big bamboo-ish looking boxes covering the fixtures added interest to the upstairs hallways.
The hotel rooms upstairs that were open for viewing had been painted, carpeted and bamboo detailing added to the outside window wall of the rooms. Very nice! The bathrooms in the rooms look about the same, i.e. nothing too new or fancy just yet.
The street-level lounge, formerly the Tahitian Lounge and now I think maybe referred to as The Tiki Lounge has had some of the original flooring (stone, carpet) removed from the lower level in front of the bar and replaced with wood or laminate, and the mural behind the upper-level music set-up area has been removed. However the result is an updated, sleeker look for the lounge.
The downstairs dining room, formerly the Polynesian Dining Room and now called The Cabaret, has had new golden-toned floral pattern carpeting installed (including the circular stairway up to the lounge), which looks good with all the original bamboo detailing. The big downstairs mural is intact, but for the opening was covered by curtains and a projection screen. The crane and bamboo design on the big crescent window were removed (they weren't original, they were decals applicated for a movie that was filmed there).
The former coffee shop, now the downstairs bar service area, looks good, but for some reason I cannot figure out the beautiful original mural behind the new bar has been mostly, but not completely, covered with mirrors. At least a foot of it still shows at the bottom of the mirrors. This looks bad. If the goal was to visually open up the narrow space, I wish they'd considered covering the entire mural with smoked glass: they would not only still get some of the room-expanding effect of reflected light, but vestiges of this exquisite original mural would still be somewhat visible AND fully protected from bar spillage. I hope they fix this.
The former Menehune banquet room is pretty well completely overhauled except for the entrance doors and carved tiki pillars. The rock fountain, swordfish, etc. were all taken out, but I think that's okay because the original ceiling and floor, etc. were already gone. Some people might miss those, but I don't think parts of it would work without the entire room being fairly intact. Anyways, the beautiful bamboo entrance doors are still there and, besides the columns, those were my favourite features in that area. And the giant vintage speakers are truly awesome. I think the room looks good for its new multi-purposes.
So do go check it out. I can't wait to see the new sunken patio they plan to open by summer. In the meantime you'll probably find lots of photos on the web(flckr, facebook, etc.), plus I heard that at local media are planning articles in the little while. Sorry for the long post, there was lots to see!
Best regards, MoonBeach

[ Edited by: MoonBeach 2011-01-14 15:19 ]

Pepe Le Tiki says:

"Thanks for trying Dan, you're a dedicated Tiki trooper and I agree with Bigbrotiki about the third guest list!!! I just found out that one of my friends is going to be a promoter for them.. excellent.. we now have an 'in'!!! (I hope I can convince him to have a Tiki event soon!!)"

Thanks Bigbro and Pepe!! The third line up is a great idea!! Will have to try and get that one going next time.
Pepe's got a promoter "In" at the Waldorf??!! That's awesome!! Count me in :)

Thanks alot to Moonbeach for the detailed description posted above! It sounds pretty good and I gotta get some pictures to share on here. I am glad you got to go check it all out!

Here's a scan of the downstairs doors referred to above and also the cover of the Life section of the Sun Paper that discussed the renovations and grand opening Halloween bash:

They are awesome doors with hand carved scenes of palm trees, bamboo chutes and birds. I have always loved the bamboo and coconuts which also make up the door.

Here is another scan from the great 3 page spread in the Sun which shows a picture of the original owner and founder of the Waldorf Hotel, Bob Mills:

Doesn't he look like a cool character? Reminds me of a 50's gangster or boxing promoter. Looks like he could tell you a hundred stories and I bet he probably could! Would have loved to had a drink with him in the Tahitian Lounge!!

Here's one last scan of a picture of the upstairs Tahitian Lounge:

Not sure if this room has changed names or not but like Moonbeach said, it is sometimes called the Leeteg Room or Velvet Room. The mirrors behind that curved bar really give the impression the room is round and alot bigger. The details in this space and the painted ceiling are truly something to see. Hhhmmmm.....maybe over a Tahitian Sunset??!!

Mahalo, TabooDan

Well, She-She and I managed to visit the Waldorf the weekend before last - after all the buzz of the opening. It was a nice and quiet Sunday afternoon. Spoke to one of the PR people, and got a quick private tour of the space. Here are a few pics (I've omitted the blurriest ones!)

Analog never sounded - nor looked - so good

Mural detail beside the dance floor

Leeteg graphite portraits

Leeteg black velvet

Two views of the coffee shop

Front desk

Stairway view to Lobby

Stairway to second floor (hotel rooms)

Basic hotel room

Last-edition analog phones (with Waldorf Hotel imprint on the dial pad)

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[ Edited by: Bora Boris - Straightened some pictures. - 2010-11-16 21:42 ]

Great pictures Eddy!

Thank you.

And here you can get the official site and all the info you want - http://www.waldorfhotel.com/2011/01/beat-the-january-blues-at-the-tiki-bar/
Bar open every night. Make sure to check all the links under the 'About' category for all the cool stuff!
Hope to get out there soon for a taste...

And I really want one of these mugs...

I can't wait to stay in the made-over uber-hip Waldorf. I hope to do that soon, like in the next 3 or 4 months, but my life is quite complicated right now and god laughs when I make plans, so we'll see how that goes. If I do manage to make it out, I hope to reconnect with all my Vancouver TC buddies, over cocktails at the tiki bar, of course.

I finally made it to the Waldorf!!! I have to say I'm very happy with what they've done. I could be critical of the food, drink and what was removed but really, what's important is that we still have this great treasure. Moonbeach and Eddy Brazil basically covered most of the details. Since then, they've opened The Leeteg Room which is in the back area of the cafe (separated by a newly built partition). Velvet paintings, carvings, bamboo chairs and wooden tables create a dining area in the true spirit of the Waldorf. I was quite giddy, sipping a Mai Tai and looking around the room which was full of patrons, finding it hard to believe I was in Vancouver let alone the Waldorf itself. The chalkboard above the food service counter had a Leeteg quote: 'My paintings belong in a gin mill not a museum'. I can't say the food and drinks were outstanding but definitely beyond better than what was offered there before!!! Regardless, I plan to be a regular!!
Here in Vancouver, there's a real buzz in the local media about the new Waldorf and judging by the very diverse crowd it seems to be gaining popularity. They made a real effort to preserve the history and look of the place. Over all, what may have been lost is eclipsed by what's been gained. So it gets a big thumbs up from me! I highly recommend anyone visiting from out of town, stay there and experience the place in all its glory! (..and let me know so we can join you for a drink!) I feel inspired to get some sort of event going, even if it's just a small one. The venue can easily host a large amount of people and all types of functions. The new management is very eager to make this place work and have the right attitude, unlike previous ones. It needs an invasion of Tiki loving folks who will really appreciate it and I know we'd be more than welcome by the saff. I think we might need to get the local Tikiphiles to gather there one evening and make ourselves known to each other and them! :wink: Gotta start somewhere.. right?

I did take some photos and will post them soon...

ps.. Sweet Daddy Tiki, be sure to let us know when you come to town so we can enjoy it with you!! :drink:

I see Heritage Vancouver has arranged an event at the Waldorf in March - check out the Heritage Vancouver website...

I saw that too. Here's the link on the Waldorf's site

http://www.waldorfhotel.com/events/heritage-vancouver-presents-an-evening-of-tiki/

and a link to Heritage Vancouver's site

http://www.heritagevancouver.org/index.htm

Great to see this place regain some of the old form.

Here is a rather tattered matchbook I have from the old Waldorf

featuring the Leeteg drummer image.

DC

I stayed at the Waldorf for four nights in February and I had a wonderful time despite a movie shoot closing down much of the hotel for a good part of the time I was there.

The tarp is covering the entrance to the Tiki Bar and the hotel's 2 restaurants (The Leeteg Room and Café Nuba)

Craft services tent outside the basement Cabaret.

The movie was the latest Alvin and The Chipmunks sequel, "Chip-wrecked" in 3D (opens before Christmas). They were shooting in the Tiki Bar, the restaurants (which they dressed as a casino) and the two basement rooms (the cabaret and the club). No, I didn't see any chipmunks (or any other stars for that matter), just some extras. Hotel management compensated me very well for the inconvenience of the movie closing down the stuff I came to the hotel to enjoy, for which I'm grateful.

The rooms are large, bright, clean and comfy.

Vintage art.

This lovely lady creeped out some of my visitors (the eyes are a little dead – they don’t have any whites or highlights) but I think she’s a beaut.

My friends Michael & Marlena had this gorgeous painting in their room. Looks like black velvet but is painted on wood.

The rooms have 70s stereos. Mine had this Marantz tuner-amp, with a dual cassette deck with mix tapes recorded by DJs in the Tiki Bar.

Hallway.

There's bamboo everywhere.

Carved mask in the hall.

On the weekend there was a vintage clothing sale happening in the hallway right outside my room.

PNG shield in lobby.

Lobby.

The hotel was very quiet while the movie was shooting because none of the music venues were operating. On the weekend when things got back to normal, my room was quite noisy until 2:30 in the morning (I could hear the bass from the music in the club 2 storeys down). My friends were in a room a couple of doors down and say the music didn't bother them, so if you plan on staying there, ask for room 131 or 132 at the back of the hotel (I was in room 125). If I'd needed a good night's sleep I think I'd have been pissed, but I was up until late watching TV anyway. If quiet is really important to you, I'd stay somewhere else.

On Friday night the Tiki Bar reopened.

Atomic Al.

Al & TabooDan

Pepe le Tiki (right), and TabooDan's friend (whose name I forget).

Pepino Magico: tequila, cucumber, lime juice, agave sweetener, chili-salt rim.

There are no classic Polynesian cocktails on the menu right now but they're working on a new drink menu. I was told they’ll be relaunching soon with a Mai Tai, Blue Hawaiian and some other drinks.

Paloma: White tequila, soda, grapefruit juice, sea salt.

TabooDan stuck with good ol' rum & Coke

The famous Leetegs:

The two restaurants share a beautiful space on the main floor that used to be the Grove Pub. On Saturday night my friends M & M and I had a lovely meal in the Leeteg Room.

Leeteg quote on chalkboard: "My paintings belong in a gin mill, not a museum"

The menu is Spanish bistro food and is a little on the spendy side (appetizers $9-$12, main courses $18-$23).

Manchego cheese and Serrano ham.

Fabada Asturiana (sort of a Spanish cassoulet).

We had 3 of the 4 desserts on the menu - I recommend them all (this one is Arroz con Leche Quemado - caramelized rice pudding).

On Sunday morning we had Mexican brunch with Al and Pepe.

Sun streamed into the beautiful cafe space.

Huevos Rancheros with Chorizo.

In the evening we ate dinner at Café Nuba - in the same space where we had brunch. The menu is Lebanese and is very affordable.

Crispy cauliflower

Beef tenderloin kebab.

On Sunday afternoons the downstairs Cabaret (formerly a restaurant) hosts a very adventurous film series. The rest of the time it's a multi-use live performance venue.

The wall-length Hawaiian mural is behind a curtain that can be pulled back. There's a stage on the far right of the picture (in front of the half-moon window).

I don't have a picture, but hotel staff showed us the other basement room, the former Menehune room, which is now a dance club. The thatched ceiling has been replaced because it was a fire hazard. The large carved wood pillars have been hidden behind bamboo for their own protection (one of the carved menehunes lost a nose).

I asked for some souvenirs with the hotel's new logo - matchbooks, postcards, etc. They didn't have anything yet, but they gave me this vintage postcard

and this vintage swizzle spoon

The figure at the top is the drummer from one of the Leetegs in the Tiki Bar.

I love this hotel. I think it's a little gem. I look forward to my next visit (when they have a full-on tropical Tiki drink menu).

---

-Sweet Daddy T.
Because crap doesn't buy itself.

blog

[ Edited by: Sweet Daddy Tiki 2011-03-12 07:36 ]

Wow, that looks wonderful! From the purist p.o.v., it is sad that they got rid of some of the rattan and bamboo, and did not keep ALL of the "authentic" Poly pop style elements. But there still is so much, and the additions are done smartly, it seems. The place has a great vibe, and locals seem to dig it, I wish them the best. I wish there was a hotel/bar/restaurant combo like that in L.A., for Tiki visitors. Thanks for sharing all those pictures, SDT!

I see that the Tiki Bar at the Waldorf has launched their new cocktail menu, designed by Steve Da Cruz (don't know who that is), "inspired by bar cultures from Mexico, Spain, North America and Polynesia."

Here's the list of cocktails:

Air Mail
Amaretto Royal Sour
Aviation Nº 1
Between the Sheets
Blood & Sand

Blue Hawaii (Havana rum, curacao and pineapple)
Boulevardier
Dark & Stormy (Gosling’s dark rum and ginger beer)
El Diablo
Hemingway Daiquiri (Rum, grapefruit, maraschino)
Journalist
Mai Tai (Havana Añejo, cointreau, Orgeat & Lime)
Moscow Mule (Vodka, Ginger Beer & Lime)
Penicillin
Pink Lady
Planter’s Punch (Dark Rum, Grenadine & OJ)
Red Hook
Rob Roy
Root Beer Float
Sidecar
Sing Sling
WhiskeySour
Zombie (doesn't say what's in it)

A Young Coconut (with booze and a bendy straw).
Coco Loco (re-fill your coconut with an El Diablo - tequila, ginger beer and cassis).

Most of the cocktails are $9 (the Zombie and young coconut are $12). Menu is here (pdf).

I'm going to have to go back to Vancouver to check 'em out (maybe later this year??), but can someone there report back in the meantime? Thanks.

Sweet Daddy Tiki,

Great photos. I can't believe they still had that old postcard and swizzle hanging around, you must have been happy to get those.

I found this old photo of the Polynesian Room at the Waldorf circa 1953 in a Vancouver Sun article.

Glad to see that it has retained much of its old charm.

DC

Anybody ever catch this show on Wednesdays?

Looks like a Tiki Revival in the making.

DC

Yes, I too am very curious and very hopeful that the NEW Waldorf is doing well, I desire an update on that! They did a fine job at renovating and modernizing, the food and drink looks great- if that place does not fly, what will!

Link to blog with January 24, 1949 announcement of Waldorf Hotel opening. This was several years before the tiki lounge addition to the building: http://grandviewheritage.blogspot.com/

Here is an ad for the opening day of the Polynesian Room at the Waldorf from September 12, 1955.

And while not really related, this ad was conveniently placed right next to the Polynesian Room announcement!

Never heard of this brand before?

DC

Great ad, DC! About Lambs rum, it's one of our "Canadian" rum brands where the rum is imported from various Caribbean sources and bottled in Canada. They still have Navy. It's definitely not 100% Demerara anymore! But they also have Navy 151, which is a reasonable substitute where LH151 is not available (ie. ALL OVER CANADA!). Anyway, they also have white, amber, and spiced varieties that I probably wouldn't touch with a 10-foot swizzle.

[ Edited by: Brandomoai 2012-02-04 19:03 ]

The City of Vancouver Archives has a set of 14 photos of the Waldorf from the 1950s on their Flickr site. You can order high-res digital files from them.

Here's the archive's complete holdings on the Waldorf.

Great links SDT -thanks for sharing them!
I grew up in Vancouver and had my first Tiki Revelation at the Waldorf when I was about six years old at my mother's office Christmas party. It was life changing to be sure!
I attended the now legendary re-opening/Hallowe'en party back in 2010 and have been back many, many times since. They've done a great job with the reno, resurrecting it from the nightmare it had become in the 1980's-90's.
The food is okay - not brilliant - and the cocktail list was very rocky for awhile. At one point they'd removed Mai Tais completely because they were "too labour intensive". But I do keep returning as it's the only game in town as far as Tiki goes and it reminds me of home ( I work in Vancouver although I don't live here - long story.)
The Tiki Bar is gorgeous and the Leetegs truly amazing. You really feel like you're in another place, and not one famous for endless rain and hockey riots...
Part of me thinks they really didn't know what they had when they reopened. On my second visit after the opening party the Menehune room was closed but they did take me on a tour when I asked and very reluctantly pulled back the curtains to reveal the murals which they seemed almost embarrassed about - crazy! They thought the makaki'i were "space helmets"! Aggh! And when I asked if they were going to have their own tiki mugs they looked at me and asked if I meant "those brown things"....sigh.
Hopefully with the response they've had over the last year and a half they have a better appreciation of the treasure under their feet. It really is a jewel especially in Vancouver which seems so trigger-happy when it comes to erasing its history.

So THAT's what the 'beer parlour' looked like - I was too young to ever see it! Everything looks brand-spanking new, no? I wish they had a photo of the coffee shop once renovated, my favourite mural was there (now covered in a very large mirror).

[ Edited by: toadman 2012-05-26 10:57 ]

Lambs Navy rum is still sold in Canada to this day (I have a bottle of 151 in my cupboard) I think it is a Canadian brand not sold in the states

Looks like I'm coming to Vancouver in a couple of weeks for about a week or more (less a few days on the island). May or may not be staying at the Waldorf again, but will definitely be having a few cocktails in the Tiki Bar since they didn't have their new drink menu the last time I was there. Would love to meet up with Vancity TC members.

I had a swell evening at the Waldorf last Wednesday with my travel buddy.

We had a fine meal in the restaurant, ordering off the menus of both restaurants - Nuba (Lebanese food) and The Leeteg Room (currently Argentinian) - and listening to an Afro-Cuban jazz duo.

After supper we moved to the Tiki Bar, which was empty (not even a bartender) when we came in at about 8:40 (the bar opens at 8:00). Our bartender, Andy, when he showed up, was very friendly and obliging. He showed us the new signature tiki mug they're going to be using soon - Tiki Farm's "Drum of the Forefathers" designed by Tank Standing Buffalo,

based on this Leeteg painting that hangs on the back wall of the bar:

Here they are together:

They're going to be selling them old-style - buy the drink, keep the mug. I had a Zombie in mine - a very potent concoction with 4 rums (Havana blanco, Appleton, Goslings, and a 151 float).

The tiki bar has a NEW new drink menu (as opposed to the old new menu they introduced about a year ago) that has more of an emphasis on classic tiki bar drinks and less on the pre-prohibition drinks they used to feature. Here's the new drink menu:

After my Zombie I tried a Singapore Sling which I liked very much.

The DJ arrived about 9:00 o'clock and spun old-school Latin-exotica vinyl by Perez Prado, Yma Sumac, and the like as well as lots of Mexican music I wasn't familiar with. The place only really started cooking by the time we were leaving, after 10 o'clock, but we had ab excellent time nonetheless.

I scored this postcard from the Tahitian Room Lounge at the Waldorf. Looks to be late 1960s.

The Leeteg.

Really great to see this place make a come back. Anybody been lately?

DC

Bad news:
http://exclaim.ca/News/vancouvers_waldorf_hotel_announces_closure

Choked.

Can we link this to the main page so it gets more notice? This is very sad for the city and as many people as possible should get the news so they may make a final visit before the 20th.

Shitty! Wife and I tried to go on boxing day, but it was closed... :(

According to the hotel, they will still be open for business. The current zoning is for multi-use commercial, not residential. The entertainment company that was operating out of the hotel is gone, which means the bars and restaurants will likely be closed. But, there still may be some opportunities to see them before the place is leveled to pave way for more condos (just what Vancouver needs). I doubt they'll be operational, even if the hotel stays open in the meantime. Frankly, the city should be stepping up to the plate to make it a heritage building. I don't know what the exact criteria are, but I think most would agree it's a historical landmark.

Sign the petition

http://www.change.org/petitions/gregor-robertson-deny-rezoning-of-the-waldorf-hotel-site-to-condo-development?utm_campaign=share_button_action_box&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

On 2013-01-09 21:41, twitch wrote:
Sign the petition

Done

This sucks big time...it is amazing that an example of this era has been preserved this well this long, and it would be a cultural crime to destroy it.

SIGN THE PETITION!

Breakfast television (local morning show) is promoting the petition on this mornings show, hopefully that will help get the word out as well.

Here is an updated link to the petition! It's gaining steam.
For the love of Tiki...SIGN IT!
https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/city-of-vancouver-save-the-waldorf-hotel-2

Global BC news at six just said that the new owners want to keep the Tiki lounge...
More about it on the 11 pm news.

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[ Edited by: Dagg 2013-01-10 18:56 ]

Flasmob planned for this Tuesday.

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Waldorf+owner+Solterra+Group+intention+demolishing+site/7803561/story.html

The most recent press release on the Waldorf's Website:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 11, 2013, Vancouver, British Columbia:

The Waldorf creative team is looking for a solution.

“The tremendous outpouring of support we’ve received from the public has been both humbling and overwhelming,” says the Waldorf creative team’s Ernesto Gomez. On Twitter, #Waldorf has been trending across Canada and independently-started online petitions have amassed over 11,000 signatures.

“At present time we are working with Mayor Robertson and the City of Vancouver to protect the Waldorf Hotel,” says Gomez. The City Manager will present a report at this Tuesday’s council meeting that would preserve its heritage values and prevent any demolition of the building. Steps are being taken to allow Waldorf Productions to continue running an arts and culture venue in Vancouver, whether it be in the current location, or, in the worst result, somewhere else.

Yesterday afternoon, Gerry Nichele, CEO of the Solterra Group released a statement regarding their recent agreement to purchase the Waldorf Hotel. To date, the Delta-based condominium developer has refused to meet with the Waldorf’s creative team.

In Solterra’s release, Nichele claims the company has “no intention of demolishing the Waldorf Hotel” and that they intend to work with the city to “improve the hotel.”

“The heritage preservation of the hotel is important to us but this massive public reaction is about the destruction of a beloved cultural institution. The creative community of Vancouver is galvanized in its overwhelming support for Waldorf Productions and its creative team,” says Gomez.

“We’re in it for the long haul,” he continues. “Sixty people have lost their jobs, countless artists, musicians, and independent entrepreneurs are being displaced and the city is losing one of its most beloved institutions. We are in discussions with the current landlord and we are hopeful that Solterra will respond to this watershed moment in a constructive manner.”

[followed by a series of quotes in support of the Waldorf]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/mayor-robertson-hopes-city-can-help-save-waldorf/article7234016/

Well, that last sentence is certainly more reassuring...

Great, great news! Giving an old pragmatic like myself hope for humanity. :)