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Monday, April 5, 2010
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A note from Moda's Gossip Girl...
The 2010 Winter Games came to the city like a beautiful storm that created more patriotism and joy than ever imagined. From the build-up during the torch relay, to Wayne Gretzky’s surprising role in the opening ceremonies, to the very first Gold on home soil by Alexandre Bilodeau, and of course to the Gold’s conquered by our prized Women’s and Men’s hockey teams, it was really the most awe-inspiring and magical two weeks in the history of Vancouver.
At the Moda Hotel, our team had the time of our lives as well with the opportunity to have a unique experience because of our amazing location. It was wonderful to have Moda Hotel welcome guests from all over the world and be able to learn about their involvement and roles during the Winter Games.
Being on the Moda's marketing team really gave me the chance to see the impact and drastic changes in the city. It was unbelievable to witness our boutique hotel and venues transform during the two weeks... a great spot for our locals and tourists from all over the world. Moda Hotel truly came alive during these two weeks, and our newest restaurant, Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery become one of the hottest spots in the city to watch the Olympic events. The whole hotel buzzed the afternoon when the Men’s Hockey game ended in sweet victory for the entire nation. It was great to be part of the excitement at Red Card!
 
Thank you for being on this journey with us for our blog entries this past month! We had a great time sharing our stories of Olympic memories and hope to see you at Moda Hotel soon!
 -Manveet Virk, Marketing Coordinator
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Christopher Caine, Vancouver Moda Hotel’s Front Desk Agent gained an unforgettable experience for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Chris enlightens us about his amazing Olympic memories…
“Aside from my position at Moda Hotel, I have been at Paddle Wheeler Riverboat Adventures for the past 22 years, where the M.V Native ship was chosen to have a torch bearer carry the Olympic Torch from New Westminster to Port Royal on a short 15 minute trip. On this voyage, I was able to witness first-hand the excitement of the torch relay and hold the torch afterwards. This event paired with the enthusiasm of the crowds was the beginning of my personal Olympics experience. It went from ‘OK the Olympics are here’ to ‘WOW the Olympics are here!'
Once the Olympics officially began, guests at the Moda Hotel, including sponsors and media of the Italian Team started to arrive and the excitement grew from here on in. I even purchased one of their team jackets to show my support and new friendship with their team! Soon after, we welcomed Russian team associates and sponsors at the Moda Hotel, and I now have a great Sochi scarf given as a gift and have acquired a few more words in Russian. I’m ready for Sochi 2014!
Representatives and political members from the Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories in northern Canada then started arriving for their stay in the new Moda Suites. This is a part of Canada that I have always wanted to visit and it was nice to receive invitations to come up and visit! I have a lovely dog sled pin that was given to me as a goodbye gift from our respectable guests.
Also on a personal note, when I was away from Moda Hotel, I attended the opening at the Molson Canadian House which was a blast. I also spent some of my days wandering down the Sea Wall and through downtown to visit the other houses and witness the Canadian spirit in full force. On the closing day after the hockey game, the entire city was so happy and people were everywhere!
Now that our Olympic guests have left, the city seems more quiet but us Vancouverites are still here and are ready to welcome anybody who would like to visit this wonderful part of the world!”
A big thank you to Chris for sharing his memories with us. Chris began is career at the Moda Hotel when it was the Dufferin Hotel in August 1986 during Expo '86. It is an honour to have Chris part of the Moda Hotel team.
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
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"Being part of the Olympics has been a phenomenal and a once in a life time experience for me. It was such a privilege to be welcoming guests from all over the world and showing them true Canadian Hospitality. Due to our city centre location, the buzz and the great energy I experienced during those 17 days will be remembered and shared for an entire life time. Gearing up for the Olympics was very hard work, with very long hours, a tremendous amount of coordination and making sure that we were ready as a hotel to welcome the world. Once it all started, things were very smooth and seeing the satisfaction of our guests was the best reward that a Hotel Manager can have.
One of the great things about my job is that I have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful individuals from all walks of life. One of my personal favourite 'celebrity guests' at Moda Hotel during the Olympics was Mr. Francesco Renga, widely known for being the winner of the 2005 San Remo Music Festival in Italy. Meeting with Mr. Renga was a privilege as I grew up watching San Remo Music Festivals. I am a big fan of Italian music and listen to artists like Toto Cutugno, Flavia Fortunado, Eros Ramazotti, Gino Paoli, and Laura Pausini. The experience of meeting with Mr. Renga was further amplified when he gave me a special gift of his latest CD and signed it for me. It was a true pleasure to welcome Mr. Renga to Moda Hotel. He was a wonderful guest and we wish to welcome him back again in the near future."
Kanat Kantman
Moda Hotel Manager
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Sunday, March 7, 2010
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At Moda Hotel, we were fortunate to be located in the heart of the awe inspiring and uplifting Olympic revelry in downtown Vancouver this past February. With a full house in our hotel and food & beverage establishments – Cibo Trattoria, Uva Wine Bar, and Red Card Sports Bar – it was a beautiful, exciting, yet hectic time in our ‘hospitality’ world. Now that it has past, and we have time to reflect, we would love to share some of our experiences and thoughts about this great period in Vancouver history.
Situated only 2 blocks from world renowned Robson Street, we witnessed the throngs of visitors and Vancouverites enjoying our fair city – whether it was enjoying retail therapy on Robson, partaking in impromptu street hockey games on Granville, exploring the pavilions in neighbouring Yaletown or enjoying the nightly explosion of light filled skies – the city was filled with a buzz like never before. It was a whirlwind of exploration, celebration and admiration for our world athletes and our beautiful host city.
However, the most memorable moments for us at Moda Hotel came from daily interactions with athletes, Premiers, foreign personalities, and other wonderful tourists visiting our fair city. Seeing Vancouver through their eyes, and having the opportunity to introduce and assist them in their travels to Winter Games events and city attractions was a fulfilling and rewarding experience.
Over the next few weeks, we will be relaying some of our memorable moments leading up to and during the Vancouver 2010 Games. The Moda Hotel has a wonderful history – the walls of this Vancouver Hotel have housed many guests since it opened in 1908…and each day, each week, each year…we add new ones…we hope you enjoy the recounts of our Winter Game experiences, but more importantly, we hope that you will become part of the Moda story and family sometime in the near future.
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