HotelTonight – Granville Island Hotels in a Few Swipes
Is there anything that Vancouver doesn't have? It's one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the world. It's one of the most modern and beautiful cities in the world in terms of architecture. It's surrounded by breathtaking snow-capped mountains that seem to almost protect the city's beauty. As is the case with the rest of Canada, Vancouver is home to some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I didn't know this until recently, but Vancouver also has an island--Granville Island to be exact. I was in Vancouver on business and as we drove over it one day as we crossed a bridge, I was told that it was a fun place to spend time. I decided to extend my trip by a day so I could spend that spare 24 hours there. I wasn't worried about lodging, as I had HotelTonight on my phone and I knew I could find a Granville Island hotel immediately.
The History
The original name for Vancouver was actually Granville, but that all changed in 1886. Granville Island came to be when the street that ran through the peninsula known as False Creek was renamed Granville Street. Eventually, the peninsula came to be known as an island--even though it's not technically an island--and Granville Island was born. Since then, it's been booming with shops, restaurants, nightlife and even office buildings, and it sits right in the middle of Vancouver so that you can get almost anywhere quite easily.
The Public Market
It seems that open-air markets are popping up all over the world. Either that or we are just finding out about many of them that have been there all along. The Public Market on Granville Island is unlike any I have seen in North America. I shopped for some different spices and things that I could add to my food when I got home. I lunched at a place where they were literally cooking fish that were still alive minutes earlier. I enjoyed some tasty sweets like salmon candy that was unlike anything I had ever tasted. I could have spent several days here, but there was still a lot to see.
The Culture
For whatever reason, it seems as though the art center of Vancouver is located on Granville Island. I spent hours in one gallery in particular and then walked around as artists worked on their craft right there in public view. There's an artistic feel to the entire little community, and the people there all seemed to appreciate what it's like to enjoy such a form of expression. I even saw quite a bit of the work of the local artists hanging in different businesses on Granville Island.
HotelTonight – Granville Island Hotels Are Available
Alas, as interesting as the day was, it was time to head back to my hotel. Wait a minute… I didn't have a hotel room. Oops. I pulled out my phone, opened HotelTonight and had a Granville Island hotel room within seconds. That was all I needed to do. Now I wanted to get there and enjoy a night of deep sleep after a full and fun day.
