SLEEP WITH THE STARS

By CINDA CHAVICH

Vancouver, B.C. – The last time I was dining at the Elixir, the cosy little bistro moderne in the Opus Hotel, I look up from my meal and spied Ashton Kutcher at the bar.

While he ducked out, as quickly as he ducked in, it’s like that at Opus, a small but chic little getaway in the heart of trendy Yaletown where you might bump into almost anyone. Hoteliers don’t like to tell too much, but along with Demi and Ashton there have been other famous heads on their crisp Egyptian cotton pillows – Cher, Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Foxx and Christina Aguilera, to drop a few fame names.

Ambiance

From the street, Opus is understated, squeezed into a downtown corner where a new Sky Train station is under construction. When the latest route is complete, sometime in late 2009, you’ll be able to zip to the hotel’s front door directly from the Vancouver International Airport.

Right now, a young doorman/concierge will meet your cab on the street and hustle your bags into the compact lobby, dominated by a slim, contemporary lounge, with it’s low leather banquette and a line of tall translucent cocktail tables that literally glow from within.

When you’re ready to explore, there’s the trendy Yaletown district right outside your door, a collection of renovated historic warehouses filled with restaurants, boutiques and loft apartments.

Clientele

The beautiful people here are conspicuously casual – designer jeans, untucked and lightly rumpled striped dress shirts or tees, shades and ball caps, with a stylish Bluetooth headset tucked behind the ear – all very Hollywood-in-hiding.

The Opus owners helped cement the star connection by providing free hotel stays, spa treatments and dinners for Oscar winners and presenters for three years straight. And now it seems to be a home away from home for actors and others involved in the many movies and television programs shot here on the west coast.

Design

This hotel is stylish, fresh and quirky – contemporary in design but just a little bohemian and eclectic, like your favourite edgy art gallery. The overall vibe is youthful - lot Audrey Hepburn and Feist, but a little Leonard Cohen, too. With a discreet and comfortable restaurant, and a stylish bar that’s known as one of the hippest spots for a cocktail, Opus Hotel is small-is-beautiful personified.

The design is thoroughly modern but the smart, intuitive service and groovy amenities make the experience here both warm and refreshing. You get the feeling that you’ve discovered a special hideaway, something that’s beyond the masses, and firmly on the fashionable edge. It’s no wonder the stars come here to stay.

Rooms

Like the federal Conservative party, the Opus has created profiles of the kind of guests they hope to attract  – each with a name, distinct personal character and style.

That may be why their Lifestyle Concierge has settled me into the Provencal yellow “Pierre” room. He’s a food critic, into food and wine, jazz, culinary tourism, history, artchitecture and conservation – a guy who likes to eat at Vij’s, spa at Skoah and shop at Les Amis du Fromage. It’s a smart match, but I’ve also felt comfy in the modern and minimalist “Mike” room, he a New York doctor with a penchant for outdoors, and restaurants like Sanafir and the nearby Bluewater Café & Raw Bar. There are five different room designs in the 96-room boutique hotel, painted and accessorized to appeal to Billy, the enlightened rock star; Susan, the fashionista mom; and Dede, the film actress and material girl.

Not only do you get the stylish décor, flat screen TVs, L’Occitane bath products and other interesting amenities in your room - where else can you buy a personal hand-held OXIA oxygen canister to banish the jet lag from that overseas location shoot? – but each “character” offers his/her best tips on where to eat, club, shop, play and even get a haircut in a personalized virtual guide to Vancouver. You’ll also find customized CD’s to play on the stereo system, and a selection of books to read.

Food and Drink

While the hotel’s concierge characters offer their opinions about the best places in the city to eat and drink, you don’t need to go far. Elixir chef Don Letendre is a bright light on the local food scene, his cuisine creatively combining west coast ingredients and Asian influences in noshes (dubbed “O Bites”) like quince lollipops, warm shellfish ceviche and tempura prawns. Hang out in the hip Opus Bar when you want to be seen, or slip into a dark, cosy corner in the Velvet Room for dinner.

Foodies will love the neighborhood scene – Yaletown is home to top tables like Cioppino’s Enoteca, Bluewater and Coast – or take a short taxi ride to Fuel in Kits, for contemporary nose-to-tail cooking.

Return to Opus Bar for a nightcap. Some of the city’s best DJs offer late night live music, and the kitchen stays open late for small plates like Saltspring Island mussels with lemongrass and crushed cherry tomatoes, or beet carpaccio with goat cheese.

Things to do

Come for the 28th annual VIFF (Oct. 1-15, 2009) and hang out at Opus Hotel with visiting celebs. Last season, the hotel offered a special VIFF package, complete with an invitation to a VIP invite-only pre-party and weekend passes to unlimited screenings. Check their website for other great packages – whether you just need a weekend escape or the 2010 Epicurean experience, including a tour of the nearby Granville Island Market with the hotel chef, who will whip up a champion 10-course menu with your shopping spoils.

Bottom Line

Opus is a pretty cool spot to bed down, and you may even rub shoulders with the rich and famous.

Opus Hotel

322 Davie Street

Vancouver, B.C.

604-694-2103

www.opushotel.com