Waterfront High-Rise Hotel Home to Award-Winning Restaurant

Thousands of ancient trees and miles of pedestrian pathways intertwine at Stanley Park, a vast space set along the Salish Sea in downtown Vancouver. It’s one of the largest and most popular public parks in the world, and it speaks to the city’s unique blend of natural beauty and the urban lifestyle. From the penthouse lounge of the Pan Pacific Vancouver, hotel guests can peer through panoramic windows to see Stanley Park as well as the waterfront, Lions Gate Bridge, and the North Shore Mountains. Downstairs from the lounge, the AAA Four Diamond Five Sails Restaurant uses fresh ingredients from the Pacific Northwest to prep continental cuisine.

The panoramic Pacific views lend to the relaxing ambiance that flows through the boutique hotel. Guests can laze around the heated outdoor saltwater swimming pool and whirlpool, which reside in a patio area that extends from about halfway up the high-rise building. Specialists at Spa Utopia & Salon—one of the largest spas in British Columbia—perform soothing therapeutic treatments in fireplace-lit relaxation lounges, oil-infused steam rooms, or dry saunas.

Pacific Club deluxe accommodation rooms gaze out over historical Gastown and the harbor or downtown Vancouver, and the larger Pacific Club City suites look onto the city skyline. Alternatively, one can see Burrard Inlet, Stanley Park, and the North Shore Mountains from the Bayview suites. Each Bayview suite is decked out in an Italian marble washroom and two jumbo televisions, and lodgers have ample room to store eveningwear and skeleton costumes in the walk-in closet.

Vancouver, British Columbia: Coastal Parks Close to High-End Boutiques

Each year, upward of 2.5 million pedestrians and cyclists visit the sprawling Stanley Park, which is considered to be one of the finest public parks in the world and resides on a peninsula minutes form the hotel. Scenic pathways wind all the way around the seawall of the park, which contains more than 1,000 acres of ancient trees such as enormous western red cedars and douglas firs. The Vancouver Aquarium— the biggest aquarium in Canada—is located in the park, and it hosts an array of dolphins, beluga whales, sea lions, and sea otters.

A couple blocks south of the hotel, high-end boutiques rent store space for upward of $200 USD per square foot on Robson Street, which cuts through Vancouver’s downtown and West End. Come evening, Robson Street comes to life with buskers and street performers, who entertain visitors as they file through myriad shops and restaurants.

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Lakeside Resort Close to British Columbia’s Wine Country

The Sonoran Desert creeps up into pockets of western Canada; because of the dry climate, regional towns such as Osoyoos are some of the warmest in the country. It’s also a climate ideal for winemaking. Dubbed by some to be the “Napa Valley of the North,” western Canada has more than 100 vineyards spread out over the rolling landscape, which is enclosed by tall and narrow mountains. Located downtown, Watermark Beach Resort is conveniently positioned for exploring British Columbia’s wine country.

Guests can sample some of the region’s finest wines at the resort’s very own wine bar. Set amid warm woods and softly lit lanterns, the bar also specializes in gourmet charcuterie, cheese plates, and small-plate entrees made with ingredients sourced from local farms and artisans.

Watermark Beach Resort fronts the western shore of Osoyoos Lake, and many of the 123 suites in the main building have balconies overlooking the water. Each homey two-bedroom suite comes replete with indoor and outdoor dining tables and a fully equipped kitchen furnished with a stove and dishwasher. There’s also an in-suite washer and dryer, and a pullout sofa bed in the living room can accommodate runaway circus clowns.

Osoyoos, British Columbia: Wineries, Ski Slopes, and Aboriginal Culture in Canada’s Only Desert

Osoyoos sits at the southern end of Okanagan Valley, a 110-mile stretch featuring deserts, lakes, mountains, and vineyards. The varied terrain lends to numerous possibilities for outdoor activities. Many travelers fish and go boating at Osoyoos Lake; the desert heat in Okanagan Valley can heat the water to a balmy 75 degrees Fahrenheit during warmer months, drawing visitors and locals to its miles of sandy beaches.

Located about 35 miles northeast of Watermark Beach Resort, the ski area Mount Baldy features steep gladed trails and a rider-designed terrain park where snowboarders and skiers can grind on rails and use the ramps to jump over parked zambonis. Baldy has one of the highest base elevations in British Columbia at more than 5,600 feet, and much of the snow is untracked.

Osoyoos is home to the Indian Band, which operates one of North America’s first aboriginal-owned wineries. Adjacent to the vineyard, the same indigenous group also founded the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, which details the history of the area with indoor and outdoor galleries and daily trail walks.

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Chocoholics would adore cocoa beans for creating chocolate if they didn’t also sprout magical beanstalks that house giants who steal chocolate from humans. Eat your way through mixed feelings with today’s Groupon: for $22, you get a Chocolate 101 class with a 16-piece box of chocolates at Xoxolat in Vancouver (a $45 value). A schedule of class times is available here.

Modelled after sweets from classic European chocolatiers, Xoxolat’s award-winning chocolate makers concoct an assortment of bars, truffles, and artisanal chocolate creations. During Chocolate 101 sessions, instructors imbue pupils with chocolate-related factoids, such as how to distinguish different bean flavour profiles and how Mayans built non-melting chocolate sundials. As they discover the steps require for each bean’s transformation into chocolate bars, students can sample cocoa of varied origins and percentages culled from numerous manufacturers before tasting Xoxolat’s blended bars, such as dark chocolate brimming with sea salt and triple peppercorn. In addition to a 10 per cent discount on any shop purchases made directly after class, guests receive a 16-piece box of chocolate truffles to savour at home, share with friends, or taunt lactose intolerance enemies.

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The Groupon Guide to Everyman’s Classics: Animal Farm

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Inner peace is like the Sasquatch—many people claim it’s real, but most remain skeptical until the moment it seizes them while they’re meditating on a mountaintop. Bring the bliss with today’s Groupon: for $39, you get one month of unlimited yoga classes at Shanti Yoga in Tsawwassen (up to a $128 value).

The Yoga Alliance certified trainers at Shanti Yoga help both novice and seasoned yogis improve posture, strength, and peace of mind during a variety of classes offered seven days a week. The studio’s schedule lets students try different styles such as Hatha, an alignment-focused practice that can help newer yoga pupils de-stress and gain the flexibility needed to walk their dogs from the couch. In power yoga, instructors teach more advanced body benders high-intensity, Vinyasa-style moves designed to produce a detoxifying sweat. Students can also breath deep during slow-paced yin yoga or take a respite from work during a 75-minute lunchtime flow class. An environmentally friendly studio, Shanti Yoga uses eco-friendly cleaners and the same kind of bamboo floors pandas exercise on in the wild. Additionally, an on-site store outfits yogis with clothing and equipment.

Though Shanti Yoga sometimes features a discounted price online, this Groupon still offers the best deal available.

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The Groupon Guide to Everyman’s Classics: Animal Farm

Is a society run by animals doomed to fail/be hilarious?

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Like lawns or children, nails grow whether you’re watching them or not. Baby your toes with today’s Groupon: for $35, you get a 60-minute Absolute organic pedicure at Absolute Spa – Park Royal in West Vancouver (a $75 value).

Founded by a husband-and-wife team, Absolute Spa – Park Royal employs estheticians who pamper digits amid the sleek decor of a modern 6,000-square-foot facility. The 60-mintue Absolute organic pedicure commences as toes dip into a warm footbath that relaxes feet while customers observe the process through a reverse periscope. An exfoliating scrub smoothes skin, and a leg-and-foot massage targets tension with the assistance of hydrating products. Aestheticians remove calluses, push back cuticles, and coat each nail with the customer’s choice of colourful OPI polish. Visitors to the spa can request a complimentary mineral-makeup consultation, or kick back in the relaxation lounge’s cushy chairs. Optional upgrades are available at an additional cost.

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The Groupon Guide to Everyman’s Classics: Animal Farm

Is a society run by animals doomed to fail/be hilarious?

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