by Michelle Sproule | Cultural hub, hideout, public venue, meeting place — what is it about a hotel that makes it such a unique phenomenon? I’m still trying to figure that one out. For certain, a hotel is a many faceted creature that bears witness to fleeting relationships whilst maintaining long-standing traditions. It’s like a tightrope, and there’s no better place to see it walked than in a hotel bar or lounge. These liberating institutions take the transience of their clientele and use it to level the social playing field. Everyone is “a guest”.

As we’ve reported previously (and repeatedly, because it’s awesome), the Vancouver Art Gallery is currently showing Grand Hotel: Redesigning Modern Life, an exhibition that uses everything from installation art and film to ephemera and furniture in its ambitious examination of the subject. The really cool thing about the exhibit – despite its title – is that it doesn’t shy away from hotel chains, roadside motels and dives in favour of the typical ‘Grand Hotel’. We love how it considers the full range, because however much we might enjoy the occasional cocktail in a high-end bar, we also appreciate a cold pint and a shot in an uncomplicated dive. Travel, design, social and cultural aspects of the hotel are also considered in the exhibit, but the brand-associative nature of booze? Not so much. And yet Vancouver has the full range in spades, everything from shandies to slings.

So, inspired by the art show and our love of the occasional tipple, over the past six weeks we’ve done a fair front crawl through a dozen Vancouver hotel lounges and bars. This guide is a happy consequence of those adventures. Please use it responsibly.