With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1484213
URGENT: MEETING IN NEW YORK The exquisitely hospitable Aman Resorts started in distinctive Asian locales, and it has properties in Turks and Caicos (Amanyara) and Utah (Amangiri) that are popular with Canadians. Now under new ownership, it's going urban, with Miami and Los Angeles hotels com- ing soon. Aman New York opened this fall (nightly rates starting at US$3,200): located on Fifth Avenue below Central Park, it's a temple of minimal- ism, with guest access to a terrace, indoor pool and cryotherapy chamber. SOUTH PACIFIC DREAMS Starting from November 25, Fiji Airways launches twice- weekly direct (11- to 12-hour) flights between Vancouver International Airport ( YVR) and Nadi International Airport (NAN) in Fiji. Business class travellers enjoy three-course meals with bar service and lie- flat seats on some aircraft. For safe and comfortable travel, economy-class passengers can book My Bubble or My Island options: an extra seat or row, with top-flight pillow, mattress topper and blanket. OF MICE AND MEN The new gold standard in wish- fulfilment travel is Disney Wish, the latest and greatest cruise ship in the company's fleet. Launching from Port Ca- naveral, Florida, it offers three- and four-night trips to Bahamas ports, including its private-island resort Castaway Cay. With more than 1,200 state rooms, Wish boasts a 200-metre waterslide and lazy river, plus Frozen and Marvel-themed restaurants. It also runs on LNG for re- duced emissions. Dream Vacations There's no better time than the chill of winter to imagine your next getaway: may we suggest a "bleisure" trip to New York, Fiji, the Caribbean and beyond? By Charlene Rooke C A R R Y ON JET SETTER Vancouver's Gastown is unique: it's a major tourist destination, heritage quarter, booming hospitality zone and innovation hub, all while bordering the Downtown Eastside and the community challenges there. "There are very few neighbourhoods in the world that have these interests all in play," says Walley Wargolet, the executive director of the Gastown Business Improvement Society. An avid traveller himself, he now spends his time drawing people back to Gastown, which he be- lieves can be a global model of a uniquely successful business district in a complex multi-stakeholder environment. "We are starting to see the vibrancy return to our streets with office workers and tourists," he says, but, he cautions, "It will take years for many businesses to become whole from the impact of [the pandemic]." Innovative seasonal events and promos (#kissmeingas- town hangs selfie-bait mistletoe around the 'hood; 12 Days of Gastown promotes daily giveaways and a local shopping guide) draw visitors, and Wargolet does his best to make sure the business district shines for customers, residents and owners. "I have focused my first year and a half in this role on ensuring our neighbourhood is well cared for by the City of Vancouver," says Wargolet. "For too long, it was neglected and overlooked and, honestly, the public realm was an embarrassment for a national historic site." Future-looking investments by the city are good news for Gastown's proprietors—as well as for holiday visitors, shoppers and partiers. £ BOTTOM RIGHT: GASTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY ( quality time ) NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 BCBUSINESS 91 You can check in to Aman New York on Fifth Avenue as of this fall Catch Disney Wish's latest drift Fiji Airways takes off twice a week from YVR and NAN Can the vibrant and eccentric neighbourhood of Vancouver's Gastown be a global model of a successful business district?