Rosewood Hotel Georgia

[trip style = urban + luxury]

{Editor's Note: This summer, we've been busy bees. One of the results is Trip Styler's new look, debuting today. This Friday we'll explain everything, as well as announce a few new features. Until then, this week is packed with goodies like today's classic hotel tour, Tech Tuesday, Travel Beauty with tips from a St. Tropez celeb tanner and Healthy On The Road. PS - this week we're giving away five DuWop Flight Sticks. Enter today.}

Vancouver's grand dame has been in hiding for a few years. With a highly publicized facelift, modernization and new pantsuit, she's emerged with the class of Elizabeth Taylor and playful beauty of Heidi Klum. She's as gorgeous today as she was in 1927 when the Vancouver {Evening} Sun headline proclaimed "New Building One of Finest Hotels on the Continent." A few weeks ago, Trip Styler was invited to tour Vancouver's newest hotel with some of the most glamorous bones in the city. Naturally, we donned a dashing shirt dress {a Fashion Friday :: Shoulder Season must-have} for the occasion.

History The Rosewood Hotel Georgia can't help but catch your eye. Eighty years ago it was the place to stay and play, and with its recent reopening, nothing has changed. Sure, the historic property has welcomed Hollywood's elite, but two iconic individuals made a lasting impression. Katherine Hepburn is credited with setting Vancouver's room service trend in motion when she asked management to eat in her room rather than the restaurant. And speaking of room service, Elvis requested his now famous pan-fried peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich when it wasn't on the menu. In a bow to the hotel's history, now it is.

Hub Elegantly seated in the centre of Vancouver, Miss Georgia is neighboured by the Vancouver Art Gallery, Pacific Centre Mall and stately office buildings. Not surprisingly, it has become the go-to place for dining, events, meetings and most recently, open-air lounging. Named after celebrated Vancouver chef David Hawksworth, Hawksworth Restaurant is the property's main dining room, earning accolades as the best new restaurant in Canada. If Vancouver's hottest new restaurant is bursting at the seams, check out 1927, the hotel's quintessential lobby bar. And don't be surprised if you rub shoulders with a Don Draper lookalike---it's pretty big with the apres-work suits. Four levels above, an urban oasis draws see and be seen crowds onto its concrete perch to relax on cushy seating, sip classic cocktails and stare at still and cascading water features. The giant fire bowl, seemingly begging to brown marshmallows to a light crisp, helps to keep it hot when the weather is not.

Design The mix of thoughtfully preserved old mingling with West Coast new is what strikes me at every turn. The lobby's original floors are paired with a visually playful geometric painting, the traditional neutral palette of the rooms is accented by bright blue pillows and a light-on-dark-brown herringbone print throw, and the indoor salt water pool beside the South Beach-style outdoor lounge offers a fresh take on the Glass City's design aesthetic. Anchored by features like the meticulous re-creation of the original 1927 cornicing with deco light fixtures and elevator doors, the hotel maintains a grandeur without being stuffy or unapproachable.

Art Aboriginal modern. Geometric "untitled" wax {left}. Subdued landscape {painted by Takao Tanabe, born one year before the hotel opened}. Part of one of the largest private collections of Canadian art in the country, these progressive installations are more gallery than hotel. I try to spend time in galleries in every city I visit, and the hotel's collection is worth the excursion alone. Every piece is by a Canadian artist, with the exception of the lobby's reverse-perspective, 3D acrylic on wood aptly name "Internity", painted by British-born Patrick Hughes {painting pictured top right}.

Details Trip style = luxury, rooms start at $375 a night. Note that the base standard deluxe room is not just a bed and bath. It has a sitting area and spa bathroom with two sinks, a soaker tub and separate shower.

[photos by @tripstyler aside from Hawksworth Restaurant and hotel's exterior, used with permission.]

Fashion Friday :: Shoulder Season

[trip style = sun + urban + weekend getaway + sightseeing + wine tasting]

{Editor's Note: Enter to win one of FIVE DuWop Flight Sticks. With light, hydrating coverage, these mini skin-enhancers are packed with antioxidants and a touch of caffeine to spruce up tired skin. Up, up and away!}

What do brunch and Brangelina have in common? They're not just fun to say, they're two awesome things paired together. Which is kind of like the season we're in now, where summer meets fall. But what should we call it? Sall? Fummer? Sautumn? As we head into back-to-school time---or as I like to say, perfect European travel time---it can be hard to choose what to wear for the hot, humid days and cool, breezy nights. Especially when you're travelling and you can only bring a few key items.

A shirt dress is the perfect garment for sautumn. Warm day? Roll up the sleeves and pair it with heeled wooden sandals. Cool day? Roll down the sleeves and add a pair of colourful knee-high socks with the same pair of wooden sandals, plus a scarf or boyfriend cardy. You could also stash booties and a pair of leggings or Kate Middleton-chic sheer nylons in your bag for the evening chill. Need a little more coverage? Go for a midi-length shirt dress.

{Trip Styler Tip: Most shirt dresses come with their own belts, but play around with your own belt collection to change up the look. Perfect for going away when you want to get more mileage out of the pieces in your duffle.}

Guys, stay summery by wearing less rigid denim in a lighter wash; save the dark raw Japanese denim for the cooler months. Choose a button-up shirt in a length that's meant to be left untucked {read: no long tails} for a little summer styling, and top with a lightweight sweater that will breathe but keep you warm.

Don't you just love fummertime?

Now what to wear? Women (from top left) Tucker shirtdress, Forever 21 midi shirt dress, J.Crew trouser slouch socks, ASOS slinky over the knee socks, Rachel Comey interlaken clog, J.Crew eden cardigan, Thierry Lasry celebratory shades, Rag & Bone tomkin scarf, Cheap Monday militaria dress, LP Collection sliced skinny leather belt, ASOS floral maxi Men (clockwise from top centre) The Hill-side organic cotton scarf, Marc by Marc Jacobs danny dot shirt, Gap new deep v-neck, All Saints span open cardigan, All Saints crawford low top sneaker, Marc by Marc Jacobs tyler uniform fit denim

More Fashion Friday Cabin Fever Buoy Oh Buoy Festival Style Tribal Inspiration

{Fashion Friday posts are published on the last Friday of every month and written by fashion blogger Heather.}

Travel Beauty Month :: Kate's NYC

[trip style = urban]

{Editor’s Note: This month, Lauren, our travel beauty expert is curating and writing a once-weekly feature on keeping a glow on the go. Enjoy! PS - This week, we're giving away 5 Oxygenetix Oxygenating Moisturizers, enter here.}

We are so lucky to get beauty maven and PR executive Kate Sklar, my friend and one of the chicest New Yorkers I know, to share her top picks for primping and preening in the city with Trip Styler. Kate lives in downtown Manhattan and loves to escape on summer weekends with friends and family to Newport, Miami or the Hamptons. When not busy working at one of the city's biggest PR agencies, she is discovering the latest and greatest places to eat and drink with friends, as well as rooting for Boston sports teams. She's also a fan of writing, yoga, Core Fusion and blowouts which makes her the perfect beauty resource for trip style = urban in NYC. Follow Kate on Twitter at @PRKateSklar.

Best Workout: Core Fusion® at Exhale Why I’m obsessed: In a city where fitness trends roll through faster than the next fad food truck, Core Fusion® is the perfect recipe combining strength, toning, flexibility and calorie burning in a single workout. At roughly $30 an hour (depending on your package or membership), you’ll pay a fraction of the cost of a personal trainer for totally butt-kicking workouts with A-list instructors like Core Fusion® co-creator Fred DeVito. This is the type of class that will truly change the way you look and feel.

Best Body Therapy: Thai Therapy at Exhale Spa Why I’m obsessed: I’m devoutly loyal to massage therapist and healing guru Kathleen at Exhale’s Upper East Side location. Her Fusion Massage cannot be beat. But knowing that she is also a master and teacher of Thai Therapy, I had to give this mysterious menu option a try. A combination of yoga contact work, assisted stretching, massage and alignment work, this hour-long session leaves you feeling balanced, peaceful, limber and ready to face a stressful workweek all over again.

Best Facial: Aromatherapy Facial at Susan Ciminelli Day Spa Why I’m Obsessed: It was a gift certificate for a treatment and full regimen of signature skin care products that led me to Susan Ciminelli Day Spa for the first time, never since have I had a facial that compares. For one, this treatment has a much longer and more thorough massage (for which I am a total sucker). But there was also something so calming and transcendent about the signature Essential Oils, Seawater and Marine Lotion used throughout---it’s like a vacation for your senses. If it wasn’t for the price tag ($175 and up for an hour), I’d be there every week.

Best Mani + Pedi: Townhouse Spa Why I’m Obsessed: Your average New York City corner nail salon is like a McDonalds drive-through: fast, cheap, impersonal, only vaguely sanitary, and a little too convenient. With one on every corner, it’s hard to resist a weekly polish change. But what Townhouse Spa lacks in convenience (there’s only one location, gasp!), it makes up for in the most consistently perfect manicure and pedicures. Sure, the services are a little more expensive, but no matter which nail tech you see, you’re guaranteed perfectly shaped finger and toe nails in a peaceful and clean environment (and I dare say, these manis and pedis last twice as long).

Best Hair Cut + Blowout: Mike Viggue at Sally Hershberger Why I’m Obsessed: Viggue is a favorite among beauty editors for a reason. If you can get an appointment (when he’s not styling hair on magazine shoots and fashion campaigns), you’ll quickly understand why those who know him consider him a master. The va va voom Victoria’s Secret cut and blowout are his thing. And while his focus is on making you look hot, he’s not so tough on the eyes either. Talk about a win win.

Best Hair Color: Carly Missico at Cutler Salon Why I’m Obsessed: I guess you could say I have trust issues when it comes to my hair. Picky, protective and generally anxiety-ridden, it was difficult to find someone in New York to whom I could entrust the color maintenance of my thick, long main. Then I found Carly. She’s made me lighter, she’s made me darker, and she’s always made me feel pretty (sigh). No matter what my hair whim (and trust me, they are many!), Carly always gets what I’m going for and manages to pull off one gorgeous job after another without frying my hair. Plus, I love hearing stories from her crazy backstage schedule during Fashion Week.

Favorite Place to Buy Makeup, etc: Sephora Why I’m Obsessed: Not only is Sephora the ultimate one-stop shop for about 80% of my favorite beauty brands, but it’s a retailer that actually encourages (indeed, celebrates) experimenting with their goodies. Luckily there is one directly across the street from my office, which means rescue from nearly any beauty emergency is just a mascara’s throw away. A blast of Klorane Dry Shampoo, a veil of Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, a dab of Dior lip gloss or a spritz from the perfume wall---you need it, you name it---chances are Sephora’s got it.

More Travel Beauty Dr. Murad Interview The Best Fragrance For Each Trip Style Q&A With tarte Cosmetics Founder Beauty Bars Around The World Travel Beauty Hair Tips from Celebrity Stylist Michael Shaun Corby

[photos sourced online]

Travel Beauty Month :: Best Fragrances For Trip Styles

Editor's Note: In addition to our regularly scheduled content, this month we're doing a once-weekly feature on Travel Beauty. Lauren, our beauty expert, has whipped up some incredible insights, interviews {think major LA-based skin care expert} and giveaways. See below for what we're giving away this week!

Everyone should have their own unique fragrance, something they wear that distinguishes them from everyone else and is suited to their personality. Finding this scent isn't easy, but once you do, you know right away. I discovered my own special scent many years ago in France while backpacking. One whiff of Hanae Mori's Butterfly, a blend of strawberry, blackberry, ylang-ylang, Bulgarian Rose, almond wood and many other unique notes, and I was in love. So much so, that I didn't want to tell anyone what I wore, but after a while a handful of friends purchased the same scent and Sephora started carrying it, the secret was out.

Butterfly is still a special fragrance to me, yet I do wear different scents depending on where I'm going. For example, I spritz Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy when I go out with the girls, and Bond No.9's Saks Fifth Avenue For Her to brunch or as a daytime scent. Vacations call for different fragrances. Depending on your destination, the scent you'd wear while lying on the beach in Mykonos is different than what you'd wear while exploring the Kalahari Desert or shopping on 5th Avenue.

Here are my picks for the best fragrances for different trip styles. Let us know your favorites!

The Beach [trip style = beach]
This type of fragrance should be light and tropical. I immediately think of Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Vanille Abricot, a shockingly delicious blend of Apricot, Papaya Pulp, Jack fruit, Vanilla and Sugar Candy. The brand's Aloha Tiare would also be the perfect beach fragrance, with its exotic notes of Tiare and Frangipani flowers, ylang-ylang, Monoi, Coconut, Vanilla and Soft Musk.

Big City Trip [trip style = urban]
I know the perfect fragrance for big city travel: Velvet Rope by Apothia. It's fresh and exciting and was actually inspired by an icy cold martini! Blending Vanilla, Jasmine, Grapefruit and White Musk, this sexy scent pairs well with Christian Louboutins and the blackest eyeliner.

Rustic Countryside Travel [trip style = weekending]
When I think of the countryside, I think of flowers, especially Gardenias. Bond No.9 Saks Fifth Avenue For Her is a light, elegant blend of Jasmine, Tuberose, Gardenia, Vetiver and Vanilla, which I wore on my wedding day. This white floral fragrance instantly evokes feelings of green rolling hills and fields of wildflowers. Like all Bond fragrances, the bottle is gorgeous.

Exploring The World [trip style = active & adventure]
Adventure travel and exploring calls for a light, fresh, subtle scent. I recently tried Caudalie's Fleur de Vigne and think it's the perfect fragrance for a trip like this. With notes like Grapefruit, Grape Flowers, Pink Pepper, White Rose, Watermelon, Mandarin and Cedar, it's a warm fragrance that is never overbearing and gives you a hint of this fresh scent.

Win It!
August is travel beauty month at Trip Styler and we're giving away a fantastic gift each week. This week, one lucky winner will be able to travel with their favorite scent wherever they go with Travalo, the coolest pocket-size, refillable, spill-free and lightweight perfume atomizer. This genius invention gives you up to 65 sprays of your favorite fragrance and refills in seconds, directly from any perfume spray bottle. Perfect for your carry-on, no matter what trip style you choose!

How to Win
Comment on any Trip Styler post {this one or any other}.
Bonus entry 1: Subscribe to our email list {top right}.
Bonus entry 2: "Like" Trip Styler on Facebook.

{Open to residents of Canada and the USA. Entries will be accepted Aug 3-9. Winner chosen at random and announced Aug 9, and has two days, after prizing notification, to make contact.}

[photos sources online]

The Savvy Traveler :: Lora

Lora is a Seattle-based freelance journalist who among other literary pursuits, writes a lot about traveling in Oregon, Washington and BC. Local travel is one of her first loves, and she regularly packs up to explore the region's city, country and seaside destinations with her husband and two kids. Many of her family travel tips and adventures can be found on CascadiaKids.com. As if she's not busy enough, in addition to all this, she's also written a book: Northwest Kid Trips: Portland, Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver. Here are her trip styling, Savvy Traveler picks...

1/ What are your top 3 trip styles and why?
[trip style = weekend getaway + urban + budget conscious] On perfect weekends, I do all three---staying in a four-star hotel I scored through Priceline in either Vancouver, BC or Portland. But budget conscious doesn’t always mean “cheap.” I’d rather stay in an upscale hotel or vacation rental than a super-discounted motel with a moldy fridge.

2/ What items are always on your packing list?
- Our picnic backpack (so we can eat anywhere, anytime)
- My iPhone (see why below)
- A great map and a swimsuit---you just never know when you're going to encounter an awesome mountain-fed stream for a quick dip

3/ Essential travel gadget or app?
My iPhone, which helps us navigate through cities, check in on work while I’m away, and gives the kids something to do while we’re sitting in border traffic.

4/ Favorite destination, plus what's on your radar and why?
Oh, my favorite? That’s so hard to decide. I love the Parisian alleys and cafes, Rome’s history and cafes, Florence’s art and cafes…hmm, I guess cafes are the deciding element.

On my radar: I intend to take a week-long trip up Vancouver Island this winter. I also hope to go to Japan---we had a planned trip for last March when the terrible Earthquake happened. We ended up going to Ireland instead, which was fine, but we still really want to go to Japan. Our Pacific Rim culture is so influenced by Japan, and I’ve always wanted to visit Japan---since my childhood, in fact!

5/ Best trip you've ever taken?
One of my most memorable trips was taking our 15-month old on a two-week driving vacation through Southern France and Italy. It helped me to realize that it was OK to travel without reservations, to drive along and let the road unfold. We'd show up in a town and pick a hotel upon arrival. Of course, this approach works best off peak-season, but it’s still one of my favorite ways to travel. We took this improvised approach to our trip along the Oregon Coast last fall and had a blast.

6/ Best destination/hotel/campground to take kids in summer and why?
This is a difficult question! Really, you can’t go wrong with any destinations in Washington, Oregon or British Columbia---especially in summer. In fact, I try to make sure we're always home during the summer, just so we can travel locally.

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

Other Savvy Travelers
Bryce, The Pilot

[photo via lora]