auto entertainment system: Waldorf Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia (hotel) -- Tiki Central

I stayed at the Waldorf for four nights in February and I had a wonderful time despite a movie shoot closing down much of the hotel for a good part of the time I was there.

The tarp is covering the entrance to the Tiki Bar and the hotel's 2 restaurants (The Leeteg Room and Caf Nuba)

Craft services tent outside the basement Cabaret.

The movie was the latest Alvin and The Chipmunks sequel, "Chip-wrecked" in 3D (opens before Christmas). They were shooting in the Tiki Bar, the restaurants (which they dressed as a casino) and the two basement rooms (the cabaret and the club). No, I didn't see any chipmunks (or any other stars for that matter), just some extras. Hotel management compensated me very well for the inconvenience of the movie closing down the stuff I came to the hotel to enjoy, for which I'm grateful.

The rooms are large, bright, clean and comfy.

Vintage art.

This lovely lady creeped out some of my visitors (the eyes are a little dead they dont have any whites or highlights) but I think shes a beaut.

My friends Michael & Marlena had this gorgeous painting in their room. Looks like black velvet but is painted on wood.

The rooms have 70s stereos. Mine had this Marantz tuner-amp, with a dual cassette deck with mix tapes recorded by DJs in the Tiki Bar.

Hallway.

There's bamboo everywhere.

Carved mask in the hall.

On the weekend there was a vintage clothing sale happening in the hallway right outside my room.

PNG shield in lobby.

Lobby.

The hotel was very quiet while the movie was shooting because none of the music venues were operating. On the weekend when things got back to normal, my room was quite noisy until 2:30 in the morning (I could hear the bass from the music in the club 2 storeys down). My friends were in a room a couple of doors down and say the music didn't bother them, so if you plan on staying there, ask for room 131 or 132 at the back of the hotel (I was in room 125). If I'd needed a good night's sleep I think I'd have been pissed, but I was up until late watching TV anyway. If quiet is really important to you, I'd stay somewhere else.

On Friday night the Tiki Bar reopened.

Atomic Al.

Al & TabooDan

Pepe le Tiki (right), and TabooDan's friend (whose name I forget).

Pepino Magico: tequila, cucumber, lime juice, agave sweetener, chili-salt rim.

There are no classic Polynesian cocktails on the menu right now but they're working on a new drink menu. I was told theyll be relaunching soon with a Mai Tai, Blue Hawaiian and some other drinks.

Paloma: White tequila, soda, grapefruit juice, sea salt.

TabooDan stuck with good ol' rum & Coke

The famous Leetegs:

The two restaurants share a beautiful space on the main floor that used to be the Grove Pub. On Saturday night my friends M & M and I had a lovely meal in the Leeteg Room.

Leeteg quote on chalkboard: "My paintings belong in a gin mill, not a museum"

The menu is Spanish bistro food and is a little on the spendy side (appetizers $9-$12, main courses $18-$23).

Manchego cheese and Serrano ham.

Fabada Asturiana (sort of a Spanish cassoulet).

We had 3 of the 4 desserts on the menu - I recommend them all (this one is Arroz con Leche Quemado - caramelized rice pudding).

On Sunday morning we had Mexican brunch with Al and Pepe.

Sun streamed into the beautiful cafe space.

Huevos Rancheros with Chorizo.

In the evening we ate dinner at Caf Nuba - in the same space where we had brunch. The menu is Lebanese and is very affordable.

Crispy cauliflower

Beef tenderloin kebab.

On Sunday afternoons the downstairs Cabaret (formerly a restaurant) hosts a very adventurous film series. The rest of the time it's a multi-use live performance venue.

The wall-length Hawaiian mural is behind a curtain that can be pulled back. There's a stage on the far right of the picture (in front of the half-moon window).

I don't have a picture, but hotel staff showed us the other basement room, the former Menehune room, which is now a dance club. The thatched ceiling has been replaced because it was a fire hazard. The large carved wood pillars have been hidden behind bamboo for their own protection (one of the carved menehunes lost a nose).

I asked for some souvenirs with the hotel's new logo - matchbooks, postcards, etc. They didn't have anything yet, but they gave me this vintage postcard