As soon as the elevator door opens, you are transported.
A tall, sparkling Christmas tree sets the mood, alerting guests to the fact that the Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s Reflections: A Garden Terrace has something very special (and very festive) in store.
For the second year, Reflections has been transformed into something of a winter wonderland—for adults, that is. Sure, Christmas carols play over the speakers, showering patrons of this covered outdoor terrace with joyous melodies, but trust us: this is not your Aunt Norma’s awkward holiday party.
Open until Dec. 31, 2017, the Winter Pop-Up features everything Vancouverites love about Reflections—the seclusion; the luxury; the delicious food and cocktails—but cranks the merriment up a few dozen notches. Twinkling icicle lights dangle from above, cheeky bunches of mistletoe hang just so, and large candles flicker their inviting light. There is more than one Christmas tree (a recent visit counted at least three), plus accents of silver with oversized suspended ornaments, and a large projection screen playing holiday movies. “This is a labour of love,” the hotel’s director of sales and marketing Brad Simmons says, admitting that he and managing director Philip Meyer hung many of the decorations themselves. Vancouver doesn’t have the windows of New York’s Bergdorf Goodman or the ornate lights and trees of London’s The Connaught, but it has Reflections.
Hot apple cider sits swirling in a cauldron, waiting to be served to new tables alongside a tray of caramel corn. Aside from that, festive cocktails such as the Winter Daisy with gin, pomegranate, and vanilla, or the hotel’s take on the classic Penicillin whisky cocktail, warm bodies even more. Of course, there are heat lamps and blankets, in case things get really chilly—but that’s what cozying up to your date is for.
Share a duck confit pizza with creamy blue cheese, or perhaps a short rib poutine. There is even a chorizo mustard bowl with Oyama sausage, all care of executive chef Harold Lemos.
Whether grabbing cocktails with friends or digging into cheese fondue with a lover, the Winter Pop-Up is mature yet playful, sophisticated yet fun. It wishes merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Explore the wonderful world of cocktails.
