I’ll be the first to admit that I know nothing about fancy hotels – the places I tend to stay offer vibrating beds, mirrors on the ceiling, and charge by the hour – but even so, I was amazed by the penthouse suite at the OPUS Hotel in Yaletown.

Yesterday morning an intriguing email appeared in my inbox from Miss 604 herself. It seems there was an event at the OPUS to launch the Porter Shoe by John Fluevog that Rebecca couldn’t attend, and knowing that I was a fan, would I like to go in her place? I almost tripped over myself in my haste to reply that I would be delighted to go, and thus I found myself at 5pm dressed up in my least-indecent finery, rubbing elbows with people who probably don’t store their iPhones in their cleavage for safe keeping. Miss 604 graciously RSVP’d my name to the event organizer +1, meaning I was allowed to bring my favourite safety net: Miranda. Armed with high heels, a deep admiration of Fluevog shoes, and a healthy dose utter terror, I was off to be fancy!

OPUS Hotels partnered with Fluevog Shoes to create the Porter Shoe exclusively for the hotel properties. The shoe is a gorgeous combination of shiny black leather and a custom-mixed shade of pink, and stands out by delivering a peek of awesome with each step. It’s part of the uniform for Opus Hotel valets and agents (worn along with a snazzy argyle sweater and, sadly, pants), and it looks incredible. It’s both a great way to add a dash of colour to an outfit AND an excellent conversation starter – I know I would fall head over heels in admiration with anyone I spotted wearing these things, because they are seriously cool.

forgive the phone picture - click to see the shoes in action

The shoes will be available in limited numbers in all ten North American Fluevog stores, or – and this is the best part – from the hotels themselves. You can order a pair right out of your mini bar! What better way to remember your trip to Vancouver? I LOVE this idea, and if I had man feet I would have caved there and then. Mini bar Fluevogs! So much fancy!

not pictured: toblerone and pringles

The event was held on the top floor of the Opus Hotel in a gorgeous penthouse suite that made me regret buying space over location – I suddenly desperately wanted to live in Yaletown and embrace everything the lifestyle has to offer. I could have happily lived in the bathroom of the suite alone. There was a wrap-around balcony that offered views of the city like this:

taken from the 7th floor - rainbow not always included

It was a very cozy place to hold an event and would be an ideal place for a glamorous “staycation”, if you’re into that sort of thing. If not, there’s also an OPUS in Montreal. Someone should send me there – I will blog all about it. No, really. I wouldn’t even charge for the multi-syllable words.

Miranda enjoyed wine and pink cocktails while I indulged in citrus-scented water and cupcakes. We had a lengthy conversation with John Fluevog himself, in which I found myself trying to convince him that he needs a scooter to get around Vancouver on – it is the only way to go, and coincidentally is hot as hell when paired with his shoes, something I know from experience. Miranda discovered a wacky connection with the man – they live in the same building – and, when scrambling for something intelligent to say, I remembered that the Museum of Vancouver is opening a Fluevog exhibit next month and managed to get myself invited to the media event. That, plus the fact that I didn’t fall over or out of my dress once during the whole evening, made last night a complete success for me. I am getting better at this “talking to strangers” thing!

High on excitement and parking tickets, we drove back to the Loft to collect ourselves and whatever people we could find in the area and ended up at Incendio for dinner. On the way, we – or more specifically, our shoes – were catcalled from a passing car by a Fluevog fan. It was a great end to an outlandishly awesome evening, and thanks are in order to Miss 604 for remembering that I love Fluevog Shoes and inviting me to attend, OPUS Hotels for the very fancy affair, Miranda for all the talking up of my skills she did (if you believed a word she said, I am apparently a very popular and influential local blogger), and John Fluevog himself for a) designing works of art for your feet, and b) indulging in excellent conversation with Miranda and my ridiculous, tongue-tied self.

I could absolutely get used to doing this sort of thing.

so pretty.