Notes from the building
Occasional writing from the people who actually run Maxcasinolic.
We do not run a content calendar and we do not chase keywords. When someone on the team has something worth saying about the property — a design decision, a service we changed, a season that turned out differently than we planned — it lands here. That means slightly fewer posts than most hotel journals, and considerably more substance in each one. Everything on this page is written by staff, chefs, designers and managers at Maxcasinolic, not by an agency, and nothing is published unless the author signs their name to it.
Some articles on this journal touch on the mezzanine gaming floor at Maxcasinolic. Any gaming area at the property is reserved for guests aged 19 and over, and we always write about it with the standard age and responsibility information.
Featured article
The most recent thing we wrote
Each new article takes the featured slot for a few weeks before drifting down into the archive below.
Dining notes
A Night At The Harbourfront Chef's Table
Twelve seats, nine courses and one very fast two and a half hours. Our dining editor spent an entire service at the counter, watching Chef Amara Osei work the pass, and came back with an honest account of what it actually feels like to eat there. Written from the seat, not from the brochure.
The archive
All articles published so far
Small in number, deliberately. Every entry below was written by someone with direct experience of what they are describing.
Design notes
Why Our Suites Don't Have Televisions
We removed forty-one televisions during the 2022 refurbishment and braced for complaints. What we got instead were thank-you notes, and a surprising number of guests telling us they slept better. A look at the thinking behind the decision and what happened next.
Dining notes
A Night At The Harbourfront Chef's Table
From the first scallop to the last cheese, a course-by-course account of the twelve-seat counter and the reasoning behind the pacing. Also covers the sommelier programme, the kitchen walkthrough, and why nobody has ever asked for the menu in advance.
Topics we write about
Four themes we keep coming back to
Roughly what the journal covers, in case you are looking for a specific kind of reading.
Design and build
How we made specific decisions about the property, what we have torn out, and what we have fought to keep.
Food and drink
Menus, chefs, producers, and the small stories behind what ends up on the plate at the Chef's Table.
The team
Who works here, what they actually do, and why consistency of people is the hardest thing in hospitality.
Vancouver notes
What is worth doing nearby, which parts of the city are changing, and how best to actually see it from our address.
Behind the writing
Who actually writes these articles
Every piece on this journal is written by someone on the staff, and only after they have lived the experience they are describing. The suite articles go through the design team. The dining articles go through Chef Osei's team. The team profiles are written by the people being profiled. We do not use ghostwriters, we do not commission outside agencies, and we do not accept sponsored posts for any product, service or venue.
If an article has an author's name on it, they wrote it. That is the whole policy. If you spot a fact in one of these articles that has changed since publication, write to us and we will correct it in place with a note at the bottom explaining what moved.
First-hand
Every article comes from a staff member with direct experience of the topic, not research done from a desk.
Signed
Authors sign their work. Anyone reading should be able to know who wrote a given piece and when.
No sponsorships
We do not accept paid placements, gifted stays for review, or affiliate links of any kind on this journal.
Editable
If an article ages or a fact changes, we update it and note what changed rather than quietly deleting it.
Services mentioned in our articles
Two experiences behind most of what we publish
The two bookings that drive the majority of our writing, both with full detail pages of their own.
Signature Penthouse Suite Experience
Two storeys on the forty-first floor. Private butler, marble soaking bath, wine wall, and a 68-square-metre terrace looking toward the Coast Mountains.
See the suite
Harbourfront Chef's Table Dinner
Twelve seats at a single maple counter, nine courses decided each morning based on what the boats delivered, and a full wine flight programme.
See the menuSubscribe
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If you want to read the journal as it is published, sign up here. We send one short email per new article — usually one a month — and nothing else. No promotions, no seasonal sales, no reminders that you have not visited recently. Unsubscribe with one click and the address is deleted from our list within 24 hours.
What you will get
New-article alerts only. And occasionally a short note when we change something at the property that regular guests should know about.
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Questions
Frequently asked about the journal
If you want to write for us, correct something, or ask what we will cover next, the answers are below.
Also worth reading
The rest of the property, in detail
If the journal brought you here and you want to see what we actually offer, these pages will tell you.
Rates and packages
Every room category and package, priced openly, with what is included and not included clearly listed.
See all pricesOur story
Who works at Maxcasinolic, how the property came to be, and the small philosophy we have kept since opening.
Read about usTalk to us
Reception is staffed 24 hours, and the concierge team can help with anything related to a stay or a booking.
Contact usReturn home
The main entry point for the property, with an overview of suites, dining, spa and the rooftop lounge.
Go to homepageResponsible gaming in our articles
Where an article on this journal refers to the mezzanine gaming floor at Maxcasinolic, remember that the floor is restricted to guests aged 19 and over, and a valid government-issued photo ID is required at entry. Maxcasinolic does not offer gaming credit, does not accept cheques for gaming, and does not permit third-party funding of any kind. Any amount a guest chooses to play with is separate from any package or room rate and entirely within limits they set themselves. We encourage every guest to decide on a time limit and a spend limit before they approach the floor, and we ask our floor hosts to check in with guests who appear to be past their limit. Voluntary self-exclusion can be arranged at any point during your stay with a floor manager, confidentially and without any explanation required from you. Support for anyone affected by problem gambling is available 24 hours a day through the BC Responsible and Problem Gambling Program, and our team can connect you directly, at no cost. Complete licence details and our registration numbers are published on our Legal Information page.