Fairmont Vancouver Airport Archives

Fish valet and other posh airport amenities

Spas, saunas, swimming pools, giant slides and sunflowers. That could be a list of swanky amenities to look for at upscale resorts or hotels. But it’s actually a sampling of some of the Posh Airport Amenities I featured in a slide show for Bing Travel.

Here’s a sample.

Travelers at Vancouver International Airport can take care of dry cleaning, shoe-repair and medical/dental services during a layover in the terminal. But those heading home from a fishing trip with a 100 pound halibut in tow can seek out the services of the Fish Valet and the special “visiting fish” freezer at the on-site Fairmont Vancouver Hotel.

There’s a putting green in the terminal at Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport, but the USGA-approved, nine-hole Sky City Nine Eagles Golf Course adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 2 out-poshes that. Nine Eagles has a Thai restaurant, club house, putting greens, and plenty of night golfing opportunities. Soon Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport will have a golf course next door too.

When it comes to posh airport bars, GateGuru data analyst Zachary Einzig gives high marks to the Encounter Restaurant, perched on top of the recently-restored Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Inside, the Encounter’s space-age décor is something the Jetsons would appreciate. Outside, the views of the airfield are out of this world.

There are more… check back to find out which airports offer libraries, saunas, exotic gardens, bike rentals, museums, breweries, make-your-own sundae machines, and weekly tributes to Frank Sinatra.

Have a favorite posh airport amenity? Please add your comment below.

Tidbits for travelers: Free stuff at Vancouver Airport; fresh art at Tucson Airport

If you have a choice about when to travel to or through Vancouver International Airport (YVR) this summer, choose a Friday.

YVR is entertaining pretty much anytime, but this summer, the airport is throwing Take Off Friday parties with face painting, DJ’s, and free treats and samples from airport shops such as Daniel Le Chocolate Belge and the Absolute Spa. You can also enter a sweepstakes to win weekly prizes such as a tour of the airport or a night at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, where many of the (very soundproof) rooms have great views of the airfield.

The party takes place each Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. through the end of August in the Departures Level of the Domestic Terminal.

While you’re there, be sure to check out YVR’s free, pre-security observation area and all the great art.

(YVR photos courtesy Vancouver International Airport)

And if you’re at Tucson International Airport (TUS) any time before September 30th, 2010, make your way to the Center Gallery to see Peter Kresan’s photographs.

Kresan specializes in nature, desert landscapes, national parks and monuments, with special attention to geological features. The work on display features Arizona locations, including images of Sonoran desert wildflowers, Mexican poppies and the Sacred Datura flowers at the Grand Canyon.

Chock stone in the Dive of the Buckskin Gulch. Paria Canyon, Northern Arizona.

An aerial view of Monument Valley in northeastern Arizona
and on the border with Utah. Most of Monument Valley is in Arizona and is part of the Navajo Reservation.

Thanks, Peter, for sharing your photos.