The title of this article is no accident. On the front page of our site there’s a permanent link to a list of Top 10 Things To Do In Calgary. It’s a pretty popular list, but it also pulls in a large amount of traffic from people using searches like “guy stuff to do in calgary”, or “things to do with a guy in Calgary”. This is understandable. There isn’t a lot of obvious “Guy things to do” in the city. We don’t have a Run of the Bulls, we don’t have any Base Jumping, and the Mayor keeps foolishly rejecting my proposal to build a cage in the centre of downtown and charge office workers to fight enraged Bears.

[SIGH]

It can be tough to find something appropriately Manly to do in Calgary. Therefore, for your Manly Amusement, I have compiled a list OF ALL THE MANLY THINGS TO DO IN THE CITY OF CALGARY.

Not all manly things are equally manly, however. So, I have devised a shrewd, yet manly, ranking system using the Overly Manly Man Meme. The following activities are rated from 1 to 4 Overly Manly Men (OMM). Hopefully, this helps you find some guy stuff to do in the city.

Manly Shopping

Two trips is for the weak.

Stereotypically, shopping is not considered a manly thing to do. And it isn’t. Unless you’re shopping at a store that sells Video Games, DVD’s, Power Tools, Weapons and/or Exercise/Martial Arts Equipment. In which case, it is indeed Manly. To accomplish this Manly Feat, head over to your nearest Future Shop, Best Buy, Wholesale Sports, etc.

Rating: 1 x OMM

The (Manly!) Sport of Rock Climbing

Pictured above: Some guy getting rad.

Looking for an easy, yet awesomely manly way to spend an afternoon? Head on over to the nearest Climbing Gym and get rad. Seriously, though. Climbing is cheap, easy (at a beginner level), a great way to get (or stay) in shape. And even if you don’t want to take a course you can rent some shoes and do some bouldering.

 Rating: 2 x OMM

Paintball (With Manly Bal… you know what? Never mind)

Pro Tip: Guys Love shooting stuff.

What’s Manlier than getting shot at? Shooting back, of course! There are several companies in the city that run Paintball year-round. It is ridiculously fun. It is, however, a little on the pricey side. Especially if you’re a ‘spray and pray’ kind of guy. However, getting hit with high-velocity paint filled marbles is pretty Manly.

 Rating: 3 x OMM

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator for Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta (to learn more about the Nuvo peruse the rest of the site, or check out our Facebook Page). When he’s not at his desk, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.

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What is it about a hotel experience that elevates it to a “Great” level? Even in Calgary, Boutique Hotels are becoming pretty commonplace. Though there are still legions of name-brand hotels, the Deltas, Marriotts, and Westins of the world are now sharing space with hundreds upon hundreds of tiny independent hotels, each one offering something a little different. This makes travelling a lot more fun, as now picking out a place to stay can provide the average traveller with unique experiences. However, not all of those unique experiences are necessarily good.

There’s no heat, but you can snuggle with the rats to stay warm.

What is a Boutique Hotel?

I think this a familiar enough concept that everyone’s pretty much on top of it by now. But, just in case…

Boutique Hotels are just like regular hotels, with a few key differences. Much like boutique shops, they tend to be smaller ( < 50 rooms), and independently owned and operated. Probably the biggest defining trait is that Boutique Hotels focus on filling in some sort of lifestyle niche. This is why they are sometimes referred to as Apartment Hotels, Design Hotels, or even just as Lifestyle Hotels.

They also tend to pride themselves on being able to deliver a higher level of customer service due to their smaller and more focused nature.

What Makes a Great Boutique Hotel?

While I intend to go through this in more detail in the next few weeks, I’m going to start with Style.

Style isn’t just about appearances, though. Well, okay at least not with Boutique Hotels. A room not only has to look good, it has to feel good. Comfortable chairs and beds, functional work spaces and kitchen areas. The aesthetic has to be comfortable and functional, as well as stylish.

A Great Boutique Hotel is one that looks and feels great. All other factors being equal, if two hotels are the same price but one of them looks fantastic and the other is so-so, one of them is a great Boutique Hotel and the other is not.

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator for Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta (to learn more about the Nuvo peruse the rest of the site, or check out our Facebook Page). When he’s not at his desk, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.

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The Calgary International Film Fest is back! Which is great news if you’re a movie fan, and even better news if you like weird, independent movies. And, really, who doesn’t? Also of note is the scandalous Film Festival Hotel Deal we’re offering on rooms for guests and attendees of the Festival.

Ahhh, this really is my favourite time of year. More and more this Festival is a making life exciting for devoted Horror movie fans. Some of the entries in this year’s Late Show are films I’ve been looking for with absolutely no succes for a long time (V/H/S, Grabbers, Chained, and Citadel for example). Thank you CIFF! Boo! Heh, heh, heh.

Starting from September 20th and going until September 30th, the Calgary International Film Festival will be showing some of the most innovative film projects from the last year. Continuing in the same series format as the previous festival, there’s the Headliner Series, the Documentary Series, and (my personal favourite) the Late Show series. I’m especially looking forward to some of the fun/ghoulish entries to this year’s Film Festival such as Dead Before Dawn, and The Amazing Adventures Of The Living Corpse.

New this year is a series aptly titled Spotlight On Japan. Featuring a handful of that break out from (and in one case reaffirm) the Anime and Manga mold that the island nation is reknowned for creating.

Tickets for Film Fest, as well as its Opening, Closing, and Black Galas can be purchased online here.

Similar to last year’s deal, we’ve got a bargain on rooms for anyone coming into town for the Festival. Starting at $109 for a standard room, and moving up to $119 and $129 for Balcony rooms and Two Bed Suites.To book your rooms and claim the discount, simply call in and mention that you’ll be around for the Festival, and present your tickets to the Front Desk at Check-In.

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator for Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta (to learn more about the Nuvo peruse the rest of the site, or check out our Facebook Page). When he’s not at his desk, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.

Related articles

• Midnight’s Children to open Calgary film festival

So, you’re staying in a downtown Calgary hotel for the Centennial Stampede. You’ve just worked some feeling back into your butt after watching the parade, and you’re about to head from downtown Calgary to the Stampede Fair Grounds for some rootin’ tootin’, eating, drinking and riding.

But… then what? Once the big, easy-to-spot events are done it can be hard to figure out where to go. As fun as the fairgounds are, being surrounded by crowds that dense will eventually burn anyone out.

So, here’s a short list of other notable events to seek out during The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth.

Rodeo/ChuckWagon Races

Both of these events are massive draws to the Stampede, and for good reason. When Stampede Officials barg about it being the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth (Capital Letters Are Mandatory), this is what they are talking about. If you haven’t seen either of these two shows, then you haven’t seen the Calgary Stampede.

MINI DOUGHNUTS

Why are Mini-Doughnuts a big deal? SHUT UP AND EAT THEM, THAT’S WHY. Also, sometimes they make doughnut burgers. So, you know, you can give yourself instant diabetes.

If these tiny bites of delicious artery clogging goodness aren’t your style, there’s also Bacon-Sundae Funnel Cake, Jack Daniels Fudge, Deep Fried Wagon Wheels, Deep Fried Kool-Aid, Taco Pizza, Pulled Pork Poutine and Cotton Candy Cupcakes.

In hindsight I probably should have titled this section under Food, or Stampede Confectionaries, but this is what happens when I two cans of RedBull instead of eating lunch.

Fireworks

This year is the fireworks display to end all fireworks displays. No, really. This weekend and next Friday, Saturday and Sunday there will be the largest, most sophisticated Fireworks displays ever attempted.

Fireworks will be set off from five locations across the city – Stampede Park, Elliston Park, North Glenmore Park, McCall Lake, and Winsport’s Canada Olympic Park.

The 12-minute fireworks show will start between 11:00 and 11:30 pm and be synchronized to music. Tune into Country 105, Q107 or the QR77 to enjoy the show choreographed to music.

Pancake Breakfasts

After all this running around you’re going to need to know where to go to get free sustenance to continue the shenanigans. With the accurate and mighty www.flapjackfinder.com at your disposal, no pancake is safe.

Also, sometimes there’s juice and bacon, which is scientifically proven to eliminate hangovers when administered with a sympathetic dose of Vodka.

Related articles

• Stampede celebrates its centennial with many new features(calgaryherald.com)

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• Stampede promises to light up Calgary with spectacular city-wide fireworks show(calgaryherald.com)

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• Stampede Centennial revelry kicks into high gear(calgaryherald.com)

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• Calf, human baby in ad against Stampede(metronews.ca)

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There’s been a lot of buzz about Pinterest lately. Most of it good, some of it grumpy, and I have to admit that at first I thought it was like Instagram for websites. Instead of crappy, over-filtered pictures of hipsters and cats it would be crappy, over-filtered images of people favourite websites.

However, I was wrong. Pinterest is pretty cool.

Instagram is still full horribly preachy hipsters, though.

Click to enlarge.

Luckily, we have the Instagram Rebuttal Meme to toss a whole shovel-full of Snark at all those goddamn hipsters.

 Click to enlarge.

At any rate, I’ve put up a few boards with some great photos of the rooms and suites from the various Hotel properties that I work for. So, if you’re into design, travel, or you just want to see what kinds of hotels inspire our various Boutique Hotel Concepts come on over and take a look! Currently, you can view the rooms from Nuvo Hotel Suites, Nuvo Residences, the Centro Motel, and the concept photos for our yet-to-be-built Hotel Elan.

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator at Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in Downtown Calgary, Alberta. To learn more about the Nuvo, peruse the rest of the site or check out our Facebook Page. When he’s not at his desk, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.

Are you coming into town for the 2012 Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo? No? Why the hell not?! Not only is this the 25th Anniversary, but this thing is the largest Expo in Western Canada. And buddy, Western Canada is a big, nerdy place. We even have a town named Vulcan. Seriously. Besides, our little Boutique Hotel is the perfect place to stay.

Not really into Comics? No excuse! The guest lineup this year crosses a lot of genre boundaries. The Expo’s got everything from the guy who created Spider-Man (among many, many others obviously, it’s just that Spider-Man is the coolest), to the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, to the original Batman (he’s also the best character on Family Guy), all the way to Professor Xavier and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (they’re the same guy, though), and completed with a plethora of pivotal and innovative Actors, Artists and Writers.

Frankly, there’s too many guests to name here. Mostly because they are already listed here (and I am lazy, lazy man).

Now, where are you going to hang your Cape/Armor/Suit/Costume while you’re in town for this magical weekend? Here’s a few reasons to consider booking with us, if you haven’t decided yet (and even if you have, you should change your mind).

Reason #1. Boutique Hotels Are Classy

Don’t take my word for it. Head on over to the front page of our site and scroll through the Photos to get a sense of what our little Boutique Hotel is all about. We’re priced to compete with every other hotel in downtown Calgary, so if you can find a better rate closer to the Expo there’s a pretty good chance we’ll be happy to match it.

Reason #2. Our Boutique Hotel Is Very Close

View Larger Map

It’s about a 20 minute walk to the Stampede Grounds from here. About the same amount of time to hop a C-train, but there’s less effort involved. Or, you could call a cab and get there in 3 Minutes for ~$5.00

Reason #3. Book Now, And You Don’t Have To Worry About It

Don’t be like Anxiety Cat. BOOK NOW!

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator who is compelling with unassailable logic to stay at Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in Downtown Calgary, Alberta (to learn more about the Nuvo peruse the rest of the site, or check out our Facebook Page) for the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. When he’s not at his desk, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.

Related articles

• Adam Baldwin announced as guest of 2012 Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo (graphicpolicy.com)
• Original Cast Of Star Trek: The Next Generation will be coming together for a special reunion at the Calgary Expo April 27-29, 2012 (graphicpolicy.com)
• Stan Lee to Appear at Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo (comicbookresources.com)
• Holy breaking news, BatFans! The original Batman is coming to the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo April 27-29, 2012! (graphicpolicy.com)

A handful of years ago my father was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. I’m not saying this to try and elicit some sympathy, I’m saying it to explain why this month might mean more to me than some.

That’s right, Movember has been here for a week and a half, and if your male friends aren’t starting to look like caricatures of pedophiles then they’re simply not trying hard enough. While growing a noble ‘stache and campaigning for awareness of Prostate Cancer is a great thing to do, it can be hard to decide what sort of moustache you want to grow. Time is always a concern as well, one simply can’t do justice to a good Tom Selleck if he’s not got a few months to grow it out.

What all men want, but what so few can achieve.

So, here is a brief list of some of the more awesome moustaches you can attempt to grow for yourself this fall.  However, most of you will end up looking like Orlando Bloom. Except not as pretty.

Look at it. It's just... ugh.

A La Souvarov

The Moustache for the man who can’t decide if he wants mutton chops or not. The A La Souvarov is a simple moustache that connects across the top of the cheeks with the sideburns. It will instantly make you look like a Supervillain. It may also instantly make you single. But, that’s a small price to pay to be able to sport this beauty of a ‘Stache around town, no? On the downside, it’s pretty high maintenance, and there’s now ay to let the cheeks grow in smoothly if you want to trim it into a beard.

The Dali

You don’t have to master Surrealist painting to make this moustache work, but it helps. The real challenge to growing a Dali is at the beginning, where your fledgling moustache is essentially a Hitler ‘Stache until it grows out. If you can hide you face for a few weeks, you can pull it off. Otherwise, try explaining that it’s not Hitler you’re emulating, it’s Charlie Chaplin. The bonus of growing this one is that you can easily turn it into a Snidely Whiplash an go for that Retro Villain Chic.

The Burt Reynolds

Women want to touch it. Men want to own it. But, there is only one master of this moustache. You can do your best to imitate, but know that you will never surpass it’s magnificence and grace. Also, you can keep soup in there for, like, hours.

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator who is urging you to donate to you moustached peers for Movember. Do it for Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta (to learn more about the Nuvo peruse the rest of the site, or check out our Facebook Page). When he’s not at his desk, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.

Halloween is nearly upon us, and if you don’t know what to wear or where to go you should probably get on that. What to wear is up to you, although personally I think going as a Zombie Steve Jobs would be both tasteless and hilarious at the same time. Where to go, though, is something you might appreciate some info about.

If you’re looking to hit up a party in downtown Calgary, there are some pretty great options. However, if you’re going out on the Halloween Saturday (Oct29th), there’s really only one option that makes sense…

This year the Howler is heading to pretty much ever major bar and club in the downtown area. So, really, even if you decide not to go to it you’ll still end up being invaded by it if you go anywhere in downtown Calgary. Here’s a short list of my favourite bars they’ll be stopping at.

HiFi

Amsterdam Rhino

Craft Beer Market

Have fun out there this Halloween, and if you’re looking for a place to stay where yu can stumble home from the bar, look us up.

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator for Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta (to learn more about the Nuvo peruse the rest of the site, or check out our Facebook Page). When he’s not at his desk, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.

This is one of my favourite events in Calgary. Although, it won’t be happening for another few months, I’m already starting to look forward to the Calgary ComicCon! Because our little boutique hotel is so close to the Stampede grounds [SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION! STAY HERE FOR COMIC CON!]… ahem… sorry about that… anyways… we get some pretty epic people watching in the days leading up to the convention, as well as the during the convention itself.

It's really the only time of the year I get to play "count the wookies" at work.

Although the date has been pushed back until June, there are some positives sides to it. It won’t be so cold waiting outside to get in wearing a costume mostly composed of Cardboard and Imagination, for one. Also, William Shatner will be there, and while that’s less momentous of an occasion for me than it is for true blue Star-Trek fans, I’m glad that he’s getting a break from that awful TV show he’s on now. S%&t My Dad Says indeed.

If you’re looking to buy some tickets, you can grab them HERE. Or, if you’re looking to keep up to date with the latest in comicy goodness, it’s well worth it to check out their Facebook Page.

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta. When he’s not showing his inner nerd by expressing the recipe for the perfect omelette as a Mathematical Formula, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.

Right off the bat I want to make it clear that I’m not passing judgement on anyone who’s taken something from a hotel, nor am I accusing anyone of anything here. I myself have an excellent bathrobe I liberated from what shall remain an anonymous Fairmont property (catch me if you can, suckers! I mock you with my pantslessness!). Anyways, I’m simply reporting on the bizarre trends of disappearances our room inventory suffers from (on a side note; if you’re interested in solving crimes, there are many forensic psychology programs available online).

# 3. Corkscrews

It’s one of those things. You never really realize just how vital a corkscrew is until you don’t have one and there’s some wine drinking that needs to be done. Possibly because of this, it’s a rare week when we don’t have to go around replenishing the ones in our rooms. It’s also why we now buy corkscrews in bulk from Malaysia.

#2. Pots and Pans

It's strange, but I have never had enough extra room in my luggage to hide one of these in it.

This one truly mystifies me. I mean, who has the room in their luggage for a frying pan? Who wants to carry a pot around? If someone could explain this to me, I’d be more grateful than angry. At any rate, because our suites all have fully equipped kitchens, they all have a complete set of pots and pans. In keeping with our goal of providing a high-quality experience, we source all of our kitchen materials through Lagostina and, let me tell you, Lagostina makes a fine set of frying pans. This is probably why one of our largest recurring costs is for sets of stainless steel pots and pans.

#1. Bowls

Apparently, this is the single most desirable item in the whole building.

Really. No, they’re not fancy bowls, or even particularly well-made to be honest. They’re just your average, white cereal bowls. They’re from IKEA. Costs about $2.00 per bowl. Why people take ‘em, I honestly don’t know, but they go missing in droves. We normally have to hit up IKEA for a bulk shopping trip a couple of times a month to buy enough of these bowls to keep our inventory levels in the green.

Jonathan Meier is the Online Marketing and Social Media Coordinator Nuvo Hotel Suites, a small boutique hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta. When he’s not compiling endless lists of missing inventory, he’s usually out in the mountains near his hometown of Canmore where he can be seen climbing, skiing, or doing anything at all that doesn’t involve computers.