The expansion of the Vancouver Convention Centre opened with a splash in April. With stunning views of the city skyline on one side and of Burrard Inlet and the mountains on the other, the $710 million facility establishes an unmistakable sense of place.

And then there's the roof. The center was built according to LEED Gold standards, has a “zero waste” target, recycles water for irrigation, focuses on locally sourced and scratch-made food, and supports some 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses on a six-acre green roof, the largest in Canada.

The center's new building is connected to the existing building by a glass walkway. Together, the buildings offer 500,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space.

Vancouver hotel projects:

• The first North American Shangri-La opened in January, with 119 rooms on the first 15 floors of the city's tallest building.

• The new Coast Coal Harbour Hotel, with 220 rooms, opens this fall.

• The 76-room Loden Hotel opened in October 2008 with 3,500 square feet of meeting space and a boardroom.

• A 127-room Ritz-Carlton is in the works for a 2011 opening.

• Fairmont will open a 415-room hotel project adjacent to the convention center this summer.

• The Four Seasons Hotel wraps up a $25 million renovation this spring.