Today I will focus on the places to stay. My tactic with traveling has generally been to go off-season to get the good rates and lesser crowds. My first ever visit to Vancouver was in January of 2004. While most people wouldn’t consider a vacation to Canada in the dead of winter, Vancouver has perhaps the mildest climate north of the 49th. While certainly chilly in comparison to L.A. (it was about 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit), it was more than tolerable and even enjoyable for this So Cal guy. I kind of like the cooler weather!
I’ve had the pleasure to stay at many different hotels in the downtown Vancouver area. My first experience was at the Fairmont Waterfront (www.fairmont.com), across from Canada Place (where the cruise ships dock). I got the Fairmont (at least back then) for around $100 a night. That’s a steal for that class of hotel. The Fairmont Waterfront is pretty well located to Stanley Park, Gas Town, and Chinatown. The main shopping drag, Robson, is a short hike (literally….it’s uphill at a slight incline from the waterfront). The accommodations were well appointed, and the staff was extremely helpful. I’ve had friends who have stayed since and report that the quality is still maintained. The restaurant off the lobby, Herons, has an amazing breakfast menu. The smoked salmon bagel was amazing…they use wild caught salmon from British Columbia.
My next stay, I met my friend Phil (another travel buddy of mine) in the springtime. We stayed at the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites (www.coasthotels.com) on Denman & Comox in the West End of downtown. It was just a few blocks from Stanley Park, and a few blocks over from Davie St. It’s a great location, as there are shops and restaurants all up and down Denman and Davie, and easy access to the park. The rates were decent. I think it wound up being about $200-250 a night in the spring. The room was comfortable, though it could have used some updating. It seemed to cater to Japanese tour groups. Another friend who stayed there unfortunately had a negative experience, but mine was positive. It’s a good place if you can get a deal.
The next several trips that I took with my friend Fuzzy (my other travel buddy), we stayed at the Empire Landmark Hotel (www.empirelandmarkhotel.com). This hotel is situated right on Robson Street, in the commercial core, and just up the hill from Denman, and Stanley Park. It’s a business class hotel, and tends to cater to Japanese businessmen, but not exclusively. The rooms are clean and the views can be stunning. The rates are very reasonable too, even during peak season. We paid about $85 a night in the wintertime, it goes up into the $120-150 range in peak season. I like it because it is close to just about everything, very central. The beds are pretty comfortable too! At the top of the hotel, there is a restaurant, Cloud 9, that revolves. It’s fun to go up in the evening and sit in the bar and have cocktails while you watch the city go by.
On another trip with my friend Fuzzy, I found a deal at the Westin Bayshore (www.westin.com). It’s just steps from Stanley Park and the waterfront. The downside is that it is out of the way from most of the activity. However, if you are looking for comfortable rooms and “heavenly beds”, it’s a good choice, especially in off-season. In January we paid about $100 a night.
A few years back in the summer, I flew up to visit friends in Seattle, and then we drove to Vancouver for the weekend for the Gay Pride parade and festival. It was the first time I had been there in the summer and it was gorgeous! The temp was probably about 80°F, with a nice cooling breeze off the bay. Since we hadn’t planned the trip until just a few weeks prior, finding a reasonable hotel downtown was no easy task. We wound up staying at the Sheraton Wall Centre (www.sheratonvancouver.com) for $350 a night (yeowch!). At least we were splitting the bill, which made it more palatable. But the room was very comfortable and well appointed. It was also very centrally located and made it easy to walk everywhere.
In 2006, I made a trek to Vancouver from Seattle when I visited those same friends for Thanksgiving. After the holiday, they drove me up to BC in a snowstorm! It was a five hour drive (and they still had to drive back). That kind of weather is quite unusual in the Pacific Northwest. They dropped me at my hotel on Davie St. – Sandman Suites on Davie (www.sandman.ca). I had a suite overlooking Davie St. and towards downtown. I woke up the next morning (after a very chilly night….the heater was straining to warm my room) to the coldest day since 1897. It was in the negatives, probably 15 below. BRRRRRRRRR. The hotel was nice, and the suite was roomy. However, the bed was very uncomfortable. While I paid a low rate of just under $100 a night, I can’t offer a recommendation if a comfortable bed is what you like (I know I do). The location though is great. It’s right in the heart of Davie Village.
On my most recent stay, I found a new little hotel that I will definitely stay at again, given its great location and reasonable rates. The Sunset Inn and Suites (www.sunsetinn.com) is a tourist hotel, but the rooms are set up like apartments; they have a living room, kitchen and bedroom (and of course a bath!). They are meant for longer term stays, but a week or less seems to be the norm. It’s located in the West End on Burnaby Street, near Thurlow, and a couple blocks south of Davie. I paid about $135 a night for a one bedroom executive suite in the early springtime. I had the corner unit on the top floor. The bed was extremely comfortable, moreso than some higher-end places I’ve stayed at. While you don’t get a full view of English Bay, it still allowed for some great sunset views. The staff was very friendly and offered recommendations for local restaurants, and it’s convenient to the shops and restaurants on Davie and in Yaletown. I can definitely recommend this place.
In my next installment, I will cover restaurants!
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