__TJ__

we are off to have a recce in october and need to sort out a hotel. we want reasonable price but not a rat infested hell hole.
firstly, where is the centre of vancouver, hotel.com maps seem unclear.
2nd, we want to avoid east hastings right?

anyone recommend anywhere?

ps im pregnant so will need sleep so no building sites if poss ta

andreip

www.tripadvisor.co.uk has reviews of almost hotels on earth, i have booked on westend which seems to be near to stanley park ,Im going in october and I hope you get more replies

cheers

el_richo

I personally highly recommend the Granville Island Hotel

http://www.granvilleislandhotel.com/

Great location. Not in the hustle and bustle of downtown yet only a 5 minute Aquabus ride across the creek to downtown.

http://www.theaquabus.com/visitors.htm

I've stayed there as have family and friends and all very much enjoyed the hotel and location.

Here are a couple of pictures of the view from our room (Penthouse)

Tempest

we've stayed at:

Sheraton Wall Centre (Burrard Street) - lovely but expensive - personally don't really see it's worth the money.

Crowne Plaza (Burrard Street) - nice hotel, fairly mid range hotel - I liked the rooms as they had a kitchen and seating area and felt like a suite rather than a pokey room.

Ramada Downtown (East Pender) - we got a cheap deal when we stayed here and it was fine for what it was. Rooms were quite small but overall good value.

Hotel Le Soleil (Hornby Street) - expensive and very thin walls so not great for getting a good nights sleep!

I personally don't think there is a real centre to Vancouver so it's quite hard to suggest where to base yourself. When we've been there we've always walked all over the city rather than used cabs/hired cars so the downtown area is not that big so in theory doesn't really matter too much where you are based.

If you are looking at outside the downtown area for houses/work as well I'd base yourself down towards the waterfront where the sky train stations are so it's easier to get around... the Vancouver boys will be able to advise more though!

You are right though stay away from East Hastings - made the mistake of turning down there on the first visit - never again!

Good luck and have fun!

Oink

GI hotel is okay, like EL Richo says, its quiet but gets booked up quickly. My mum always stays at the Pan Pacific if she ever comes to visit. It's very nice but it is a bit more spendy.

dboy

My mother stays at the Sandman Suites on davie. They are good in that they are fully equipped one bedroom suites, full kitchen (pots and everything), dishwasher, even washer and drier in the room. Tons of shops in the area- so can really cut down on the day to day expenses having not to have to eat out all the time.

Good, central location. As rightly pointed out, Vancouver is a relatively small city and if you are in city proper, it really doesn't matter which part of the city you stay in.

http://www.sandmanhotels.com/hotel/b...ouver_extended

lousid

Try the CoastPlaza on Denman St. Walking distance to Stanley Pk, Robson, Davie ... rooms are suited with kitchens so it makes feeding time cheaper. Fab friendly staff and a cute pool, sauna, gym for hotel guests right next door. We have been staying there on and off for five years.

JonboyE

http://www.sylviahotel.com/

Rob_999

Take a look at the attached tourist map of downtown Vancouver. Just avoid anywhere to the right of the line I've drawn, and anywhere directly on Granville Street. Otherwise any location is good, although my preference would be somewhere on the seawall.

I've circled my recommendations (all on the seawall) - Westin Bayshore (centre), Pan Pacific (right) and Sylvia hotel (left - I've neve been in but gets recommended a lot and location is great).

JonboyE

Agreed. The Westin Bayshore and the Pan Pacific are top class hotels but are extremely spendy.*

The Sylvia is much more mid-market in price and facilities, but it is a good mid-market hotel. At least you won't feel like you are in any hotel, anywhere in the world.

*(c) Oink.

Aviator

The Four Seasons is one of my favorites when I am in town or the Sutton Place.

adele

It depends on your budget but if money is more limited than some of the flashier places already recommended then I'd suggest the Quality Inn Downtown, also known as 'The Inn at False Creek'. It's on Howe St by the Granville Bridge so just a short hop over from Granville Island. Rooms at the rear of the building and rooms on the 7th floor are quiet, comfortable and I and my parents have stayed there. When I stayed for 2 weeks in January after landing I managed to get a deal by booking on the BA website for £38 per night!

Enjoy your stay here!

Alan2005

Nice view over english bay too - it's where my folks are staying when they visit.

__TJ__

thanks everyone. esp rob for the map. ill have a good trawl thru trip advisor and see what is still availabvle for oct stays

you guys rock!

paolosmythe

i am of the conviction that the single best way to visit and stay in a new city, is thru vacation rentals by owners (VRBO.com) or in a Bed & Breakfast.

you can get some decent touristic advice from hotel staff and of course all the free fliers you could ever wish for...... but for 'real' and genuine local knowledge, VRBO property owners usually can appreciate things from a perspective more relevant to those on a recce trip.

as for where the centre of couver is..... well..... ummmm...... i guess downtown is probably the closest thing to a centre, but really it is virtually a ghost town when the skyscraper offices are closed and so it doesn't really fit the 'city centre' vibe that other places like London / Paris do. its more like canary wharf.