Vancouver Hotel after Cruise

[geoherb]

In looking at plane schedules, it looks like staying overnight in Vancouver after our cruise will be the thing to do. Does anyone have a recommendation for a hotel in the area most tourists want to be in? Do any of the hotels offer a free shuttle to the airport? Or is a cab the best way to get there?

[Happy ks]

The airport is about 30 minutes away from downtown, so no hotels offer free shuttles. You can take a cab, or there is a train that goes directly to the airport. I've always taken a cab, but I'm sure there will be plenty of people to advise you on that.

 

I think you need to give a budget for your hotel. In the city the prices can vary widely and there are many different hotel types, from budget all the way to budget busters. We usually pay somewhere in the area of $175-225 per night for a decent hotel.

 

Our last trip, we stayed at Le Soleil Hotel, lovely. This time (September) we will be at L'Hermitage. We really like smaller boutique hotels rather than large chains or motels. We have Pricelined, it's been a few years, we got the Hyatt downtown for a great price. Perhaps check out Priceline (betterbidding.com....someone correct me, I just know I'm wrong about that! :o) and see what bids others are getting.

 

Vancouver is such a lovely city and so well worth and extra day or two, or three, or a week.

[Putterdude]

Vancouver's downtown is very compact so almost no downtown hotel is much more than 12 blocks from the cruise terminal at Canada Place and are about a $10 cab ride. During the cruise season hotel rates tend to be well north of $200 p/n however you can often pick up a 3*+ hotel by bidding on Priceline or on Hotwire for something under $150 pn. No downtown hotels (that I know of) offer a free shuttle to YVR...a cab fare is about $35 and there is the Canada Line for $3.75 pp but its effectiveness relates to where your hotel is located relative to a station and you tolerance to schlepping luggage to the station.

Coming back to hotels, all of the big chains are represented downtown, including Marriott (3), Fairmont (3), Hyatt, Four Seasons, Rosewood, Sheraton, Delta and Coast to name a few.

[geoherb]

Thanks for the tips. I just started thinking about this aspect of our cruise. We haven't officially booked the cruise yet, but my TA has a hold on it until tomorrow for us. For hotels, it looks like Hotwire has some 3* and 4* under $150 for the night we'll be there. Does anyone know which area of Vancouver is best--West, Entertainment District, and South? They seem fairly close to each other.

[Urban trekker]

West is the best - you can often get the Westin Bayshore, Sheraton Wall Center, Hyatt and Sutton Place in that area - the entertainment district is abuzz with late night revellers until 3 or 4 AM in the morning - there is something like 2000 bars seats in a five or six block area and the hotels there then to be older properties many of which were purchased by the big chains and modernized.

 

Without looking it up South - could mean outside of the downtown core - then you will need more transportation.

 

One place that is often recommended is the Best Western Downtown on Drake -it provides a free shuttle to the port.

 

Hope this helps - some of the other locals are likely to be around with their suggestions.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[dcruisers]

After our cruise last Sept, we stayed one night in Vancouver at the Pan Pacific...it was wonderful! So convenient to walk right over (it is in the same building as the cruise pier). We loved the hotel so much that we wished we had booked another night. We did the HO/HO bus -which stops right at the hotel, and got to see quite a bit of Vancouver that one day. I loved Vancouver and would love to go back.

[Putterdude]

The 4* West side usually ends up being the Westin Bayshore or the Sheraton at Wall Centre and occasionally Sutton Place. I ordinarily advise not going into the Entertainment District for all of the reasons associated with an Entertainment District...however not knowing your dates I have plugged in July 11 and see there is a 4* in the Entertainment District which I would probably take a chance on...could well be the Westin Grande...but a 3* I would avoid there. Vancouver South is on the south side of False Creek and IMO there is no reason to go there what with the other choices you have downtown.

[Urban trekker]

Putting the Westin Grande under the entertainment district isn't really fair if it is that hotel as it is what 4 blocks off of Granville but it is really the only property that I can think off in the Entertainment District that would get a 4*.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Putting the Westin Grande under the entertainment district isn't really fair if it is that hotel as it is what 4 blocks off of Granville but it is really the only property that I can think off in the Entertainment District that would get a 4*.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

I agree, but they have changed their maps in the last year or so. I suppose the Opus and l' Hermitage could be included in the 4* but I don't believe they work with Hotwire.The Georgian Court I would think would be 3*+ but you never know how these booking companies are going rate properties, it is all pretty subjective.

If you and I were drawing the map we would have taken the Western zone, extended it east on Robson then north to the water.

So you are going to be a few days late celebrating "Craft Beer" week, you will have to make up for it somehow.;)

[geoherb]

Thanks for the tips. I went ahead and booked through Hotwire and received Sutton Place. It's funny that it (or any 5* hotels) did not show up on my search a couple of days ago.

[Urban trekker]

I was wondering now that the Sutton Place chain - at least most of them - were brought by the owners of the Sandman Hotel Chain and NHL Dallas Stars would still continue to operate under either Hotwire or Priceline - it is not unusual for a hotel to be there one day gone the next and vica versa - they likely have flash point where they will discount and also have one where they have reached a quota etc.

 

Good choice - I have cruising friends staying there this weekend - if they mention anything untowards I will pass it along.

 

PD - that's a good way to map the downtown core - have you thought about emailing Hotwire with the suggestion and given your business background they might even listen.

 

I too had thought of the Opus and L Hermitage - although under you map the Opus would be excluded.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

Thanks for the tips. I went ahead and booked through Hotwire and received Sutton Place. It's funny that it (or any 5* hotels) did not show up on my search a couple of days ago.

 

The conundrum with Sutton Place is that there is the Residences tower at Sutton Place which is 5* then there is the hotel tower which is 3*+ to 4* and they tend to get merged. But anyway you slice it is a great hotel in a good location and I am sure you will be happy.:)

[Putterdude]

 

PD - that's a good way to map the downtown core - have you thought about emailing Hotwire with the suggestion and given your business background they might even listen.

 

I too had thought of the Opus and L Hermitage - although under you map the Opus would be excluded.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

No, I have not thought to do so. Nobody listens to me anymore.:D

To include the Opus they would only have to tweak the map a bit but I don't think they work with Hotwire so I don't think they would bother.

[aohkay]

Thanks for the tips. I went ahead and booked through Hotwire and received Sutton Place. It's funny that it (or any 5* hotels) did not show up on my search a couple of days ago.

 

If you get a chance, try the Chocolate Buffet; what a treat!

 

 

http://www.vancouver.suttonplace.com/Chocoholic_Buffet.htm

[mskaufman]

We stayed in the Hilton by the airport. Worked out great. We had a 7am flight out the next morning. After the cruise we went to the airport and the hotel shuttle picked us up and was able to check us in by 8:30 am. We took the train back downtown. The next morning the hotel shuttle took us to the airport.

[CanWeGoYet?]

 

One place that is often recommended is the Best Western Downtown on Drake -it provides a free shuttle to the port.

 

 

I don't know if it qualifies as free, since the cruise transfer package costs more than their standard rate. But they will also cover airport taxi fare one way with the Cruise Transfer package.

[royal60]

I live in Vancouver and can say my picks would be L'Hermitage or Le Soleil. We have stayed at Le Soleil twice and really enjoyed it. Friends of ours stayed at L'Hermitage during the Grey Cup (Foot ball finals) weekend and the rooms were great,next time we want to stay in town for the evening that is where we are heading.