Vancouver pre-nights confusion

[maggiev]

We want to stay at the Fairmount and our Travel agent says it is on a waitlist.  Today when I was looking at flights I also looked at pre hotels and I could book the Fairmount. I called my TA & she insists it is still waitlisted.  
Does anyone know the difference, if there is one, of me booking 2 nights on line - looks like it is a “package” so I have to pay now, and adding to my booking with my TA?

 

Looks to be the same hotel she has us waitlisted for & the same rate.

Am I missing something?

 

thanks 

[Alberta Quilter]

There are a few Fairmont hotels in Vancouver.  The Waterfront, the Pacific Rim, and the Hotel Vancouver, plus the one at the airport.  Make sure you’re talking about the same one with your TA.

[simplyrubies]

I had the same thought as Alberta Quilter. Possible there's been a miscommunication somewhere? To make things more confusing, the 3 Vancouver locations are all in the downtown core. Two of their hotels (Waterfront and Pacific Rim) are only one block away from each other!

 

If it's the exact same hotel and dates, I'd look to the conditions and inclusions in each package to see what the catch is if any, beyond the rate. 

 

It's also possible that there is some computer problem, such that hotel availability on one person's end is showing up erroneously - ex. showing as available when it should be showing as waitlisted. I know the cruise I'm going on is sold out for example, but there are still many cruise websites still listing that cruise on their website with prices attached. 

[luv2cruisenz]

I was trying to book the Fairmont before our cruise through HAL, and it was there sometimes and then disappeared, so I thought HAL had sold their allocation. The choices were the Fairmont (900 West George Street) and the Pan Pacific. I kept checking and when I saw it there again last week I just booked it myself, and paid for it online. I contacted the HAL customer service to ask what transfers were included as it didn’t specify exactly on the website. They confirmed it was transfers from the airport to the hotel, and to the ship. I’ve never booked the hotel package through HAL before so wasn’t sure.
 

They also asked me to contact my travel agent to put my flight details into the system so the ground operators can meet us at Vancouver airport. 
 

If you want the Fairmont Hotel package from HAL, and the travel agent won’t book it, then do it yourself. It’s your holiday after all! It was cheaper than booking it through the hotel for my dates in September so I am quite relieved that’s all done. 

Edited April 11 by luv2cruisenz

[CGYCruisingFamily]

If you are trying to do the HAL Fairmont, they likely have only a certain amount of rooms allocated in their group block booking - and as such  can be "sold out/waitlist" for HAL rooms. That does not mean the hotel itself is full, just that the cruise line rooms are all taken. Your agent should be able to book the hotel as not part of the Holland booking, but hotel only booking. However be aware you can not use HAL transfers though.

[sunviking90]

Previous answers are likely correct that HAL has group space and that is waitlisted. Ask you TA (or do it yourself) to book separately and it will likely be cheaper. Register for Accor’s loyalty program first and you get 5-10 % off the rate and included wifi. 
Transfers are not really necessary in Vancouver IMHO. If you are mobile and able to manage your bags, there is the skytrain that goes from the airport right downtown. The taxis are also flat rate from YVR to downtown for about $41 CAD. I don’t know what they charge for transfers, but I’m sure it’s more than that and in USD, and per person. We like Uber, but are not fans of it here since we had a driver falling asleep while driving us to the airport at 4 am.
Fairmont Waterfront is closest to Canada Place (across the street). Fairmont Vancouver Hotel is a beautiful classic hotel, but about 4 blocks up from the waterfront, more in the shopping area.

Edited April 11 by sunviking90

[jenp123]

Check the hotels website and you can book yourself.  An uber or taxi is very easy to get from the vancouver airport to the hotel.  You can also take the transit train (skytrain) to a station near the fairmont.  The fairmont waterfront and pacific rim are right across the street from the port.  I have stayed at the waterfront pre cruise and booked my own room.  The hotel gave me instructions on when I should have my bags picked up from the room, and they transferred them all to the ship.  We walked across the street to board when we were ready.

 

The cost of doing the booking on our own was significantly cheaper than using the HAL hotel booking, even after paying for transportation from the airport.