Travel Guide: Vancouver
Accommodation
Hotels B&Bs Directories
Vancouver is my favourite city. Sure, London and New York are ultra-groovy and I have yet to make it to Sydney. But Vancouver has a special place in my heart. Shame it is such a long flight from Europe. And shame that accommodation is expensive. Fear not - Travel Insights to the rescue. Here are my lists of hotels and B&Bs, and a couple of directories. Thanks to its popularity, Vancouver has an amazing range of accommodation - from the university conference centre to the swankiest of five-star hotels.
A few tips: - Location matters; especially if you are staying at a B&B and don't have a car. Public transport is good, but the city is quite spread out.
- Downtown addresses command a premium, but that is where much of the nightlife is.
- Rooms with views are always more expensive; but the city slopes away from the water, so a B&B higher up may have better views than the penthouse suite of a downtown hotel.
Vancouver does get busy in the summer. Off season it is not such a problem, but advance booking is recommended.
| Vancouver Hotels |
|---|
| Century Plaza & Spa | Downtown luxury at (just) affordable prices |
| Dufferin Hotel | Quieter downtown budget hotel |
| Hampton Inn & Suites | Looks nice, location is not as great as it might seem |
| Holiday Inn | On lively West Broadway but with free shuttle service downtown |
| Pacific Palisades | Ultra-trendy all-suite hotel downtown. Stayed here and loved it |
| Quality Vancouver Hotel | Idiosyncratic offering from this value-oriented chain. Have heard positive reports |
| St Regis Hotel | A Vancouver landmark, in a permanently upcoming bit of downtown. Great value off-season |
| The Sylvia Hotel | Another Vancouver icon. Fantastic location near the beach. Artistic background, and even had a song written about it |
| Vancouver B&Bs/Apartments Bold = recommended |
| Dive on the Drive | Furnished apartment in hip Commercial Drive area (long and short-term lets available) |
| Douglas/Windsor Guest House | Friendly, excellent value, great location. Stayed here (Windsor) twice, both times were great |
| English Country Garden | Good value, good location (trendy Kitsilano) |
| A TreeHouse B&B | At the plush end of the B&B market, but suburban location keeps price reasonable |
| Pillow & Porridge | Suites in three separate houses outside downtown |
| UBC Conference Centre | Either budget B&B hostel, or swish conference suites. All good value, and on a beautiful campus |
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| Vancouver Accommodation Directories |
|---|
| In Vancouver | Monster list of B&Bs |
| Funtastik Vancouver | Major discount hotel directory. I've booked Palisades hotel through this |
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Eating & Drinking
Vancouver's Asian influence is prominent in the city's wide range of restaurants. Best hunting grounds are downtown, naturally, and W.Broadway, although good food is never hard to find.
| Vancouver Restaurants |
|---|
| Backstage Bar & Grill | Arts Club Theatre
1585 Johnston St, Granville Island
604-687-1354 | The best patio in the city, and very friendly staff |
| Cloud Nine | 1400 Robson
604-662-8328
in the Empire Landmark hotel | A drink in this revolving bar/restaurant is a must |
| La Crêpe Bretonne | 795 Jervis St
604-608-126 | Great crêpes in this small West End restaurant |
| Zin Restaurant | 1277 Robson St.
604-408-1700
www.zin-restaurant.com | High quality food in trendy chic setting |
Getting Around
The locals grumble about the transit system. In the summer of 2001 it was the victim of North America's longest running transit strike. But, when it is up and running it is mighty impressive. Combining bus, boat and the SkyTrain, the system extends across the Lower Mainland and is invaluable. Long-distance services are also available.
Miscellaneous
With so much to see and do, the problem is cramming it all in, especially if you don't have much time.
- Start, as usual, with the Tourist Office.
- In the summer, acquaint yourself with Vancouver's famous architectural heritage on a walking tour.
- Everyone heads for the parks in good weather - Stanley Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America (yes, it's bigger than Central Park).
- Fewer people get on the #4 or #10 bus from downtown and head to UBC's astounding Museum of Anthropology. You should explore the rest of this beautiful campus too; it has other hidden treasures.
- If you are in a heritage mood, then investigate the V2K Project. Vancouver's millennial idea is a fascinating oral history complemented by plaques around the city.
- If you still have energy in the evening, check out The Georgia Straight for weekly listings, reviews and well-informed comment. If you don't catch it online, fear not. It's free and available at almost every coffee shop in town.
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So you've got a bed. Now what?
Need a drink?
Need a bus?
Stuck for something to do? |
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