Residence Inn Vancouver Downtown Questions

Hello,

My mom and I will be on the Coral Princess next week for our Alaska cruise. We've never been to Vancouver before and I am curious if anyone knows how easy it is to take the Sky Train from YVR to the Residence Inn Vancouver Downtown? Also, I read somewhere that this hotel isn't too far from the Canada Place pier so does anyone know if it's an easy walk?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Okay here goes - I live a block away from the Residence Inn.

It will be about a 10 block walk down to Canada Place - a slight uphill for a couple blocks and then level or downhill the remainder of the way - I do it myself when embarking or disembarking in Vancouver but it is usually on the shorter cruise with the smaller suitcase.

A taxi would cost about $10.00 dollars BUT don't let the driver go down the ramp - you can get hung up there and the meter will keep running.

I also believe that recent changes to Canada Place that they want you to enter the port area from the concourse and not down the ramp - there will be lots of people there to offer instructions.

I will get a better idea next month when I disembark from an Alaskan cruise how the changes have been handled.

As for coming in from the airport via the Canada Line - there are a couple of options - get off at the Yaletown station - walk outside and catch the C23 bus - it's a small community bus - your Canada Line fare covers it - ask the driver to let you off at the stop closest to Davie and Hornby - the hotel is less than a half block - there is a small area at the front of the bus for luggage - you could walk the last bit but it is about 8 blocks of mostly moderate uphill.

You could go one further stop - Vancouver Center/Granville Station - and walk to the hotel - about the same distance but basically flat - there are many buses along Granville but they aren't really geared for suitcases and are usually pretty jam packed by the time they leave the main shopping core.

Some of the other locals are likely to be along with their recommendations.

There is another Marriott downtown - it's the Pinnacle and is much closer to Canada Place but probably more expensive because of it's location.

Hope this helps and enjoy Alaska.

Cheers!

Dennis

Residence Inn is located at Hornby and Davie.... I recommend taxi from YVR and taxi to the cruise terminal.

• Subway stations are not quite practical with luggage, especially with a bus transfer.
  
• YVR to hotel is $31 for the carload. Train is about $9 adult. You might save $12, but not worth the hassle of taxi door to door service.
  

Residence Inn is located at Hornby and Davie.... I recommend taxi from YVR and taxi to the cruise terminal.

• Subway stations are not quite practical with luggage, especially with a bus transfer.
  
• YVR to hotel is $31 for the carload. Train is about $9 adult. You might save $12, but not worth the hassle of taxi door to door service.
  

I was looking online yesterday and thought I could take the subway from the airport to a subway stop that was 0.7 miles away from the hotel. I was hoping to avoid changing from the subway to a bus.

Okay here goes - I live a block away from the Residence Inn.

 

It will be about a 10 block walk down to Canada Place - a slight uphill for a couple blocks and then level or downhill the remainder of the way - I do it myself when embarking or disembarking in Vancouver but it is usually on the shorter cruise with the smaller suitcase.

 

A taxi would cost about $10.00 dollars BUT don't let the driver go down the ramp - you can get hung up there and the meter will keep running.

 

I also believe that recent changes to Canada Place that they want you to enter the port area from the concourse and not down the ramp - there will be lots of people there to offer instructions.

 

I will get a better idea next month when I disembark from an Alaskan cruise how the changes have been handled.

 

As for coming in from the airport via the Canada Line - there are a couple of options - get off at the Yaletown station - walk outside and catch the C23 bus - it's a small community bus - your Canada Line fare covers it - ask the driver to let you off at the stop closest to Davie and Hornby - the hotel is less than a half block - there is a small area at the front of the bus for luggage - you could walk the last bit but it is about 8 blocks of mostly moderate uphill.

 

You could go one further stop - Vancouver Center/Granville Station - and walk to the hotel - about the same distance but basically flat - there are many buses along Granville but they aren't really geared for suitcases and are usually pretty jam packed by the time they leave the main shopping core.

 

Some of the other locals are likely to be along with their recommendations.

 

There is another Marriott downtown - it's the Pinnacle and is much closer to Canada Place but probably more expensive because of it's location.

 

Hope this helps and enjoy Alaska.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

Thank you for this information...I wasn't even thinking about hills :eek:

This may sound like a dumb question but is there a difference between the subway and the train? Just wondering what signs to look for after leaving customs.

Edit - just noticed your extra post. Subway/Train/Metro/Underground/Light Rail/SkyTrain doesn't matter in the context of YVR as there is only one line. Now if you ask a cabbie downtown 'take me to the train' he will likely take you to the VIA/Amtrak station and not SkyTrain, so it is best to get in the habit of using the local terminology.

Dennis broke it down for you perfectly. All I'd add is that community shuttles and luggage work even worse than regular buses and luggage - I have seen several people refused boarding by the drivers on the C23 at Yaletown-Roundhouse station because they had large bags and there's nowhere to put them.

A cab from Yaletown-Roundhouse station will run less than $10 to the hotel, so it is your absolute cheapest option if you cannot face wheeling your bags the c.3/4 mile to the hotel. As xlxo mentioned though, since cabs are now fixed price the saving is minimal for two and it is an extra hassle.

OTOh, if you are in town long enough to sightsee, then transit tickets bought in advance at the airport 7-Eleven not only avoid the inbound AddFare, thus saving $10 right away for the two of you, but give you 8 more tickets to pootle around town with and get back to YVR at the end of your trip if it's an RT... but if you are just doing an airport-hotel-board cruise next morning overnight, I too would recommend a cab since even with generous tip CAN$35 is like the price of a frilly coffee in Starbucks to you rich Americans at the moment;-)

Edit - just noticed your extra post. Subway/Train/Metro/Underground/Light Rail/SkyTrain doesn't matter in the context of YVR as there is only one line. Now if you ask a cabbie downtown 'take me to the train' he will likely take you to the VIA/Amtrak station and not SkyTrain, so it is best to get in the habit of using the local terminology.

 

Dennis broke it down for you perfectly. All I'd add is that community shuttles and luggage work even worse than regular buses and luggage - I have seen several people refused boarding by the drivers on the C23 at Yaletown-Roundhouse station because they had large bags and there's nowhere to put them.

 

A cab from Yaletown-Roundhouse station will run less than $10 to the hotel, so it is your absolute cheapest option if you cannot face wheeling your bags the c.3/4 mile to the hotel. As xlxo mentioned though, since cabs are now fixed price the saving is minimal for two and it is an extra hassle.

 

OTOh, if you are in town long enough to sightsee, then transit tickets bought in advance at the airport 7-Eleven not only avoid the inbound AddFare, thus saving $10 right away for the two of you, but give you 8 more tickets to pootle around town with and get back to YVR at the end of your trip if it's an RT... but if you are just doing an airport-hotel-board cruise next morning overnight, I too would recommend a cab since even with generous tip CAN$35 is like the price of a frilly coffee in Starbucks to you rich Americans at the moment;-)

Thanks for the info. I found Dennis' info also very helpful and I think we're going to skip the C23 and just get off at Yaletown-Roundhouse station and walk to the hotel.

We're leaving the next morning for the cruise so the plan for now is to walk over to Canada Place from the hotel to board the ship.

Thanks for the info. I found Dennis' info also very helpful and I think we're going to skip the C23 and just get off at Yaletown-Roundhouse station and walk to the hotel.

 

We're leaving the next morning for the cruise so the plan for now is to walk over to Canada Place from the hotel to board the ship.

In that case definitely take Dennis' advice to walk from the next stop, Vancouver City Centre, as the first block up Davie from Yaletown is daunting with luggage!

This may sound like a dumb question but is there a difference between the subway and the train? Just wondering what signs to look for after leaving customs.

Edit - just noticed your extra post. Subway/Train/Metro/Underground/Light Rail/SkyTrain doesn't matter in the context of YVR as there is only one line. Now if you ask a cabbie downtown 'take me to the train' he will likely take you to the VIA/Amtrak station and not SkyTrain, so it is best to get in the habit of using the local terminology.

Translink likes to call it the "Skytrain". The train runs above ground at the airport and crossing the river. Once in Vancouver, the Canada Line goes underground for 2/3rds of the way into the city and around an ancient volcano.

Yes, visitors will call it subway and various other names.

As the cost difference is minimal, luggage convenience to your hotel and the cab offers above ground views into the city... you might find it more pleasant than the train.

I don't know if you have left yet, but years ago, when we stayed at the Residence inn, they had a free shuttle to the port.

Hope this helps!

Just re-reading some old posts and we ended up taking a taxi for a little under $10 from the Residence Inn to the pier. The Residence Inn was wonderful but didn't offer a free shuttle to the pier like the above post mentioned. Just FYI in case anyone else stays there.

And something for any wheelchair users. The Marriott near Canada Place does not have wheelchair accessible rooms for those who cannot walk a little. No roll in showers and the rest of the bathrooms are worse than tight. Great restaurant! The Residence Inn does have fully accessible rooms. We stayed in room 603 a month ago and very comfortable. Taxis are very easy to come by both downtown and at the airport with most being rear roll in ramp entrance.