Vancouver Info if needed

Thank you....could one of you be our tour guide for 2 days!!!:D

 

So the first stop for the Cap. would be????? We will definitely just walk there to get a seat!! Thank you.

 

I think we will just do the HoHo trolley the first day and start in the morning. Especially since the lookout and Fly Over Canada have later closing times.

 

Thank you again. I am sure I will have more questions closer to the trip!

 

My suggestion would be remain flexible and check the weather before you arrive. If one of the day's looks like rain then I would be inclined to avoid the CSB and Grouse as they are more enjoyable on a dry sunny day. However, whatever you decide, the HOHO excursion would be best done as a morning event.

My suggestion would be remain flexible and check the weather before you arrive. If one of the day's looks like rain then I would be inclined to avoid the CSB and Grouse as they are more enjoyable on a dry sunny day. However, whatever you decide, the HOHO excursion would be best done as a morning event.

I agree about adding some weather planning as you get closer to your arrival dates on what to do. May weather in Cascadia can be a huge downer with you get a series of wet days together. If it is a rainy day... use the weather websites to see what parts of the day are dryer to decide on what to do.

Thank you....could one of you be our tour guide for 2 days!!!:D

 

So the first stop for the Cap. would be????? We will definitely just walk there to get a seat!! Thank you.

Just 2 days???? I think you might need much more if we put our collective minds together.... if you run out of ideas on what to do... just post a query here and we'll be here to help out.

 

Some call Vancouver a "no-fun" city..... we would like to change this attitude.

 

For those who share their YVR departure/arrival, hotel location, ship departure/arrival. We can help develop an itinery to best fill their day. Budget travellers should consider hotels a few blocks away from the cruise terminal to maximize their savings (eg Blue Horizon, Hampton, Landmark, Sutton, or other Robson street hotels).

 

Possible idea...

• Day 1
  
  • noon arrival at YVR
    
  • 1pm hotel check in
    
  • 1:30pm get shuttle to Grouse Mountain
    
  • 4:30pm get shuttle to Capilano Suspension bridge
    
  • 6pm return to downtown for dinner
    
  • 8pm Fly Over Canada
    
  • 9pm Bella's for Gelato?
    

  [*]Day 2

  • how early do you want to get up? East Coast travellers should have no problems with a 6am wake-up call to start their day early!
    
  • Whistler day trip?
    
  • Victoria day trip?
    
  • Hop On service to explore Stanley Park? Aquarium? Mini train? Granville Island? Gastown?
    
  • Dim Sum for some Asian high tea? Seafood? Vancouver offers great multi-cultural experience or fusion foods.
    
  • La Casa for evening Gelato heaven? They close at 11pm!
    

  [*]Day 3

  • relax for cruise ship lunch trough
    

martincath....can you tell me the first stop to walk to instead of the pick up location of the library for the blue cap bus??

 

Thank you....

 

Yes, we plan on being very flexible with whatever the weather is!!!

martincath....can you tell me the first stop to walk to instead of the pick up location of the library for the blue cap bus??

fyi.... if you look at this link.... the library is the third pickup point...

http://www.capbridge.com/visit/shuttle-service/

 

1. Century Plaza (1015 Burrard)
   
2. Chateau Granville (at Helmicken)
   
3. Library Square
   
4. Pacific Centre Mall
   
5. Capilano Suspension Bridge
   

martincath....can you tell me the first stop to walk to instead of the pick up location of the library for the blue cap bus.

I have been having a little trouble understanding your question, however if you asking about the blue line and you are still staying l'Hermatage the the Library Square stop is your closest stop, the next closest stop would be the Pacific Centre Mall stop. If you are thinking of the red line then your closest stop is the Hyatt Regency but if you are going to take the red line then you are likely best to walk down to Canada Place as that is the begining of the red route and you will be more sure of getting on the bus....it is just a few extra blocks

Putterdude....martincath told me that the library stop is the third stop and if the bus would be full from the first 2 stops we would not get on the bus, so he thought it would be worth it to go to the first stop. Yes, he was talking about the blue line.....

Putterdude....martincath told me that the library stop is the third stop and if the bus would be full from the first 2 stops we would not get on the bus, so he thought it would be worth it to go to the first stop. Yes, he was talking about the blue line.....

 

We have both the blue line and red line in play here and thus the confusion. The blue line begins at the Century Plaza then goes on to the Best Western-Chateau Granville the to Library Square. The red line begins at Canada Place then goes on to the Hyatt Regency. If you look at the link below together with the map, I think it will all be very clear....if not then one us will try again.

 

 

http://www.capbridge.com/visit/shuttle-service/

Sorry - been traveling and offline. All I'd have said would be to check the link already provided by PD above next year before you come into town - the Blue route has changed in the past, so it may not be Century Plaza first next year...

 

Google Maps would easily confirm which of the start points, Red or Blue, is closest to your hotel - although unless the difference is significant I'd go for Blue simply because Canada Place is where almost every single cruiser disembarking is going to jump on the shuttles, so the Red route is almost always going to be busier than the Blue.

Sorry - been traveling and offline. All I'd have said would be to check the link already provided by PD above next year before you come into town .

 

 

Im in Redding, CA right now, heading for Bakersfield tomorrow and on to Fort Mohave on Wednesday.

 

Enjoy the rest of your trek.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

Thanks trekker, we are trekking on! :)

Too bad you are headed south - with the recently announced ferry discounts for cars etc I am planning a Sunshine Coast / Vancouver Island loop trip in mid November to visit my niece and might have had time to stop for a coffee etc.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

Ut, you have mail!

Rather than start a separate thread I thought I would post it here.

 

I had heard from the White Spot staff that this was likely to happen but wanted to wait and ensure that it actually did before posting here.

The hotel or the building was recently sold and the new owners have decided to cease hotel operations as of Oct 31, 2016 and instead convert the rooms into student housing.

 

The White Spot restaurant in the building is still operating but have shortened their operating hours and given the % of their customers who were hotel patrons I wonder if it will survive.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

Rather than start a separate thread I thought I would post it here.

 

I had heard from the White Spot staff that this was likely to happen but wanted to wait and ensure that it actually did before posting here.

The hotel or the building was recently sold and the new owners have decided to cease hotel operations as of Oct 31, 2016 and instead convert the rooms into student housing.

 

The White Spot restaurant in the building is still operating but have shortened their operating hours and given the % of their customers who were hotel patrons I wonder if it will survive.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

 

 

Not sure on the White spot time line but the hotel in fact closed as a Best Western effective today. Not next year. I work in a hotel around the corner and our guests also visit WhiteSpot frequently.

 

Vancouver has now lost 400 mid scale rooms in the past year with none re entering the market. Rumors of another 175 to 700 mid scale rooms may be lost in the next 18 months. Only hotel additions in market are 4 star plus at time time.

So that was my typo - didn't catch the date - yes it was yesterday.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

This is all very interesting, only a few years ago the real estate play of the month was to purchase an old hotel, renovate it and bring it back to the market as mid-rate property....now they are being closed. Occupancy rates in hotels have been very high for the past few rate and room rates have been steadily climbing so obviously there is more money in renting them out as other types of accommodation but that I find a bit difficult to understand.

It appears that the hotel may re-open under a new banner.

 

While having dinner at the White Spot last night I asked my favorite waiter how was business and he said it was up and down but that it should pick up again next week as the hotel was slated to reopened.

 

It was apparently brought by a large international educational company that has been buying up hotel properties to convert to student housing - for whatever reason and this is only speculation on my part but I suspect that the city government which has been concerned about the lost of hotel rooms may have pressured them to re-consider.

 

It won't be a Best Western as they told them to stuff it - can't blame them - don't know which chain it might be but apparently are taking reservations.

 

Will update if i get more info.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

I work for a mid-scale around the corner and we are currently hosting some of their guests until they re-open possibly next week, although it was supposed to be the beginning of this week. It is unlikely to reopen under a brand as that would require a time commitment longer than their development plan. (I would be happy to further discuss all the ins and out at any point over a beer at the Morrissey). This hotel will go fully "luxury" student sometime over the next 15 months as they continue to fill the VIVA Tower on Howe and Drake which also converted earlier this year from luxury corporate to luxury student.

 

Putterdude, you are so very right on the older buildings being converted. I work at the Ramada which is now 113 years old and converted to mid-scale in 1997. The problem in the Granville Entertainment District is the FSR limitations the city has placed on development which prevents any real development from happening at this point above a 7 story building. Honestly having done the development studies every which way from Sunday, you can only make money on a new build hotel by building a 4 star or higher as you need to achieve a REVPAR (revenue per available room) of approximately $156 or higher per room annualized or the development is not worth doing. this is why we have really only seen the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Fairmont Coal Harbour, Coast Coal Harbour, Hotel Blu, Loden Hotel, Shangri La, etc built over the last few years and only the Trump, JW Marriott, Marriott hotels currently in the works with Hilton looking hard to put an actual "HILTON" hotel into play.

 

Anyway, I honestly find the whole industry I work in quite fascinating. My real suggestion for Travelers to Vancouver over the coming year is don't wait to book. Make your bookings early during cruise season or it's potentially an expensive pre/post night or you may find little availability as was the case this past year. Use the online travel sites to research but for greater benefits, points and more flexibility - Call the Hotel Direct.

Thanks for the update - I am old enough to remember having a few beers at the Austin Hotel which is now your Ramada.

 

I walk by the Ramada every day - haven't been in the Morrissey for awhile - and frequent the Blenz coffee shop next door most evenings with a bunch of friends.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

The hotel is now re-opened - it is called the GEC - Granville - GEC standing for the company that owns its.

 

Apparently according to my source at the White Spot - about one half of the rooms can be booked by regular tourist travelers - the remaining are being rented out to students - a google search will give you an idea about the company.

 

At least one booking engine shows the hotel as having rooms available.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

The travel agent is trying to scare us with "what if" scenarios.

She wants us to book a room overnight in Vancouver. EXPENSIVE.

She says, what if the ferry from Victoria is unable to sail so you miss your cruise to Alaska from Vancouver.

This is in May.

we were planning to take the Greyhound first thing on the day and catch the earliest ferry (probably 8 am)

Has anyone here had any trouble with doing this?

thanks in advance

Edited January 12, 2016 by Alianthia

I know we have has some occasions where sailings have been cancelled but that is usually during fall storms. Not to say it couldn't happen, but the ferry sails pretty much hourly so I think you will be fine.

Thanks so much for the quick response!

Yes the fall has worst weather ( we're in saanich) for sure. Hopefully all will go well! :)