Vancouver Hotel help

[sgttami]

It is just so confusing when you have no clue and have never been there!!!!!!!!

 

Both hotels are considered "luxury" and are expensive. Westin is a better price and more appealing to me...but sometimes my sister gets her mind set on something and there's no changing it!!!!!!

 

Thanks again.......

[paulapatti4]

sgttami,

I have booked 3 nights at the Metropolotan in May. I used web site http://WWW.Luxurylink.com; it is an auction site but you know what hotel you are bidding on. It's not as low priced as Priceline, but you know what type of room you are bidding on and which hotel. The price was lower than any of the web sites I viewed( orbitz, travelocity, hotels.com).

 

Paula

[critterchick]

We have stayed at both the Westins Grand and Bayshore. While we like them both, we give the Bayshore a slight nod, especially if you can get a harbor view room (Sea Island Lady & I have had this discussion before:D ).

 

We are walkers, and walked from the Grand to Stanley Park and back (it was a daylong excursion as we stopped for breakfast, visited the Aquarium, had lunch at the Stanley Park Fish House and did lots of window shopping on Robson St.). I have to say that the concierge thought we were nuts, but other than some tired dogs, it was a great way to spend the day.

 

The Bayshore is more convenient to both Robson St. shopping and Stanley park, but the Grand is close to the library (it is a wonderful one), BC Place (sports arena), Chinatown and Gastown. There is also a terrific coffeeshop about 1/2 a block away on the same street as Starbucks, without all the lines. I just hope they haven't been driven out of business. The Bayshore bills itself as a "resort," although we didn't find it to be all that resort-y.

 

The Grand was originally built as an apartment building, which explains the odd layout of each floor and the relative paucity of elevators (we never had to wait long for one). There is a nice health club in each. The Grand has an outdoor pool & spa, the Bayshore has an indoor and outdoor pool and at least an indoor spa (we didn't notice one outside, but it was cold & rainy so not appealing anyway). THe Bayshore has better dining options in the hotel, but both are within easy walking distance of TONS of good restaurants.

 

I don't think you could go wrong with either one. I just found the Grand to be more cosmopolitan and the Bayshore to be a little more relaxed.

[critterchick]

Gator, we stayed at a neat B&B in the Kitsilano district of Vancouver, which is home to the University of British Columbia. The Pennyfarthing Inn, run by the female twin of Basil Fawlty, for those of you who remember John Cleese as the hapless innkeeper (she has all the videos of the show). It's a funky kind of bohemian neighborhood, but very safe - we walked and/or took the bus everywhere, including into downtown Vancouver, Granville Island and the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. I highly recommend it. There are 3 house cats (maybe only two now; we were there in 2002 and one of the cats was 21 years old). And she cooks a wicked good breakfast! We stayed in the room at the very top, which had a very comfortable queen sized bed and a separate living room area. We had a peek at the other rooms, and they were nice, but quite a bit smaller.

 

I think Vancouver is a very safe city, especially compared to LA (my town), NY or Chicago. Violent crime is much lower than you would expect in such an urban area. You just have to use common sense & you'll be fine pretty much anywhere.

[sgttami]

I have never done any "bidding" for rooms when travelling but just might this time since I've heard prices that people paid and couldn't believe what I paid!!

 

Last year we paid $269 a night for Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale and I heard that others paid $60 or $70 for an identical room....I was always skeptical about it because I have been told by others that once they were at the hotel, they were told they had no reservation.....

 

I might however, give it a try....

[aussie jb]

Definitely give it a try. It's got to a stage here that if we're going to a concert or something big in the city (in Melbourne) and I don't want to hassle with traffic or parking, I get on to Priceline, bid and pay in U.S $$$ and get a hotel in my home town for 1/2 the price I can get on the cheap websites here. I love it

[Lisa Wilson]

Is it too early to do priceline for a June booking? I have tried to submit a bid to Priceline but they won't except it yet. I have only gone up to $60. Just wondering if I need to wait a little longer and resubmit.

Thanks!:p

[dosi]

Is it too early to do priceline for a June booking? I have tried to submit a bid to Priceline but they won't except it yet. I have only gone up to $60. Just wondering if I need to wait a little longer and resubmit.

Thanks!:p

 

 

What city, zone and star level are you bidding? If you are bidding four star in Vancouver downtown I suspect your bid is just too low.

[sgttami]

We finally booked the hotel for Vancouver this week and decided to go with Westin Grand...(thanks, seaislandlady for the pix) Tried Westin Bayshore but they were booked for the date we needed.....didn't do Priceline or the other sites. Westin Grand location looks fine for us and the downtown hotel map that was posted is great. I refer to it all the time...Thanks all!!!

 

Airfare was a bit more than we wanted to pay...$653 from Newark to Vancouver (non stop) but with gas prices going up, it has already gone up again since we booked on Monday. ($671 today) On the bright side, we are waitlisted for first class using our miles.

 

Thanks again all.......Pam and John

[WASUP]

Airport hotels that anyone can recommend..we plan to do a one day whirlwind tour when we get off the cruise ship..

 

Plan to wind up at the airport area and then we have an early flight to catch the next day

 

Thanks

[ell52]

If money is no object, then the Fairmont at Vancouver Airport is the nicest of the airport hotels. It is literally connected to the airport terminal. Very, very nice and very convenient.

 

Otherwise, you could try Priceline for any of the airport hotels in the 3* range. You will get a comfortable, clean room close to the airport. These hotels (in the city of Richmond) will have free shuttles to the airport.

 

ell

[BS_Outwest]

I agree that the Bayshore is a nice hotel as we have stayed there also. It is a Westin too! However, there is the waterfront construction going on and you have to be careful about where you stay. Remember that Vancouver has two piers. We sailed out of Ballentyne. No matter where you stay in relation to the pier, you will still have to take transportation to the pier unless you wish to carry your suitcases with you on the walk.:D

The Grand Westin is on Robson and a very central located.

 

The Grand Westin is a great hotel with fantasic beds. Its a little out of the way (5-6 blocks) from the main shopping areas, but easily walkable to everything.