Pan Pacific Hotel and Deluxe Suites

[Sailkeywest]

I read a thread once in which the writer stated that they received a free night at the Pan Pacific in Vancouver for booking a Deluxe Suite. My question is: has anyone out there ever received this offer, and if so, what time of the year did they run this promotion?

 

 

Thanks, as always, for any insight :)

[AZNative2000]

I read a thread once in which the writer stated that they received a free night at the Pan Pacific in Vancouver for booking a Deluxe Suite. My question is: has anyone out there ever received this offer, and if so, what time of the year did they run this promotion?

 

We did and I wrote that in my review. Complete coincidence that I booked our cruise on the last day of February. While I was booking, I was told that I would be getting a free night in Vancouver because I booked before the end of the month. Ignorant, 1st timer me didn't know anything except it was a bonus.

 

It may have been that I booked air with HAL. I don't recall if they said it was because we had a suite.

 

Happy to answer any other questions.

[Sailkeywest]

Ty, ty for replying, Hubby mentioned it to me after reading your review today, so I thought I'd ask the question about particulars. We booked the airline independently, so if that is the reason, we wouldn't qualify.

 

Here is another link on the subject, but I don't really see how they did it (other than the luck of the draw):

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/archive/index.php/t-942877.html

 

BTW, I tried doing an online booking for the PP and the site says rooms are "unavailable." I haven't called them yet, but I am thinking this might mean that they are already fully booked?

[AZNative2000]

Again, as a 1st-time cruiser, I was not schooled in all the options like booking our own air, transfers, and how important that pre-night is as opposed to arriving on the day of sail-away. Plus being in Canada was different too. So, I booked everything through HAL: transfers, flights (They had us arrive the day before because the flights arrived after 4pm.) and everything. Any or all of this may have contributed to the free hotel night. Or, we just may have been lucky.

 

For our second cruise, we are doing independent air and hotel. Getting good advice here! Won't need transfers, they come with the hotel or we'll use a cab. (Airport and ship much closer in Ft. Lauderdale.)

 

As for the Pan Pacific, I would not have known to pick it and it is pricey! But I can't put a price on the thrill of watching the Zuiderdam glide across the harbor and park right under our window.

[Sailkeywest]

"As for the Pan Pacific, I would not have known to pick it and it is pricey! But I can't put a price on the thrill of watching the Zuiderdam glide across the harbor and park right under our window." --AZNative

 

Oooh, just lovely! I saw some photos of the views from the PP and it looks amazing. I told Hubby about how another poster had said that Vancouver is not difficult to manuever about and that staying at hotels that are not directly across from the pier is just fine. He saw the pics of the PP and got all smiley and doe-eyed though, so I thought I'd investigate a little further.

 

I think that I will try to use Priceline to bid on a 4* hotel in the vicinity, they all look really nice and I'm sure he can get doe-eyed about them too :P I know he'd be smiley about all the money I would save doing-so!

 

My jaw nearly dropped to the ground when Hubby suggested that maybe we fly in 2 full days before the cruise. I am so excited that I can barely stand it!

 

Also, I noticed that flights (and use of sky miles) are also a great deal less on Thursday rather than Friday. We fly into Vancouver in the early afternoon *yay* I am so busy with my plan of attack, my fingers are going to fall off from all the typing. So far, time permitting, my 'must-do's' are (in order of importance):

 

1) Stanley Park

2) Granville Market

3) Big fancy (or maybe not so fancy, but amazing food) restaurant(Maybe "C restaurant?")

4) Butchart Gardens

5) China Town

 

I am not quite so sure that all of this is do-able in a day and a half. Any insight from experienced persons is appreciated.

 

Loved your review, btw, AZNative. It is a must read for new Vancouver cruisers!

 

P.S. Did I just hijack my own thread? :P

[hensghan]

We (only) once got an upsell offer that was so good we just couldn't pass it up. It was to an SA cabin on a early May Alaskan cruise on Zuiderdam. Anyhow, it wasn't until we had accepted the upsell offer that we found out the SA booking also included one free pre-sail night at the Pan Pacific and, when we got there, we did have wonderfully deluxe waterfront accommodations.

 

This is our only experience with a 'free' night's accommodation from HAL and it was apparently offered only as an incentive to go SA, an incentive that we lucked into even though we paid far less than the going SA rate.

[AZNative2000]

I am not quite so sure that all of this is do-able in a day and a half. Any insight from experienced persons is appreciated.

 

1) Stanley Park

2) Granville Market

3) Big fancy (or maybe not so fancy, but amazing food) restaurant(Maybe "C restaurant?")

4) Butchart Gardens

5) China Town

 

Our city-tour guide said if you go to Chinatown go for lunch not dinner as it can be a rough area after dark. I think Buchart is on the island.

[Himself]

The Buchardt Gardens are just out side of Victoria on Vancouver Island. Stanley Park sounds like a plan. It is well worth seeing, says someone who lives in Illinois and grew up on the West Side of Chicago. Have been in Vancouver many times in the past ten or twelve years.

[AZNative2000]

As for the Pan Pacific, I would not have known to pick it and it is pricey! But I can't put a price on the thrill of watching the Zuiderdam glide across the harbor and park right under our window.

 

For Sailkeywest ... Zuiderdam approaching Pan Pacific Hotel June 5, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

[LoyHAL]

We always book a deluxe suite and have never had HAL give us a room at the Pan Pacific! Sounds like a great deal, though.

 

LoyHAL

[PathfinderEss]

Wow, have I been missing out. We always stay at the Pan Pacific when in Vancouver for a cruise. Never got that offer staying in "S" or "SA" Suites. We did the Zuiderdam in May, and no one mention it, hum.........

[Sailkeywest]

I think the point was that a room was received because the poster had booked air through HAL and because HAL booked flights that arrived the day before to ensure their arrival, that HAL put them up for the night. Just my guess :P

[KAYEF]

I booked there last year because my SIL has difficulty walking..........paid $300. for a very small room but it was beautiful as was the view and in the morning they took our luggage to the ship...............a BONUS.

I booked a couple of months ahead and then was sorry. I'd had an online "deal" and later people got a FAR better deal which also included free breakfast.

BTW, we ate dinner LATE outside (June 3rd) and it was magnificent and NOT really expensive; I think our entrees were about $13.

Of course, betinning the next day all our meals were "free"............having paid for my cruise long ago, I always regard my cruise meals as being FREE!;)

[AZWTRLVR]

We are booked on the Oosterdam, September 19, SY suite. I think I read it here but also in very small print in the Mariner magazine, anyone leaving from Seattle for an Alaska cruise, with SZ or above cabin, gets a free night prior to sailing. Plus transfers, airport/hotel/ship.

Nothing was said about the promo when I booked, through HAL. I asked, the reservation agent had me hold while he checked. It is

true and we were booked into the Fairmont Olympic. Had to pay taxes of $14.42.

We have a friend sailing on the Amsterdam in September, SA suite. I told her about it and she will check into it tomorrow. On this board I had read about free parking on the pier for deluxe suite passengers and told her about that. Earlier she'd mentioned she'd paid for parking. She checked that out and they now have free parking on the pier.

Seems you have to be constantly on the alert for promos. Doesn't sound as though they make the customer aware of them during booking.

[DaveOKC]

HAL sometimes runs special promotions offering a free night at the Pan Pacific or Fairmont Waterfront. Booking HAL air has nothing to do with it - it is for booking a deluxe suite.

We did this last Sept.

 

DaveOKC

[AZWTRLVR]

We do not have HAL air. But the comment about a deluxe suite sent me back to the Mariner Magazine. Must be round-trip Seattle and the promo is good on BB-PS on Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Zaandam. On the Osterdam PS-SY. So it is more than the highest suites. This is promo HT, double occupancy.

[Sailkeywest]

Good to hear that it has nothing to do with flight arrangements, then maybe there is hope :) I really would have thought that they would have only done it based on the arrangements they made for you, as that is an expensive "gift" from the cruiseline to give out in mass quantities. We are coming out of Vancouver though, so I will just keep my ear to the ground and maybe we will have some luck!

 

I just saw your post, Himself. I was thinking of bidding on priceline for a hotel and am really hoping to get the Westin that is supposedly by the seawall near Stanley Park. Is Stanley Park walkable from this hotel, if you know by chance?

 

I was also thinking of staying a little further south, like near Granville, as the Public Market is a priority. I am a little hesitant to bid for a hotel further south as I do not know the area. I was hoping to accomplish two things by staying there: 1) Proximity to the Market and bringing our purchases back to the hotel and 2) Finding the sea ferry that takes people to Victoria. Have you done this before? I am having a little trouble finding information on doing this. As said, I am trying to find a hotel that is near these things, it is easier said than done. :P

 

And if you are still around, by chance, where are your favorite places to eat?

 

Sorry for hijacking the thread (from myself) again. Thanks to all for the info! If anyone happens to find a promo like that and is feeling charitable, my cruise critic email is "mycruisecritic.email@gmail.com" ty :)

[AZNative2000]

2) Finding the sea ferry that takes people to Victoria. I am having a little trouble finding information on doing this.

 

Try these links:

 

http://www.ferrytravel.com/vancouver.htm

 

http://www.ferrytravel.com/TSW-SB.htm

 

If you put the place you want to be close to in hotels.com, it will show you all the close hotels.

 

Hope it helps.

[LindaKE]

Does anyone know when the Pan Pacific starts offering deals like cruise packages (2011)? We're thinking about staying there pre-cruise. I don't want to book too early and cheat myself out of a good deal, but neither do I want to wait too late and find out they are full.

[TracieABD]

I called this morning to see if they would honor the deal in the Mariner Mag, but no go. I was a bit put off by the "curt nature" of the reservation staff... hmmm.:confused: