3 nights in Vancouver late August

[bandit and babycakes]

We ( 2 couples) are staying in Vancouver 3 nights after our cruise. As we will be touring Vancouver and plan to spend a full 12 hour day in Victoria can someone give us an idea of a nice hotel to book? We have seen all of the 5 star big ticket ones on line but we are not going to be in our rooms that much. We want a nice hotel 2 queen beds or 1 King close to Canada Place with access to public transportaion and tours. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Putterdude]

The real issue is that Vancouver during the summer is a lot like Fort Lauderdale in the winter....anything close to the cruise terminal is going to be north of $200 pn. A couple of hotels to consider would the Blue Horizon on Robson St., Hampton Inn & Suites on Robson, the Sandman Inn on West Georgia and the Best Western-Downtown on Drake St. All of these will put you close to transportation and tours but are about a $10 cab fare to Canada Place, actually the Hampton and the BW have a free shuttle to the pier.

However with that, I would also suggest that you try bidding for a room on Priceline.com, once on the bidding screen, choose Vancouver-Downtown, click on 3*+ and then start bidding at about $90 for about $135 you should be able to secure a good, hotel, in a good location that will meet your requirements.

[BCHappyGal]

Info on Vancouver from a local!

 

My favorite must do attractions are

 

1) Grouse Mountain – http://www.grousemountain.com – this is a wonderful scenic mountain only about 15 mins from downtown Vancouver. Ride the airtram to the top for lots of fun activities that include a loggers show, birds of prey show, 2 movies (1 about the Vancouver area and 1 about the 2 Grizzly Bears who make their home on Grouse Mtn) ride a chair lift and visit with 2 live Grizzly Bears. Enjoy a meal in any of the restaurants. Caveat only spend the money to go up on a clear day.

2) Capilano Suspension Bridge – http://www.capbridge.com – this is Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction and I still enjoy visiting it! Located on Capilano Road just before you reach the Grouse Mountain parking lot. Walk across a suspension Bridge over the Capilano Gorge, wonder the trails thru the rain forest, walk thru the treetops on the new Tree Top Adventure, visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weavers and/or carvers at work.

3) Capilano Fish Hatchery is also located on Capilano Road and is a great place to view salmon jumping up the fish ladders to get around the Cleveland Dam. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilano_River_Regional_Park

4) Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge – http://www.lynncanyon.ca - is also located in North Vancouver and is much less touristy than Capilano but it also is not as spectacular. The bridge is slightly higher above the water but much shorter in span. Located in a Provincial Park this bridge comes with some nice hiking trails and you will find an ecology centre in the park as well as picnic tables and a food concession outlet. Should you choose to enjoy the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge always cross the suspension bridge first and then hike down the trail to the lower (Twin Falls wooden) bridge to cross back over the Lynn Valley River and return to your car – that way you are hiking downhill rather than uphill. It is also free to visit this suspension bridge!

5) Stanley Park – http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/ - is the crown jewel of Vancouver's parks. As one of North America's largest urban parks, covering over a 1000 acres and offering an abundance of activities. Enjoy the totem pole collection near the Brockton Point Light House, hiking trails, beaches, water parks for the kids (young & old), rose gardens, miniature train, petting zoo, aquarium –http://www.vanaqua.org – many view points, and several restaurants. During the summer months there is a free shuttle bus that you can ride around the park on.

6) Vancouver Aquarium – http://www.vanaqua.org – is Canada’s largest aquarium and is committed to the conservation of marine life and education. Located in Stanley Park this is a fun place for the family to visit.

7) Gas Town – the location where Vancouver originated. The name is derived from a very colorful character named Gassy Jack who was one of the first settlers in the area and a salon keeper – while in Gas Town don’t miss your photo op with the statue of Gassy Jack and by the Steam Clock. During the summer months there is a free walking tour of Gas Town for times call 604-683-5650

8) At the start of Gas Town is the Harbor Centre Tower http://www.vancouverlookout.com a great spot to start your tour of Vancouver with a birds eye view of the city. Either take the elevator up to the lookout level or go to the top and enjoy a meal in the revolving restaurant.

9) China Town is only about 6 blocks over from Gas Town and is the largest China Town north of San Francisco. While in China Town enjoy a visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Gardens http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com and also make sure you visit the world’s thinnest building it is only 6’ wide!

10) The city of Vancouver has laid out self guided walking tours of 4 distinct historical neighborhoods in Vancouver – Gastown; Chinatown; Yaletown; & Shaughnessy – these walking tours along with a historical introduction to each neighbourhood can be found at http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/heritage/walks/index.htm

11) Granville Island – http://www.granvilleisland.com – is a huge public market area which not only sells fruit & veggies but you can also buy frozen fish to be shipped to your home. Many artists make this their home and you can watch them at work in their studios – making this a great place to buy unique souvenirs. The Granville Island Brewery is also located here and you can stop in for a free tour & tastes. There are theatres for live performances and many fine restaurants. A fun way to get to Granville Island is via the Aquabus – http://www.theaquabus.com

12) Burnaby Village Museum – http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca – is an open air museum with over 30 restored homes, shops, school, church and a 1912 carousel situated on 10 acres

13) Gulf of Georgia Cannery – http://www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com – is a restored fishing cannery located in the historic fishing village of Steveston (part of Richmond). Here you see exhibits that showcase the history of the fishing industry in British Columbia. Once finished in the museum it is great fun to walk along the fishing docks and see the fishing boats which are selling their catch. There are also some excellent restaurants located here.

14) The Vancouver Maritime Museum located on the shore of English Bay is fun for the whole family with lots of hands on exhibits for the kid in all of us. Here to you will find the ship St Roch which the RCMP sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Northwest Passage and then completed the return journey in 1944. You actually get to tour this ship. http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

15) Queen Elizabeth Park http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth The 130 acre (52 hectare) park is one of the most beautifully maintained public parks in the world. Second only to Stanley Park in annual visitations, it receives nearly 6 million people a year who marvel at its superior standard of garden plantings.

The park was originally quarried for its rock which served to build Vancouver's first roadways. In 1929 the Board proceeded to acquire the property which had become an abandoned eyesore but still served as the site for two holding reservoirs for the City's drinking water. Dedicated as a park by King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the present Queen's mother) on their much lauded visit to Vancouver in 1939.

16) Fort Langley is the restored wooden fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post. It is the origin of British Columbia and was the first capital. This Fort is operated by the Federal Parks Board. http://www.fortlangley.org

17) If you are a wine lover you might want to rent a car and spend a day visiting a few of the many excellent wineries located in the Fraser Valley only about a 1 hour drive from your hotel. Almost all of the wineries offer free tastes & tours. Two of the wineries have excellent restaurants on the premises. This makes for a very fun and relaxing day. Check out the Fraser Valley Wine Association web site for a map of winery locations and a brief description of each winery http://www.fvwa.ca

18) If you are a real animal lover than don’t miss “Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre” It is located in Fort Langley about an hour drive from downtown Vancouver. Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre is a leading non-profit Canadian facility that breeds endangered species in family groups for re-introduction back into their natural habitat in Canada and around the world. This facility is not a zoo their goal is to breed rare and endangered wildlife and re-introduce these animals back into their natural habitats. Presently Mountainview hosts over 50 species of the world’s most threatened animals and birds. See animals such as the spotted dog from Africa, Giraffes, and much much more. Here you do not wonder around as in a zoo rather you are given a guided tour with commentary on each animal group. Check it out at http://www.mtnviewconservation.org

19) VanDusen Botanical Garden is a scenic 55- acre garden of international renown – a living museum of plants collected from around the world and artistically displayed amidst rolling lawns, woodlands and five tranquil lakes, all in the heart of Vancouver and just 15 minutes from downtown.

Due to Vancouver’s mild climate, plants bloom at the Garden year-round. This same climate creates a unique environment where plants from varying climate regions thrive and grow – at VanDusen you will see plants from the southern hemisphere, tropical areas and the high Arctic tundra along side native species. The Elizabethan Maze (one of only six in North America) provides year-round fun.

20) UBC Botanical Garden located at the University of British Columbia covers 110 acres and includes an Alpine, Asian, Native, Food, and Japanese Gardens. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org

21) Dazzle your senses when you visit Minter Gardens nestled against 7000 foot Mt. Cheam in beautiful 'Super Natural' British Columbia. One of the most spectacular show gardens in the world! Eleven themed gardens are designed to dazzle the senses with massive displays of artistic floral designs.

Minter Gardens is located 90 minutes east of downtown Vancouver just off the Trans-Canada Hwy. #1 at exit #135. http://www.mintergardens.com

22) Enjoy a FREE walking tour of Vancouver. This 2 hour tour starts in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Steam Clock in Gastown. This tour runs Tuesdays & Saturdays at 1pm and reservations are required. Check it out at http://www.tourguys.ca

[scottbee]

We ( 2 couples) are staying in Vancouver 3 nights after our cruise. As we will be touring Vancouver and plan to spend a full 12 hour day in Victoria can someone give us an idea of a nice hotel to book? We have seen all of the 5 star big ticket ones on line but we are not going to be in our rooms that much. We want a nice hotel 2 queen beds or 1 King close to Canada Place with access to public transportaion and tours. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

I'll second the Priceline or Hotwire suggestion. Downtown is very compact, so as long as you book a downtown hotel you'll be close to transit. You could also book the Broadway/City Hall region in Priceline as it's near the Canada Line, and there are a lot of 3* hotels around there that will be a bit cheaper than downtown itself.

[txbird]

Putterdude and Scottbee, I like your advice about using Priceline, however I don't know the best time to use it. We are going to need a hotel in Vancouver on July 1 and 2. Is it too soon to try Priceline, or am I too late? Thanks.

[Appygirl]

txbird - its never too early to book a hotel in Vancouver for the weekend of July 1. That's Canada Day. Its a long weekend and July 4 is Monday. We get a lot of US visitors up for their long weekend too! Prices would be higher on this weekend so I'd say now is the time to start looking for deals.

[txbird]

Thanks, Appygirl. I've never used Priceline, but I think I am going to give it a try.

[Putterdude]

Sorry with the boards being messed up lately and the Canadian election yesterday, I haven't been on the boards lately, however yes, I would start anytime now. Don't push it though, get to some number over $100 and then stop for a week or so, room get added to inventory all the time. The challenge you are going to have is that July 1st is "Canada Day" and as it falls on a Friday this year it is going to be a long weekend for us......sooo.

[hbear]

The real issue is that Vancouver during the summer is a lot like Fort Lauderdale in the winter....anything close to the cruise terminal is going to be north of $200 pn. A couple of hotels to consider would the Blue Horizon on Robson St., Hampton Inn & Suites on Robson, the Sandman Inn on West Georgia and the Best Western-Downtown on Drake St. All of these will put you close to transportation and tours but are about a $10 cab fare to Canada Place, actually the Hampton and the BW have a free shuttle to the pier.

 

However with that, I would also suggest that you try bidding for a room on Priceline.com, once on the bidding screen, choose Vancouver-Downtown, click on 3*+ and then start bidding at about $90 for about $135 you should be able to secure a good, hotel, in a good location that will meet your requirements.

 

We are the same situation - 2 couples, 3 nights, BUT, my question is a little different. We are members of Holiday Inn, Hilton (prefer Hamptons), Best Western, and Ramada (Wyndam Hotels), so we would like to get our points for our stay. Can you recommend any of those in a central location, close to public transportation?

[Urban trekker]

There is a Holiday Inn on Howe St, no Hilton in downtown yet but there is a Hampton Inn - there are two Ramadas and at least two Best Westerns downtown. Our downtown core is quite small and compact and all of these hotels are close to all amenities - all would be about $10.00 taxi to the port provide you are sailing from Canada Place and all but a handful of cruises are this year.

 

Of the chains mentioned I would either go with the Hampton Inn or the Best Western Downtown which has a White Spot restaurant adjacent to it - http://www.whitespot.ca - partly because they are newer properties - the Ramadas are recycled older hotels - some don`t like the Holiday Inn because it is located a short block from the Granville Entertainment Zone and tends to have a noisier street scene - during the week it is fairly quite but if it is a nice warm night it gets busier.

 

Some of the other locals will likely be around with there thoughts.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[hbear]

There is a Holiday Inn on Howe St, no Hilton in downtown yet but there is a Hampton Inn - there are two Ramadas and at least two Best Westerns downtown. Our downtown core is quite small and compact and all of these hotels are close to all amenities - all would be about $10.00 taxi to the port provide you are sailing from Canada Place and all but a handful of cruises are this year.

 

Of the chains mentioned I would either go with the Hampton Inn or the Best Western Downtown which has a White Spot restaurant adjacent to it - www.whitespot.ca - partly because they are newer properties - the Ramadas are recycled older hotels - some don`t like the Holiday Inn because it is located a short block from the Granville Entertainment Zone and tends to have a noisier street scene - during the week it is fairly quite but if it is a nice warm night it gets busier.

 

Some of the other locals will likely be around with there thoughts.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

I've booked us into the Holiday Inn because I found out that my son is a Priority Club member also - we'll both get our points. They gave us a package deal too! We'll ask for rooms in the back.

 

And how do we get to the Holiday Inn from the cruise terminal?

[LeftcoastBC]

I suggest a cab.

[annaNJ11]

We are in similar situation, but plan to use SPG to stay in Four Points by Sheraton, Vancouver Airport.

We will likely rent a car as busband always thinks that he "needs" a car, will it be too far to travel from the airport to attractions such as Grouse Mountain, Suspension Bridge? or travel from the airport to downtown?

 

How do we return the car near the cruise terminal? Should we just return the car in the airport and just take a cab to the cruise terminal? how much will it be?

 

I don't priceline for a downtown hotel as previously suggested, but if the distance from airport to downtow is not far, I may as well stay near the airport...

 

We will be arriving on Thursday and leave on Sunday..

[Urban trekker]

`And how do we get to the Holiday Inn from the cruise terminal`

 

While what Left Coast says is one solution if you have only one piece of rolling luggage and want some morning exercise you could walk the 10 blocks straight down Howe st to Canada Place.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[laughing husky]

Just came back from Vancouver. I ws looking for a hotel on a major street that was convenient...We stayed at the Blue Horizon hotel on Robson....Great location...close to Canada place...159./per night through there listing. Lots of cruise people there. Bus stops in front of the door. The HOHO trolley stops in front of the door, There is a Victoria tour that leaves from their door...and 6 restaurants directly across the place. Each room has a blacony...small....30 stories tall...and a nice sidewalk cafe in which to people watch...and there is an excellent gelatto store across the street also....I hgighly recomend it...sparking clean and modern..as are most things in Vancouver.

[LeftcoastBC]

We are in similar situation, but plan to use SPG to stay in Four Points by Sheraton, Vancouver Airport.

We will likely rent a car as busband always thinks that he "needs" a car, will it be too far to travel from the airport to attractions such as Grouse Mountain, Suspension Bridge? or travel from the airport to downtown?

 

How do we return the car near the cruise terminal? Should we just return the car in the airport and just take a cab to the cruise terminal? how much will it be?

 

I don't priceline for a downtown hotel as previously suggested, but if the distance from airport to downtow is not far, I may as well stay near the airport...

 

We will be arriving on Thursday and leave on Sunday..

 

Depends on your rental contract about returning car somewhere else other than the airport..Some allow that others don't. Check before you rent.

 

It would not be fatal to stay out by the airport and drive to the northshore for Grouse etc. But it would add 40 mins or so each way to someone that was unfamiliar with the area.

 

Out that way in Richmond there is Steveston Village with it's attractions also.. http://www.steveston.bc.ca/

[annaNJ11]

great. If we were to rent a car and return the car to the airport, how much does it cost to take a cab to the cruise terminal?

[LeftcoastBC]

great. If we were to rent a car and return the car to the airport, how much does it cost to take a cab to the cruise terminal?

 

Cab 35-45 $

 

Canada Line 28mins not so much and a short walk.:)

 

& I do believe you can pick up a PASS for the line while on your travels away from the airport and save a fiver or so of an AIRPORT fee.

[BCHappyGal]

If I was just returning a rental car to the airport prior to boarding my cruise ship and therefore had no luggage than I would definitely use the Canada Line - Light Rapid Transit - train from the airport back to the cruise ship terminal. Just take the ALRT locals call it the Skytrain from the airport to the last station called Waterfront and that is right beside the cruise ship terminal - I believe a 1 way ticket is $4.50....

[hbear]

`And how do we get to the Holiday Inn from the cruise terminal`

 

While what Left Coast says is one solution if you have only one piece of rolling luggage and want some morning exercise you could walk the 10 blocks straight down Howe st to Canada Place.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

Had to chuckle about the one piece of luggage, Dennis. We're on the 19 day cruisetour - it's going to be more than one piece! And like other women, I tend to take way too much clothing and too many pairs of shoes.

 

You've covered a lot of nautical miles with Norwegian. We've never been on that line. Really like, Celebrity and Hal.

 

Thank you again for your help.

 

Wish you many good sailing days.

 

DJ